The Power and Blessing of Unity

By Terry Beasley

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1-3)

Let us lean into unity. In unity, we are able to be on the same page and have the same purpose, and that is to lift up the name of Jesus. Unity is good, and it’s pleasing to God.

The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25 that we should be “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We can’t encourage ourselves by ourselves. We need each other to be able to encourage one another.

You may be going through some things in life, and you think you’re the only one who is going through it. But when you come to the house of God, and you begin to share your testimony and see what God has been doing in your life, somebody is able to come alongside of you to encourage you and tell you, “Hey, it’s going to be all right. The Lord said, ‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you’” (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5).

Maybe you’re going through some tough times. You need somebody to come to you and give you a Scripture that says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

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“It’s not about your ministry or my ministry. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about making disciples.”

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Coming Together

You need somebody to be able to encourage you. That’s why it’s important for the believers to be able to come to church. Every time you get a chance, come to church to pray, to encourage and to love one another, because there is strength in coming together.

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“Spending time with other people is discipleship.”

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Let’s continue to put God first. Let’s continue to come to church. Sometimes you’re tempted to stay home and don’t want to be bothered with church folks anymore, but I encourage you to continue to come to the house of the Lord. In God’s house, there is peace, deliverance, hope, love and joy.

We need to continue to unite as one, having the same purpose: making disciples around the world. It’s not about your ministry or my ministry. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about making disciples.

In Psalm 133:1, David tells us “to dwell together in unity” (NKJV). To dwell, you have to take some time. You have to be able to spend some time with that person. When you start spending time with people, you get to know the real them. They see your good, and they see your ugly characteristics. But in order to stay together, you’re going to dwell together in the midst of it.

When David became the king in 2 Samuel 5, people came together from the 12 tribes of Israel. They were dwelling together. It took time to get from one place to another place, so they had to eat and sleep together. They had to spend time with each other and get to know one another.

One of the worst things that we do as believers is to judge folks by the way they look. Instead we should get to know them and learn who they are and even what they like to eat. Spending time with other people is discipleship. It’s building relationship. You want to be able to dwell together in unity and get to know one another.

Getting Along

The Bible has many examples of siblings not getting along. Cain killed his brother. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.

Brothers and sisters in the body of Christ don’t always get along, but we should try to dwell together in unity. The Bible talks about Satan being the author of confusion (John 8:44, 1 Corinthians 14:33). That’s his job to sow discord. But the believers want to dwell together in love. The Bible says to pray for those who “despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28 KJV). If someone has done you wrong, don’t do wrong back to them, but continue to love them. Continue to let your light shine, and win them over to Christ.

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“If you want to dwell in unity, you have to put on love.”

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Jesus prayed in John 17:21 for all believers to be one. Jesus knew that the body of Christ would need unity. He knew that we as a body will be faced with many obstacles. He knew that Satan would come in and try to sow discord. He prayed for us to “be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Jesus was praying for unity. Unity is so important. God knew that you were going to face times when you will need somebody in your life.

In Philippians 2:2, Paul said to make “ joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” In Colossians 3:14, he said to “over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

If you want to dwell in unity, you have to put on love. When folks talk about you, you still have to love them and extend the hand of grace. It’s difficult when you know people are backbiting and talking about you, but you still have to show love.

I can’t do it on my own. I need God’s Spirit and power to help me to be able to love like He loves. While I was yet in my sin, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8), and that’s the same love that we’re striving for today. When you possess that kind of love, you can begin to walk in unity.

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“If we as the body of Christ can live together in unity and have the same purpose, can you imagine the effects the church would have on the world today?”

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Uniting the Body

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25)

You can be defeated one by one. But if we stand together, united in strength, the devil has to flee. It’s time for the body of Christ to walk and to live in unity.

Can you imagine if the body of Christ could dwell together in unity? I’m not talking about one denomination as the body of Christ. I’m talking about the Free Methodists, the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, the Presbyterians. If we as the body of Christ can live together in unity and have the same purpose, can you imagine the effects the church would have on the world today?

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“We are being united in our marriage. Our decisions that we make are together.”

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United in Marriage

A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. (Matthew 19:5)

We need unity in our marriages. If you are married, are you living and walking in unity? I have to confess that I’ve been married 25 years, and I’m just now starting to walk in unity.

I believed that I was the man of the house, and I was the shot caller. I thought that what I say goes.

But I’m married. I have a wife, and she makes right decisions too. Now I’m learning to walk in unity.

Husbands, God gives us wives for great reasons. They see stuff we don’t see. I’m learning now. Before I make a decision, I ask, “What do you think?” She says, “We’ve got to pray about it.”

I’m finding out in my latter years that God has gifted me with an awesome woman of God. We are being united in our marriage. Our decisions that we make are together. We are now praying together as husband and wife, praying over our children, praying for our family, praying for our church. Husbands and wives, it’s time that we become united together.

The Anointing

Unity attracts the anointing. Unity signifies God’s approval. It’s like the precious oil (Psalm 133:2). The oil is symbolic to the Holy Spirit.

In Bible times, the custom was that when you would travel and get to a house, the host would take some anointing oil and tap it on your forehead to refresh you. Also in the Old Testament time, God would consecrate or call a person to specific tasks.

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“If you are part of the body of Christ, you are anointed of God.”

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The Bible talks about the oil that ran down Aaron’s beard. When he was anointed, the oil was poured on his head. It wasn’t just a little dab. Aaron had a special robe with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel (Exodus 28). When that oil began to flow down his beard, it began to go all down his robe and hit the 12 tribes of Israel.

When the anointing of God begins to flow, it’s not just for the hip but for the whole body. If you are part of the body of Christ, you are anointed of God. The anointing of God begins to dwell when there is unity in the house of God.

Power in Unity

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12)

There’s power in unity. As the body of Christ begins to move in unity, folks will begin to get saved. Lives will be changed. Revivals will begin to spark all over the place.

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“The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, and the people of God need to be one body in unity.”

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When marriages begin to walk into unity, children will be saved. Backslidden children will come back to the Lord.

There’s power when you can get on the same page and when you have the same purpose. I’m not talking about numbers. You could have a full church but not be on the same purpose. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, and the people of God need to be one body in unity.

Blessed in Unity

For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. (Deuteronomy 30:16)

Psalm 133:3 says that living in unity “is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

The dew is refreshing. The dew falls upon the dusty mountains. Even if it doesn’t rain, the dew makes it seem like it has rained.

When the anointing of God falls and there’s unity in the house, God refreshes and restores. He restores churches. He restores families. God is commanding a blessing upon you and your household when you walk together in unity.

How good and pleasant it is for the people of God to dwell together in unity. Let’s unite together. Let’s join together as the body of Christ.

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