Unity Among Believers

by Gloria Baird

Several years ago, I read a book by Gloria Jay Evans entitled The Wall. The book is a modern parable about what happens when a person builds a protective wall around himself, inevitably shutting other people out in his pursuit of privacy. A great city, in centuries past, would be fortified with a massive wall that surrounded and protected its inhabitants, not from each other but from their enemies. 

Jerusalem wall, Muslim quarter. Nehemiah’s wall was destroyed in 70 C.E. and this one was rebuilt sometime in the 1500’s during the Ottoman Empire. 

In this lesson we will learn how Jesus Christ came to break down the first type of wall, a dividing wall of hostility, and to build up the second type, the fortifying wall of unity that will strengthen and protect God’s people. We will use the Old Testament book of Nehemiah as the basis for our study. 

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia during the Jewish exile. Some men from Judah reported to Nehemiah that the Jewish remnant was in great trouble and distress because the wall of Jerusalem had broken down. He responded by mourning, fasting, and praying to God for help in reuniting the Israelites. God moved King Artaxerxes’ heart to allow Nehemiah to go to Judah and lead the Israelites in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The project which Nehemiah undertook can teach us five keys to rebuilding the wall of unity among believers: 

1. Developing the desire for unity
2. Deciding to strive for unity
3. Overcoming discouragement
4. Accepting diversity within the body
5. Being devoted to Jesus Christ’s plan for the body to be united (John 17).

Desire For Unity 

Nehemiah’s first impulse was always to pray. How powerful our lives would be today if our communication with God was so constant and open; before we ever acted on our own or even sought another’s advice, if we first went to God in prayer, as Nehemiah did in Nehemiah 2:4–5. His prayer to God and brave petition to the King show his great desire to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If God’s people are to be united today, we too must have a great desire to rebuild. 

I have never been more aware of the need for unity among believers or prayed so much for it as I have this past year. My family went through a major change in 1983. After a fifteen-year membership with the Burlington church of Christ and after much prayer and struggle, we concluded that it was God’s will for my husband Al to give up his job as a research scientist and to become an intern with the Boston Church of Christ. 

We and others experienced considerable pain as we moved from one congregation to the other. Satan began attacking us on every side, trying to cause division among God’s people. I realized that I have taken the bond of unity in the church for granted. As I have personally felt the effects of that unity being shaken, I have begun to desire the unity that can only come through prayer, Bible study and the power of God working in us to unite us. 

Nehemiah’s desire to rebuild the wall was followed by a decision: “It pleased the King to send me; so, I set a time” (Nehemiah 2:6). We can long for unity, but unless we individually commit ourselves to striving for it, unity will not be achieved. 

As soon as Nehemiah decided to rebuild the wall, his enemies began plotting how to stop the work. Nehemiah 2:10 records that Sanballat and Tobiah “were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.” How similar that is to our enemy, the devil, when he sees us rebuilding the wall of unity. Only a resolute decision to stand firm and persevere will enable us to overcome the many attempts by Satan to hinder our efforts. The Jerusalem wall reached completion because Nehemiah’s desire was solidified by decision. 

One of the first things Nehemiah did when he arrived in Jerusalem was to inspect the broken-down wall for needed repairs. In our rebuilding quest, we need to decide in what ways the wall of unity is broken down in the church of Christ. There are divisions over such issues as Sunday school, the Holy Spirit, music, and cooperation. These are opinion matters. Not biblical doctrine. Within individual congregations, is there competitiveness, lack of relationship and respect that are causing division? What is breaking the wall of unity? Opinion matters should not divide us. God’s word should unite us, and it does. We need to be like Nehemiah and pray and decide to build our unity (John 17). Jesus prayed for this just before facing the Cross. 

In addition to committing himself to the work, Nehemiah called on others to join him. The Israelites agreed to help and Nehemiah 2:18 records that “they began this good work.” We must see the vital need for unity among believers and consider it as a good work. We cannot afford to have an attitude of indifference but must decide that unity will be as important to us as it was to Jesus in his prayer in John 17:23: “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” 

Discouragement 

Nehemiah 4:10–12 describes a problem common to any great work: discouragement from within. The people of Judah began complaining that “the strength of the workers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” The Jews who lived near them added ten times, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” 

Women are especially prone to this problem because we have a strong influence on strengthening or weakening the body of Christ. Most of us can cite instances in which the work of a godly man was adversely affected by the bad attitudes of his wife. Considering the weight of responsibility our men carry in the church, the last thing they need is for their wives to unload all their hurt feelings and worries on them. I challenge each of us to personally commit herself to praying first and then putting Matthew 18:15–17 into practice—go directly to the person with whom you have a problem rather than complaining to someone else. 

