Many people think unity is when people live peacefully with each other. It is more than that. Unity is not just the absence of strife, but the presence of a shared common goal, a harmony, an accord, and a wholeness. Unity is God’s shalom, the all-encompassing wellbeing that is not just the absence of strife, but a condition that benefits everyone in all circumstances.

We might not always be in agreement on a personal level, but when it comes to the great truths of Jesus, why He came, His death and resurrection, we must be of one accord. “Now all the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). Unity is based on the absolute truth of the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anything else represents bondage.

True unity isn’t defined by outward conformity, but by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (I Corinthians 6:17). Being in one accord and one mind can only take place when we are of one spirit. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given to those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, they became one in spirit.