Christian Unity Ministries

Power of Unity

Unity News

February, 2005

Experiencing God’s Power

Through Unity in the Church

By Connie Whilden

Now after this the Lord chose and appointed seventy two others and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to visit. Jesus told them…“Whatever house you enter, first say ‘Peace be to this household!’ And if anyone worthy of peace and blessedness is there, the peace and blessedness you wish shall come upon him; but if not, it shall come back to you. And stay on in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. Whenever you go into a town and they receive and accept and welcome you, eat what is set before you; and heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come close to you.’”
Luke 10:1, 5-8

Have you ever noticed that accounts of supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit through men typically follow reports of unity among God’s people? Jesus addresses the power that is released through believers when we come into unity with one another in this passage, even proclaiming the power to heal the sick! Jesus says it plainly: First go proclaim peace. Live as a peacemaker. Then build relationships with people. After unity is built upon a foundation of peace, you will experience miracles.

What about your church? What God-sized things are happening there right now that simply cannot be explained to a watching world other than as the hand of God? I wonder if the hypocrisy of which the world accuses the church today has something to do with the fact that the world often does not see the power of the God we profess? We preach about it and we tell them about Almighty God, but the church itself so often does not exhibit anything other than the impressive works of the people in it. Jesus commands that we should heal the sick, and that we will do even greater miracles than He! I don’t know about you, but I know people in my own life who are desperate for a touch from God. The New Testament clearly illustrates to us that the natural result of unity is the falling of the power of God on His people. Why is it that the Church doesn’t routinely experience God’s power? Could it be that we don’t really expect it? Worse, could it be that we don’t really understand and practice Biblical unity?

Consider this. I Corinthians 12 is one of the most-quoted unity passages in the New Testament, but Paul did not write this letter in chapter and verse. Have you noticed what Paul was talking about immediately before and after the twelfth chapter? I Corinthians 11 is about submission to authority and the Lord’s Supper. Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper as a ceremony of the early church that looked very different than it does today. If you read verse 21, it is clear that the early church was actually sitting down to a meal. It was a process of building unity by strengthening relationships. After the relationships are addressed in Chapter 11, Paul speaks directly about unity in the body of believers. After unity has been built, the last portion of chapter 12 discusses the supernatural gifts with which the Spirit endows men; gifts which flow naturally out of unity, including “wonder-working”, healing the sick, and the performing of miracles, among others. Chapter 13 sums it all up by teaching that love is the key to all of these things.

Pentecost happened when the Church was unified together. Peter was miraculously freed from prison while the Church was unified in their prayers for him. As Saul was persecuting the Church, Acts 8:6 tells that the deacon Philip was performing great miracles as great crowds were gathered and “in one accord.” It was as the men were gathered at Antioch in Acts 13:2, unified in their worship and praise when the Holy Spirit spoke to them and set apart Paul and Barnabas for ministry. I challenge you to turn to Acts again and as you read, take notice that every time there is a report of a supernatural act by God, there is also a report of unity either in the verse preceding, the verse following, or in the same verse. We do not understand the power that we have been given! I believe that it is time we learn.

Connie Whilden is a Christian mediator in Cedar Hill, Texas where she lives with her husband, John, and their four children. She attends Trinity Church in Cedar Hill and is a facilitator for and serves on the Advisory Board of Christian Unity Ministries.

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