Unity is a state of being joined together as one. In John 17:21, Jesus besought His Father, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Despite our Master’s heartfelt prayer for unity, many still fail in this point. Therefore, it becomes necessary or obligatory to make serious efforts to achieve this unity.

Yet we cannot proceed with speaking about how unity can be achieved without first discovering the causes of disunity among God’s people. We all can agree that the easiest way to treat a sick person is first to find out the cause of the sickness. Thereafter, we can go ahead and apply the proper remedy.

Similarly, we can achieve perfect unity only when we unveil the causes of disunity among God’s people.

There are six major causes of disunity:

1. Grudge.

2. Pride.

3. Backbiting.

4. Envy.

5. Strife for supremacy.

6. Unforgiveness.

Let us consider these one by one:

What is grudge? A grudge is a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person who you feel has treated you badly. This often lasts for a long time.

What does God’s Word say about this? “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:17, 18). “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (John 15:17). “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door” (James 5:9).

Pride is a feeling or a belief that you are better or more important than another person.

Pride is the oldest sin in heaven and on earth. It was because of pride that Lucifer was cast from heaven to the earth. Pride is a trap of the enemy. It has destroyed the high destiny of many. Matthew 23:12 tells us that “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

The experience of Nebuchadnezzar provides a powerful lesson for anyone who is proud. As a result of his pride, this Babylonian king was abased. In fact, God humbled him completely. (See Daniel 4:30-34.)

In 1 John 1:7 we read: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” What does this “fellowship” mean? Equality of believers. If truly we have love for one another, we cannot treat anyone as a “second class” person or think of him or her as being less important than ourselves.

Some are proud because of their attainments, family background, color, race, position, wealth, birth, or nationality. But what everyone must have in the back of his or her mind is that only God Himself has given us all these things. “Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

We can say that the major cause of pride is a lack of love for our fellow humans. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that love “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.”

Our Lord Jesus commanded us thus: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

“The secret of unity is found in the equality of believers in Christ. The reason of all division, discord, and difference is found in separation from Christ.”2

“If pride and selfishness were laid aside, five minutes would remove most difficulties. Angels have been grieved and God displeased by the hours which have been spent in justifying self.”3

“To be great in God’s kingdom is to be as a little child in humility, in simplicity of faith, and in purity of love.”4

“[Christ] prays that His disciples may be one, even as He and the Father are one; and this unity of believers is to be as testimony to the world that He has sent us, and that we bear the evidence of His grace.”5

Backbiting refers to unpleasant and unkind words spoken against someone who is not present. This is a serious problem among God’s people.

The pen of Inspiration writes, “Let us guard against speaking words that discourage. Let us resolve never to engage in evilspeaking and backbiting. Let us refuse to serve Satan by implanting seeds of doubt. Let us guard against cherishing unbelief, or expressing it to others. Many, many times I have wished that there might be circulated a pledge containing a solemn promise to speak only those words that are pleasing to God. There is a great need for such a pledge as there is for one against the use of intoxicating liquor. Let us begin to discipline the tongue, remembering always that we can do this only by disciplining the mind, for ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh’ (Matthew 12:34).”6

In Matthew 18:15, Jesus tells us the proper way to do this. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.” Here Jesus made it clear: “Between thee and him alone.” This is a very important statement. It is sad that many do not follow this instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ. They speak unkind words against their fellow brethren or sisters. Some even go to the extent of telling unbelievers the fault of their brethren and/or sisters in the church, thus closing the door for the salvation of many. This manner of operating makes it impossible for unity to be accomplished.

Ephesians 4:29, 31 tells us, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. . . . Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” No sincere child of God who is conscious of heaven can speak unbecoming words against a brother or sister who is not personally there to defend himself or herself.

Envy is an evil or selfish desire that you wish you had a quality or possession that another person has. This is another serious problem among God’s people. But many forget that God has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with any envious persons.

The Spirit of Prophecy says, “If you have not laid aside your envy, your jealousies, your hatred one against another, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You would only carry the same disposition with you; but there will be nothing of this character in the world to come. Nothing will exist there but love and joy and harmony. Some will have brighter crowns than others, but there will be no jealous thoughts in any heart among the redeemed. Each one will be perfectly satisfied, for all will be rewarded according to their work.”7

“If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth” (James 3:14). This passage says that it is even useless or needless for anyone who has the spirit of envy to come to church, let alone to sing praises to our God. The Lord does not accept such praises. Therefore the Spirit of Prophecy writes, “Let your spirit be cleansed from all earthliness, all unholy, uncharitable thoughts. Let your words be clean, sanctified, vivifying and refreshing all with whom you associate. Be not easily provoked. Let the praise of God be in your hearts and upon your lips, that no evil thing may truthfully be said of you.”8

This is another major cause of disunity among God’s people. It often results in evil speaking and bitterness of spirit. Our Lord Jesus made a very important statement about this problem. “Jesus called [the ten disciples] unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28). “There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit.”9

“ ‘Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister’ (Matthew 20:26). In My kingdom the principle of preference and supremacy has no place. The only greatness is the greatness of humility. The only distinction is found in devotion to the service of others.”10

Well, the truth is that anyone who genuinely works for God is not ambitious for titles and supremacy.

