Where Practical Unity Begins

Where Practical Unity Begins

“Don’t you know what the Scripture says ... about Elijah – how he appealed to God: ... ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’? And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal’ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” Romans 11:2-5 NIV

At some time, most of us feel just like Elijah, all alone in an evil world. We read the newspapers and find another of Jezebel’s threats – humanism, materialism, secularism, or legislation opposing Christians. We know the Lord’s working, but the enemy’s attacks cause us to retreat – especially if we’re on mission fields or in struggling ministries. We think we’re facing today’s Jezebels all alone. Like Elijah, we want to cry, “I have had enough, Lord” (1 Ki. 19:4). And not without cause!

But when Elijah begged the Lord to get him out of there, the Lord told him he was not alone. He had 7000 in Israel who had not sold out to the idolatrous world system (1 Ki. 19:18). Wouldn’t it have been great if Elijah had been able to experience practical unity with them, praise the Lord with them, be encouraged by them?

At some time in our lives, most of us feel just like Elijah. And why not? James 5:17 says our nature is just like his. However, unlike him, we have lots of evidence that there are Christians all over the world expressing their unity in Christ. What we need to do is join them by expressing unity in practical ways with fellow Christians right in our communities.

Imagine Elijah’s reaction had he been encouraged by those 7000 who were living for God, instead of discouraged by those serving Baal. He may have echoed the words of my then ten-year-old grandson whose father took him to the ’97 Promise Keepers prayer rally in Washington, DC. When he heard the singing of over 700,000 men, he said, “Wow! I never knew there were so many Christians in the world!” Maybe practical unity begins with the realization that, in Christ, we are not alone.

By Larry Ondrejack