The local church is God’s spiritual institution that He designed to accomplish His work in this world.  It is beneficial for both God and man when it operates according to His will.  A part of doing God’s will in a local church is having a proper attitude; an attitude that includes being united with brothers and sisters in Christ who have agreed to work together.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV)
¹⁰  I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Harmony within the local church is critical to any success.  It is also the God-given responsibility of all members of the church.  Paul was appealing in the name of the Lord, meaning it was by the authority of Christ that he exhorted us to avoid division.  Jesus wants His people to be united.

John 17:20-21 (ESV)
²⁰  “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Being united begins with having the same mind, that is, the same attitude toward God and His will.  People who are united in wanting to please God have a great chance of being in harmony with each other.  When members develop a self-serving agenda instead, it is more likely than not to end in disunity within the local church.

The saints at Corinth were focused more on their own will than they were on the will of God and what was best for the body of Christ.  They were saying, “‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ’”  (1 Corinthians 1:12).  “I, I, I,” was their constant concern.  To what did that lead?  Quarreling among themselves (ver. 11).  This is what happens when brethren are primarily focused on themselves.

When we agree about wanting to please God and do what is right, we can work through any obstacles that might potentially divide us and be united because our judgment will be aligned.  We will discern that it is better to get along with one another than to demand that our own desires be fulfilled.  We will have a spirit of cooperation that leads to peace within the local church.

We must strive for unity from a doctrinal standpoint as well.  Having the same mind will, again, help us to achieve this.  When we are all thinking the same thing concerning the scriptures, that is, that they make up the inspired Word of God, and together we understand the importance of rightly dividing it, we will likely speak the same things doctrinally.  And, when we disagree, because harmony exists between us, we can sit down and reason together.

A healthy church is a unified church, filled with saints who want to do God’s will and agree that Bible authority is necessary for everything we do and teach.  While we cannot control what others do, not even in the local church, we can control ourselves.  Let’s do everything we can as brethren to dwell in unity, speaking the same things, and being of the same mind.

Psalm 133:1 (ESV)
¹  Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

As you wind down for the night, think about these things