We have the Bible as one complete, already compiled book. But that’s not the way it started off. Each book was written individually over approximately 1500 years. For me, one of the most powerful evidences of its authenticity, its credibility, is that in spite of the amount of time and the variety of authors, it’s still one message – be reconciled!
To reconcile is to restore to friendship or harmony, to make peace. On the Cross, Christ made peace between us and God, so that we who were far from God could once again enjoy a close, intimate relationship with Him. He rescued and won back His bride.
And more. The heart was never meant to live in isolation, separated from other human hearts. Adam enjoyed a perfect, sinless relationship with God before the fall. And God still said it was “not good” for Adam to be alone (Genesis 2:18). So He created Eve. Intimate union with God leads us into intimate fellowship with other believers.
We are made for connectedness, to God and to one another. The pursuit of unity is not just a nice byproduct of Christianity, but its essence. Be reconciled to God! (2 Corinthians 5:20) And be reconciled to one another (Matthew 5:24). In the Church, in His Kingdom, God is reestablishing the beauty of the Garden, the way things were meant to be. He’s making new all that was shattered at the fall.
This means restoring our relationship with Him that was broken. And it also means restoring our mangled relationships with others. Some of the last words Jesus spoke before His arrest were a prayer for all who would believe in Him. What did He want us to have? Not more faith, or more hope, or more power. It was unity.
My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father – that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. John 17:21
Why is unity so important? Because our oneness, the harmony among believers, is the evidence that the testimony is true. Our reclaimed relationships point to what it’s possible to experience with God. Our sins can be forgiven. We can be reconciled. Our relationship can be restored. We are no longer enemies, but friends, dearly beloved, desired and chosen.
When we pursue and protect unity, we follow the example of Christ, who said, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). In the same way, doing the kinds of things I have done, love each other. Give up your rights for each other. Pursue intimate fellowship with one another. Be tender-hearted and devoted to one another. Because the world will believe my message, they will believe in me, because of what they see you do.