Let us look at Judges 9:8-13. It reads as follows, “The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the Vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”

These trees refused to be kings over others, because they were very busy working for God and humanity. How does this apply to us today? Whenever we are busy preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus, we are working for God and humanity.

In essence, it is good for God to choose us for His service rather than for us to be striving for any position. People who always have the desire to rule over others are frequently the worst people in society.

In Judges 9:14 and 15, this allegory is concluded: “Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out from the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”

The answer of the bramble bush shows that it never had the people at heart. It was only after a high position.

Many think that they can work for God only by holding an office. They are mistaken. A Christian hymn says, “If you cannot cross the ocean and the heathen lands explore, you can find the heathen nearer, you can help them at your door.”

God hates the strife for supremacy!

In essence, unforgiveness is the opposite of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the act of forgiving or the willingness to forgive. We can say then that unforgiveness is the inability or unwillingness to forgive or excuse a wrongdoer.

In Matthew 18:21, 22, “Then came Peter to [Jesus], and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

The answer of Jesus to Peter means always. As long as we are living here on planet Earth, offense is almost inevitable. If you have made up your mind that you will never offend others, someone may offend you. Offense will come, people will offend you, no matter where you are, or where you go. Even in the house of God, you cannot avoid it. Sometimes the very person you love so much may be the one to work against you.

The psalmist described, “It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company” (Psalm 55:12-14). Yes, painful offenses can occur even in God’s house.

“It is not the opposition of the world that most endangers the church of Christ. It is the evil cherished in the hearts of believers that works their most grievous disaster and most surely retards the progress of God’s cause. There is no surer way of weakening spirituality than by cherishing envy, suspicion, faultfinding, and evil surmising. On the other hand, the strongest witness that God has sent His Son into the world is the existence of harmony and union among men of varied dispositions who form His church. This witness it is the privilege of the followers of Christ to bear. But in order to do this, they must place themselves under Christ’s command. Their characters must be conformed to His character and their wills to His will.”11

Whatsoever may be the case, God is very clear in His command, that we must forgive others if we want our own sins to be forgiven. Our Lord Jesus also taught us to pray in this manner: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

And again He stated: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:24-26).

Someone may ask, “Do you know what he or she did to me”? God’s command is very clear, forgive if you want your sins to be forgiven. However, experience has shown that there are people who are willing to forgive only if the offender comes back to them and asks for forgiveness.

Question: What if the offender refuses to come to you to seek forgiveness?

“Jesus teaches that we can receive forgiveness from God only as we forgive others. It is the love of God that draws us unto Him, and that love cannot touch our hearts without creating love for our brethren. . . .

“He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which alone he can receive mercy from God. We should not think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. It is their part, no doubt, to humble their hearts by repentance and confession; but we are to have a spirit of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults. However sorely they may have wounded us, we are not to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries; but as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us.”12

In Matthew 5:8 the Word of God says that only the pure in heart shall see the Lord. And as we said earlier, unforgiveness pushes one to harbor grudges. With such a mind a person cannot be pure. The Bible says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31, 32).

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24).

Question: What are the gifts we offer? There are many things we can offer to God, such as worship, sacrifice of praises, first fruits, thank offerings, tithes, time, and money. God has no pleasure in anyone who refuses to forgive others their trespasses. In fact, the Word of God makes it clear that it is unacceptable to come and sing praises with bitterness in our heart.

Jesus says, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).

Forgiving from your heart means for the offense not to be remembered any more. No more grudges. We are safe if we form a united front to face the coming crisis. Very soon the whole world will be against us, even those we may call our friends - including our relatives.

To have a united front we must make it a habit to forgive others.

In conclusion, “The success of our work depends upon our love to God and our love to our fellowmen. When there is harmonious action among the individual members of the church, when there is love and confidence manifested by brother to brother, there will be proportionate force and power in our work for the salvation of men. Oh, how greatly we need a moral renovation! Without the faith that works by love, you can do nothing. May the Lord give you hearts to receive this testimony.”13