Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Romans 12:16Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus;
Romans 15:5…make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Philippians 2:2
Unity of mind is not the same as uniformity. We are not all exactly the same, and we would not all do things the same way. But we are all committed to the same ultimate purpose. We desire more than anything that God would be glorified and we want Christ to increase while we decrease.
The requirement to be united in mind is a reminder of the value of the church. Christians are part of a body. They are intimately linked to one another. Relationships are extremely important. An independent Christian is a rebellious Christian.
To have unity of mind requires a personal commitment to the truth of God’s word. It is the truth of God’s word that provides the basis for unity. While we may differ in many ways, our spiritual objectives must reflect what God has revealed to us.
We must also have a genuine love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. A genuine love for one another will allow us to serve with humility. Pride will always lead to disunity in the body. Love will motivate us to sacrificially serve one another.
Biblical unity comes from God. For sinners to be unified requires a transformation of our hearts and minds. The unity that results is a testimony that there is a living God (John 17).
Unity of mind is not an option for Christians. It is our privilege and responsibility to strive for unity. This will require a personal commitment to study and apply the Scriptures to one’s own life. It will be evident in your effort to maintain relationships in a God-honoring way, considering others as more important than yourself (Philippians 2:3). It will also require you to recognize your own pride and seek to put it to death.
Never forget that what God makes one Satan will tirelessly try to make two or more. He will gladly use any one of us for that purpose. Consider the value of unity in Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer:
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”
John 17:22–23
