Christian Unity is Christ-Centered
Unity Insights | Posted on December 19, 2024 at 9:47 AM by Kelsey Kirkendall
The apostle Paul says something to the Romans that distinguishes our unity as Christians from the various kinds of unity being sought after and achieved throughout the world: “If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the […]
Do not be Bound with Unbelievers
Unity Insights | Posted on December 12, 2024 at 8:52 AM by Jeff Bennett
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? … Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? – 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 – The unity of the church depends upon the purity of the church. It cannot be a mix of […]
Living God’s Will
Posted on November 26, 2024 at 8:06 AM by Jeff Bennett
Sinners sin against each other, even in the body of Christ. Sometimes we wrong others. Other times, we are wronged. What we do next is critical to the unity of the church. Unity does not depend on the absence of sin but on the presence of reconciling grace. The preservation of unity depends on humble […]
Christian Unity is God-Glorifying
Unity Insights | Posted on November 21, 2024 at 7:27 AM by Jeff Bennett
The ultimate aim of our unity as Christians is the glory of God. That is, to worship, honor, and exalt Him with one voice. Listen to how Paul closes his letter to the Romans: May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that […]
Love Like Christ
Unity Insights | Posted on November 14, 2024 at 8:12 AM by Jeff Bennett
Love one another; as I have loved you. – John 13:34 – Christians, you also are to love one another not because of the gain that you get from one another but because of the good you can do for one another. I once heard a minister grumble about the Baptist denomination. He said, “I […]
The Love of the Brethren
Unity Insights | Posted on October 31, 2024 at 8:06 AM by Jeff Bennett
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren – 1 John 3:14 NKJV The assurance of our salvation is a precious gift from the Lord, to know that we truly belong to Him. Evidence of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is one of these assurances. […]
Why Should I Care About Christian Unity?
Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on October 17, 2024 at 7:56 AM by Jeff Bennett
Christians should care deeply about unity because God does. He sent His Son to be crucified in order to reconcile sinners not only to Him but also with one another (Ephesians 2:11–21). Jesus issued a new commandment for believers to love one another as the visible validation to the world that they are indeed His […]
Think Before You Speak
Unity Insights | Posted on October 10, 2024 at 8:08 AM by Jeff Bennett
He who restrains his words has knowledge. – Proverbs 17:27 NASB – Today we can instantly inform the world about whatever we happen to be thinking. But the Puritan pastor Jeremiah Burroughs wisely offers three cautions why hastily sharing our opinions can cause unnecessary conflict and division between believers. Other people may misunderstand our thoughts […]
A New Commandment
Unity Insights | Posted on September 5, 2024 at 7:37 AM by Jeff Bennett
As I have loved you … love one another. (John 13:34) Not long after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said to them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Though God had always commanded His people to love one another, Jesus set a [...]Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Unity Insights | Posted on August 29, 2024 at 7:47 AM by Jeff Bennett
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:9 – The Lord Jesus Christ begins His Sermon on the Mount by outlining the anatomy of a truly blessed soul. He defines real spiritual health. He does not speak as the world speaks, because the blessedness He offers does not [...]The Pursuit of Peace
Unity Insights | Posted on August 15, 2024 at 8:15 AM by Jeff Bennett
Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. – Romans 14:19 – Peace does not happen by accident. We must pursue the things that make for peace. Human beings naturally quarrel and manipulate to get what they want. However, it takes effort to resist our [...]One in Christ
Unity Insights | Posted on August 8, 2024 at 8:07 AM by Jeff Bennett
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28 Throughout church history we have struggled to embrace the truth of this verse. All of us are one in Christ Jesus, which means ethnicity, socioeconomic status, [...]Called to Something Better
Unity Insights | Posted on August 1, 2024 at 10:16 AM by Jeff Bennett
You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT Followers of Jesus Christ are not to live like people of the world. We are not to live in envy, strife, [...]Bear with the Weak
Unity Insights | Posted on July 18, 2024 at 7:58 AM by Jeff Bennett
We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. (Romans 15:1 NLT) The strength Paul refers to is a strength of faith, the firm conviction that Jesus Christ paid for sin, fulfilled the Law, and set us free to enjoy the gifts [...]The Lamb is Worthy
Unity Insights | Posted on July 11, 2024 at 7:46 AM by Jeff Bennett
“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10, NKJV) [...]Love Is a Duty
Unity Insights | Posted on July 3, 2024 at 8:25 AM by Jeff Bennett
“Believers have a duty of affectionate, sincere, genuine love in all things towards one another; a love compared to that of Christ for the church.” ~ John Owen* The modern mind finds these kinds of statements quite offensive. Christians tend to find them offensive as well. How dare anyone tell them who to love, and [...]Discover Jesus’ Heart for Unity
Impacting the World with Christian Unity | Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on June 27, 2024 at 8:49 AM by Jeff Bennett
Jason Burtt, President and CEO of Unaltered Ministries, presents a compelling reminder that Jesus' desire for His people is love-based unity.Spurgeon Answers, “What Is the Unity of the Spirit?”
