Power in Unity, Part 1

I have just emerged from a six-week marathon, as I called it, of busyness. I am hoping that things will slow down now and I can return to my more normal activities, one of which is sending you these meditations.

I have been rereading the excellent work by Gail Riplinger entitled In Awe of Thy Word. I was impressed by the following comments she made regarding the power of unity. This quotation is found on pages 488-489 of her book:

The multiplying of languages by God at Babel was the result of sin. There is power in unity. God said, “they have all one language…and now nothing will be restrained from them” (Gen. 11:6). There is unity and power for good when we have one Bible and one final authority. The devil tries to dispel that power by creating numerous conflicting editions. The wicked speak with multiplied “mouths” (i.e. Jer. 44:25, Lam. 3:46. Dan. 6:22, Titus 1:11). The men (plural) of God speak with “one mouth” (singular) (Rom. 15:6). In I Kings 22:13 “the prophets declare…with one mouth.” Luke 1:70 says, “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets.” Acts 3:18 repeats, “the mouth of all his prophets.”

To this I will add Paul’s admonition, which Gail Riplinger also cited:

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

There is power in unity both for good and for evil. Matthew Henry made the following comment respecting the power in unity:

As in a bundle of rods, they may be of different lengths and different strength; but, when they are tied together by one bond, they are stronger than any, even than the thickest and strongest was of itself.

As I am sure all of you can attest, unity is essential to the effective operation of anything, whether it be a marriage, a family, a company, an athletic team, a kingdom, or an army. Have you ever tried to coach or manage a group of people that did not work together as a team? If you have, then you know what I am talking about. Our Lord Himself taught this principle.

Matthew 12:25 …Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

Even Satan’s kingdom understands and acts on the principle of power in unity. That is why Satan works overtime to bring division in a church. He knows that by this means he can weaken the church and thus more easily destroy it. Satan’s kingdom also manifests unity in its opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and His people.

Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Psalms 83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Under other circumstances, these various nations might have been warring against each other. But when it came to opposing God’s Israel, they displayed amazing unity. They united together so as to mount a more powerful campaign against God’s people. Thanks be to God, as in the case of the enterprise at Babel, God intervenes and blocks Satan’s efforts. Otherwise, this world would long since have become the unchallenged domain of Satan in which the cause of God could not survive.

This principle of power in unity explains why church members are constantly called to unity in the New Testament. I could cite numerous such exhortations. A church that is united in the truth of Christ with every member yielding to the single authority of the same Bible is a formidable force for good in this earth. A unified church is effective in prayer, has a bold witness with great power, and great grace is upon it, as the following example demonstrates:

Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Observe in this passage that Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were united together against the Lord’s Christ. Their attempt to destroy the Lord’s Christ failed miserably as God by the death of His Christ redeemed His elect and then God raised Him from the dead. And now the forces of evil were uniting against the followers of Christ. Peter and John had just been released from the Jewish court having been threatened and commanded not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus. Undaunted by the threat, Peter and John returned to the disciples, who joined together in one accord to call upon God to bless their witness. God so empowered this body of believers that the effect of their bold witness is felt to this good day. Yes, believers, there is power in unity. I shall have more to say about this in another meditation, God willing. I close today with the words of Paul to the Philippians. Observe that a unified church is powerful. It is “in nothing terrified.”

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.