Unity of Love
(week 41/04)
Olubi Johnson
The scriptures reveal to us three levels of unity:
1. Unity of the faith
2. Unity of the Spirit
3. Unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Ephesians 4:13 NKJV: till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Ephesians 4:3 NKJV: endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The unity of the faith speaks of our being one in Christ: all of us having the same faith in Jesus Christ to be born-again.
The unity of the spirit speaks of us being baptised in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues (Ac. 2.4, 10.44, 19.6) by which we can release the power of God in great measure to walk in divine love, so keeping our hearts, without offence (Jud.1.20, 21, Ps. 119.165): open to one another in the bond of peace so gradually bringing us into the unity of divine love.
Colossians 3:14 NIV: And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
It is this unity of divine love that will precipitate the manifestation of the glory of God amongst us; and it is this manifestation of the glory (Jn. 2.11) which will cause us to do the works Jesus did and greater, (Jn. 14.12) that will ultimately bring us to the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.
This truth is revealed in:
John 17:20-23 NKJV: “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.
In verse 20 we see the unity of the spirit that leads to the unity of love: ‘by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another’ (Jn. 13.35).
In verse 22 we see the manifestation of the glory of God in and through us (Jn. 2.11, Jn. 14.12).
In verse 23 we see the perfection of unity: the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
It is obvious that in the Church today, though we have the unity of the faith, we do not have the unity of the spirit, the unity of love and certainly not the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.
So right now God is bringing together a first-fruits company in the church that will break through the weakness of the flesh to exemplify the unity of the spirit, the unity of love and so the manifestation of the glory of God and then the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Micah 2:13 NKJV: One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head.”
1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV: But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV: Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts
Any Christian who now begins to exercise himself in the unity of the spirit and use it to keep himself daily in the love of God can be a part of this first-fruits company.