Unity Insights | Posted on June 20, 2024 at 8:54 AM by Jeff Bennett
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3) Let us ask ourselves, “Do we have the unity of the Spirit?” No one can have it except those who have the Spirit, and the Spirit only dwells in born again, believing souls. By virtue of having the Spirit, every [...]If Possible, Live at Peace with All People
Unity Insights | Posted on June 13, 2024 at 7:24 AM by Jeff Bennett
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18) Some people like to fight. No matter what we do, they won’t live at peace with us. They hate our convictions. They are alienated by our love for God. They hate our gospel and our devotion to Jesus [...]The Patience of the Lord Reconciles Us
Unity Insights | Posted on May 30, 2024 at 8:22 AM by Jeff Bennett
Let us be constantly thankful to the Lord for His marvelous patience toward us. If He was quick-tempered, or unwilling to bear with our folly and sin until the day of our salvation, then we would have been separated and lost from Him forever. Whatever delay the Lord exhibits in His return may be explained [...]The Father’s Children Should Fellowship
Unity Insights | Posted on May 9, 2024 at 9:55 AM by Jeff Bennett
Our Father in Heaven – Matthew 6:9 – Suppose two people were to meet here tonight who did not know each other. As they begin to talk to one another, one says, “My father’s name is So-and-so,” and the other looks at him and says, “Where does he live?” “He lives in this house in [...]The Gospel of Peace
Unity Insights | Posted on May 2, 2024 at 7:57 AM by Jeff Bennett
“Peace be with you.” (John 20:19 NKJV) The Lord Jesus Christ offers peace to His disciples three times in a single passage (John 20:19-26). Before His death and resurrection, Jesus promised them peace, not the fleeting peace offered by the world—a shallow peace from easy circumstances—but a solid peace that only comes through Him. It […]
The Heart of Disunity
Unity Insights | Posted on April 24, 2024 at 10:11 AM by Jeff Bennett
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. – James 4:1-2, NKJV – The reason we fight and quarrel is not very mysterious. Neither is the reason for disunity in our relationships and the [...]A Letter From Pastor Jeremy Ellis
Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on April 18, 2024 at 7:50 AM by Jeff Bennett
At the age of forty-two, all I have known is the church and ministry. My family grew up in church, and I have been a pastor for the past two decades. The one thing that has been alarmingly consistent and ubiquitous is that the Church operates more in disunity than unity. This has become the […]
A New Commandment
Unity Insights | Posted on April 11, 2024 at 8:13 AM by Jeff Bennett
As I have loved you … love one another. (John 13:34) Not long after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said to them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Though God had always commanded His people to love one another, Jesus set a [...]Forgiven People Forgive
Lent Series | Posted on March 21, 2024 at 8:24 AM by Jeff Bennett
The key to forgiveness is found in the phrase “even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4: 32 NKJV). We receive forgiveness from God because Jesus Christ bore the punishment for sin in our place. We go free because Jesus paid the cost. This goes to the heart of what forgiveness is. It involves […]
Christian Unity is God-Initiated
Unity Insights | Posted on March 7, 2024 at 8:05 AM by Jeff Bennett
God is the origin of Christian unity, not man. This must be the case because the terms of entrance into union with one another is the regeneration of the soul through union with Christ, and only God can bring about this supernatural work. Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; […]
Hope & Unity
Unity Insights | Posted on February 29, 2024 at 8:11 AM by Jeff Bennett
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. – Revelation 21:3 – The glorious outcome of the gospel of Jesus Christ is God dwelling with His people in perfect fellowship for the ages […]
Questions About Be United in Christ
Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on February 15, 2024 at 8:59 AM by Jeff Bennett
What is the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry? The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry is a non-denominational, non-profit organization committed to teaching and promoting Christian unity in accordance with God’s Word in order to bring about real change in the body of Christ. Through carefully researching, writing, publishing, and promoting a library of […]
If Possible, Live at Peace with All People
Unity Insights | Posted on February 8, 2024 at 8:08 AM by Jeff Bennett
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18) Some people like to fight. No matter what we do, they won’t live at peace with us. They hate our convictions. They are alienated by our love for God. They hate our gospel and our devotion to Jesus [...]Continually Sowing Discord
Unity Insights | Posted on February 1, 2024 at 8:09 AM by Jeff Bennett
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. – Proverbs 6:12–15 – Some [...]Unity with Christ Is Essential
Unity Insights | Posted on January 25, 2024 at 9:00 AM by Jeff Bennett
[That we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Unity with Christ is essential to the life of His church. People sometimes lose a foot or a leg or an arm or an eye or an ear. It is remarkable how a person can continue to exist after [...]Don’t Divide Over Minor Differences
Unity Insights | Posted on January 4, 2024 at 8:11 AM by Jeff Bennett
“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” – Romans 14:5 – Christians have a terrible tendency to exaggerate minor differences, as though every difference in religion were a differing religion. This all-or-nothing attitude is divisive and rejects the legitimate distinctions that […]
4 Key Questions to Ask Before Helping Others Resolve Conflict
Unity Insights | Posted on December 14, 2023 at 7:35 AM by Jeff Bennett
