Unity within a group of people has a powerful effect. This was evident one year when my husband and I watched our favorite baseball team go from having a terrible record during the first part of the season to winning the World Series. So, how did this happen? The team developed a great camaraderie, a “chemistry” with each other, and they believed in each other all the way to victory. Likewise, we as believers can develop a camaraderie and unity with one another. And developing unity with like-minded believers on the Word of God is even more powerful than developing unity with a baseball team. Being united on the Word of God helps us build our trust in God to see His Word come to pass in each other’s lives, bringing victory and deliverance.
In the first-century Church, we see the importance of being united on the Word within the household of like-minded believers and how that unity helped them build their trust in God. A pattern was set for us from the very beginning of the Age of Grace in Acts 2. On the day of Pentecost, about three thousand souls were added to the Church (Acts 2:41). That’s a lot of people! They could have all just gone back to living their lives as before, but they did more than that. They continued together in the Word, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42-47:
And they [the about three thousand] continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And fear [respect] came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
What a dynamic example is set here as the believers lived the Word together. They “continued stedfastly,” they were “together,” and “had all things common.” They continued “daily with one accord,” and they had “singleness of heart.” That unity on the Word brought about growth individually and as a household. The results were that their trust in God grew and “many wonders and signs were done by the apostles,” and “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” What an exciting time! They helped each other live the Word, taking care of each other, and they grew stronger as a household, trusting God to meet their need and see the Word move.
In Romans, we see how the Apostle Paul also knew the importance of being together with the household and being like-minded on the Word. Many times he expressed this and frequently sought out the believers as he traveled.
Romans 15:24:
Whensoever I [Paul] take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.
Paul knew the love and encouragement of his fellow believers would strengthen him and his trust in God. He longed for the fellowship of the disciples.
There are things we can do in our day and time to develop a unified, powerful body of believers and build our trust in God. First of all, we can keep an abundance of God’s Word in our own hearts by having the mind-set described in Psalms 119:16: “I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” We delight in God’s Word and diligently learn it, and that will equip us to handle whatever comes our way.
Then together, as believers, we can put our hearts into developing this oneness. As in Acts 2, we help each other live the Word by reaching out to each other, spending time with each other, being willing to learn from each other, building our camaraderie with each other, and believing the Word about each other and with each other.
Like the winning baseball team mentioned earlier, we too can enjoy the benefits of great camaraderie and unity. Let’s keep an abundance of God’s Word in our hearts and exert diligent effort to stay united on the Word with each other, bringing victory and deliverance as we grow in our trust in God.