Unity in Christ

God gives wonderful gifts to mankind, and we tend to take them all for granted.  Ageing can be difficult when we feel entitled to the fit body of a young person that heals quickly, is more coordinated, can recall information without a struggle, can see more clearly and hear easily.  When I was a kid I had a wrist contusion that required me to wear a splint for a few weeks.  There were many things that were instantly difficult and showed me how much I took for granted--like the ability to hold a fork, wash myself and tie shoes.  It is easy to take a healthy body for granted because God designed our bodies wonderfully, and we can also take the Body of Christ (the church) for granted too.

By faith in Jesus Christ, we have a connection with God and one another in the church which is miraculous, supernatural and wonderful.  We who were once foreigners and enemies of God have been accepted into the beloved, chosen and blessed by the LORD who we now know as our heavenly Father.  Through the Gospel, Jew and Gentile have been united as one with Christ and we are privileged to have fellowship with God and one another.  There are many professing Christians in the world and in many places many Christian denominations to choose from, yet the fellowship of believers is totally unique in this world.  From a group of sinning strangers God has created brothers and sisters in Christ.  Groups of friends, hobbyists, sports enthusiasts, or work mates apart from Christ cannot experience the oneness we share with Christ and one another.

Psalm 133:1-2 illustrates this unity well:  "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ² It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments."  The psalmist extolled how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.  The anointed of Aaron as high priest is a compelling example of how pleasing and unique our calling as God's people truly is.  The holy anointing oil was something most Jews could only smell and would never touch their skin, for it was reserved for the service of the tabernacle and temple before the LORD.  But the unity God's people can enjoy is precious and at the same time abundant, even as the poured oil ran down Aaron's head, through his beard, and soaked to the edge of his priestly garments.  Aaron was privileged and at the same time humbled to be chosen as high priest, in himself unworthy to  be accepted or to serve the holy LORD.  That is why he needed to be anointed to fulfill his God-given role.

Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One, our great High Priest.  He prayed before His crucifixion concerning His disciples He sent into the world in John 17:20-23:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  As Aaron was physically anointed with oil, so all Christians have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and perfectly united with Christ and one another as one the world may know the Father sent the Son Jesus Christ and loved us as He loved His only begotten Son.  How wonderful it is to be chosen, accepted and anointed as members of God's body, the church!

Even as our physical bodies are not always functioning properly, so the church at times can have the spiritual equivalent of aches, pains and illness.  As the Corinthian church illustrates, divisions and conflicts can arise within the church and lead to serious problems.  Despite our falling short of God's perfection, the blessing of the fellowship and unity we have with God and one another outshines all other connections and relationships because unity in Christ profoundly deep and eternal, transcending our earthly existence and all our differences.  How good and pleasant it is to have brethren everywhere and to be united together in the rest, peace and joy of our glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Rather than taking God or the church for granted, let's thank Him for the opportunities He grants to enjoy fellowship with God and one another continually.