He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears. (Proverbs 26:17) Though helping to resolve conflict between fellow believers is an act of love, meddling in disputes is not. Inserting yourself into a conflict that isn’t yours is about as helpful as [...]2023 Christmas Gift Guide
Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on November 30, 2023 at 8:26 AM by Jeff Bennett
Give the Gift of Growth this Christmas. Are you looking for a Christmas gift that will help your friends and family members to grow? Check out our Premium Collection of books! Whether you pick our devotional, Grace for Everyday Living, or our practical look at unity, Christian Unity and You, you're sure to delight the reader in your life. [...]The Priority of Reconciliation
Unity Insights | Posted on November 16, 2023 at 8:55 AM by Jeff Bennett
If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:23–24 – Religious people tend to believe that religious rituals are what [...]Cultivating Unity
Unity Insights | Posted on November 9, 2023 at 8:06 AM by Jeff Bennett
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace – Ephesians 4:3 – Let us cultivate everything that would tend toward unity. Are any sick? Let us care for them. Are any suffering? Let us weep with them. Do we know people who are less loved than others? Then let us [...]One Heart for God
Unity Insights | Posted on October 5, 2023 at 7:20 AM by Jeff Bennett
I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 11:19 – The sinful heart we received at our birth was a heart of stone, hardened to God, unwilling to obey His [...]Think and Speak for Peace
Unity Insights | Posted on September 7, 2023 at 9:33 AM by Jeff Bennett
“Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,” says the Lord. – Zechariah 8:16–17 – When all we [...]Don’t Judge Another’s Motives
Unity Insights | Posted on August 31, 2023 at 9:18 AM by Jeff Bennett
“Who are you to judge another’s servant?” – Romans 14:4–5 – To obey God, we must not only follow our own consciences but also love and respect those whose convictions differ from our own. In the gray areas of the Christian life, we should focus on obeying what Christ commands us to do, not on [...]Who Is a Christian?
Learn about Be United in Christ | Posted on August 24, 2023 at 9:26 AM by Jeff Bennett
God’s will is for Christians to be united. But who are the Christians we should unite with? Who is a Christian? A Christian is someone who is “in Christ,” someone who by grace through faith is related to Jesus in a saving way, so that His atonement delivers them from their sins. It is in [...]Before the Foundation of the World
Unity Insights | Posted on August 17, 2023 at 9:05 AM by Jeff Bennett
I and My Father are one. – John 10:30 – From eternity past there has been unity. It existed in God before the creation of the world. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always been one. They exist in harmony. When Jesus says, “I and My Father are one,” [...]A New Commandment
Unity Insights | Posted on August 3, 2023 at 8:06 AM by Jeff Bennett
As I have loved you … love one another. (John 13:34) Not long after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said to them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Though God had always commanded His people to love one another, Jesus set a [...]Unity Through Joy
Unity Insights | Posted on July 20, 2023 at 8:14 AM by Jeff Bennett
Finally, brothers, rejoice. – 2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV – In closing his second epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul offers a few final words of exhortation. He begins these words with an affectionate address, “brothers,” and then a call to joy. Though his words in the letter were heavy and challenging, he wants them to know [...]Keeping the Unity of the Spirit
Unity Insights | Posted on July 14, 2023 at 9:16 AM by Jeff Bennett
"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” – Ephesians 4:3 – The unity of the Spirit should be kept, dear friends, because Satan is so busy to spoil it. He knows that the greatest glory of Christ will spring from the unity of His church. “That they all may [...]Less Rigid, More Pliable
Unity Insights | Posted on July 6, 2023 at 8:37 AM by Jeff Bennett
“I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself” – Romans 14:14 – Some Christians pride themselves on being strict and stern. Their idea of righteousness is having rigid requirements that must be precisely followed. They pride themselves on their uncompromising standards, not caring that their harsh legalism [...]The Encouragement of Faith
Unity Insights | Posted on June 22, 2023 at 7:54 AM by Jeff Bennett
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. – Romans 1:11-12, NKJV – The apostle longed to see the Christians in Rome for a [...]The Unity of True Worship
Unity Insights | Posted on April 27, 2023 at 8:17 AM by Jeff Bennett
They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” – Revelation 5:9 – When we appear before God in glory, we will sing [...]All Things in Common
Unity Insights | Posted on April 20, 2023 at 7:54 AM by Jeff Bennett
The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. – Acts 4:32 – In the early church there was a pattern of voluntary generosity among the disciples of Jesus Christ [...]The Greatest Reconciliation
Lent Series | Posted on April 6, 2023 at 8:04 AM by Jeff Bennett
Though sin fractured and brought enmity into every good relationship in the universe, it pleased the Father to reconcile everything through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son. Though hostility existed in our relationship to God, Christ has “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20 NASB). All who turn from their […]
Forgiven People Forgive
Lent Series | Posted on March 30, 2023 at 8:12 AM by Jeff Bennett
The key to forgiveness is found in the phrase “even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4: 32 NKJV). We receive forgiveness from God because Jesus Christ bore the punishment for sin in our place. We go free because Jesus paid the cost. This goes to the heart of what forgiveness is. It involves the canceling […]