Christian Unity Does Not Come Naturally

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
– Jeremiah 13:23, NKJV –

As fallen human beings, Christian unity only comes to us through the grace of God in Christ and diligent effort on our part. True Christian unity is “good and pleasant” (Psalm 133:1, NKJV). This means no group of human beings will ever create or value it on their own. After all, how can we create something good and pleasant if we are “accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23, NKJV).

The world does not accept this about itself. Ask people today whether or not they are naturally good or naturally evil and the vast majority will choose the former. If the Lord does not open our eyes to see our depravity, we would go to the grave boasting in our profound goodness. The unbelieving heart does not accept what it is by nature: “accustomed to do evil.”

The Lord looks down from heaven and draws the following conclusion: “They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:3, NKJV).

Any attempts at unity, therefore, will not bring about greater good, but greater evil. There might be a few social benefits here or there, but the overall outcome will trend downwards. Apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, our efforts to unite the world will lead to disaster.

Consider the unity brought about by those who scorn God: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, NKJV). The only kind of unity we can bring about without God is a rebellion against God.

The answer seems simple enough. Our efforts at unity must begin with God. They must center upon Jesus Christ. Rather than strike out on our own to bring about unity, we need to start in prayer, begging the Lord to fill us with His Spirit and join us to His Son, so that He, the one who is good and does good (Psalm 119:68), would make us one.

Christian unity does not come naturally to us. It comes naturally to God. So let us look to Him, take our cues from His Word, and depend upon His grace to produce unity in our lives and Christian communities.