Nehemiah responded to the discouragement of his people in a godly manner. He stationed the Israelites by families at various places and encouraged them about the enemy attacks: “Don’t be afraid of them,” he said in Nehemiah 4:14: “Remember the Lord who is great and awesome.” He gave each person responsibility but pointed him to his power source. Note that each family was not working on guarding their own individual part of the wall. Rather they were all working together for the rebuilding of the whole wall. 

In the church, we urgently need to regard the full picture of the kingdom of God rather than seeing one side of it from our isolated, restricted viewpoint. We are to be stationed at every point to build up the church universal. Our view and concern should not be limited to just the church in our region of our nation. Paul called the Corinthians to be united and not to follow different personalities: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (I Corinthians 1:10). Sometimes we think this includes matters of opinion. It applies to the teaching of the Bible, not opinion. Opinion divides us. 

Nehemiah acknowledged the difficulties in the work, but he also gave solutions. In Nehemiah 4:19–20, he said, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” 

That is especially meaningful to me as I think of some of my dearest brothers and sisters who are in Burlington, Texas, New Mexico, and California. The sound of the trumpet reminds me of the ring of the telephone. What a blessing it is to be able to keep in touch with one another no matter how many miles apart we are. I remember a phone call from a friend in Texas who was preparing a class on faith and wanted to share ideas on that subject. Another person called needing comfort and direction during a painful family crisis. Other calls come from Christians around the world sharing their struggles and victories in their walk with Jesus. How important are those calls to reaffirm our love for each other and to help us overcome discouragement? 

When the enemy further insulted and ridiculed the Jews with such undermining questions as “will they do it?”, “can they finish?” and “will it last,” Nehemiah and the people responded by praying to God and working with all their hearts (Nehemiah 4:4–6). They overcame discouragement by dedicating themselves to God and his work and then proving their dedication by their actions. As was seen in the early church in Acts, persecution intensifies zeal and fervor and encourages unity: “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). 

Sanballat and Tobiah well understood the value of unity. 

“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it” (Nehemiah 4:8). Again, Nehemiah prayed to God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat. That example shows us the necessity of being on constant guard against our enemy, Satan, and of protecting one another’s weak side. Our strength as a body will increase as we strive to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit and to be “our sister’s keeper.” Instead of picking each other apart, let us encourage and build each other up in love, as God commands. That is what he does for His church when we are unified. 

Diversity 

Another important aspect of the rebuilding work is seen in Nehemiah 4 and 5: the diversity of roles and needs. The work of the people varied. Some did the building, some guarded the workers, some carried materials, and some fed the workers and took care of their daily physical needs. All the men were armed with swords, ready to resist those against them. 

The unity we are to have in Christ is not based on sameness but on oneness. Ephesians 4:11–13 describes the various roles needed to prepare God’s people for works of service, to build up the body of Christ so that all will reach unity and maturity. Galatians 3:28 encourages us to put emphasis on our oneness in Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Too often we emphasize our differences, letting them divide us, rather than being called to unity. God’s unity is built when we work as a team. 

Keep in mind that all the Israelites were armed with swords. Likewise, each of us must be armed with our “sword”—the word of God and God’s gift, our talents and strength. There is no substitute for individually drawing upon the power of prayer and God’s word and equipping ourselves for the constant battle with our enemy. The commitment needed is illustrated in Nehemiah 4:23: “Neither I nor my brothers nor my guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.” The Israelites realized the strength of their enemy and that they could never let down their guard or go on vacation. They always had to be alert and armed. How much more that attitude applies to us today as we fight against Satan. 

The needs of God’s people vary. Nehemiah 5 describes the different physical needs for food, property, and financial resources. The unrest and complaining brought about by those needs not being met had an adverse effect on outsiders as indicated in Nehemiah 5:9: “Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?” When we fight among ourselves, we give the unbeliever the right to reproach us. As John 13:35 declares, we will be known as Christ’s disciples by our love one for another. If we are not caring for the physical needs within the body, that love is not evident to outsiders. 

A family in the Boston congregation recently lost their home and belongings in a fire. Christians worked together to provide financial help as well as food, furniture, and clothing. Members of the Burlington congregation raised a special contribution to buy an elevator for a child in a wheelchair, then put in many hours to work to install the elevator. When the Christians in Poland needed food and other supplies, congregations around the world responded with great generosity. God was pleased! 

The value of meeting the physical needs of others should never supersede the importance of meeting the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a tremendous need in the body for close relationships characterized by openness and mutual encouragement. Hebrews 3:13 exhorts us to encourage one another daily. Hebrews 10:24 commands us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Our communication with each other should be direct, speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). A dear sister shared with me that I need to be responsible for what a person hears me say. That concept helped me communicate better and become more careful with my words and their impact. 

The third chapter of Nehemiah describes the various sections of the wall that were worked on by specific people. The work was not a one-man job, but a task that required individuals to labor together. Team spirit is essential in the church, which is a body composed of many members, each doing their part and showing concern for others (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). 

There is plenty of room within the church for different methods of accomplishing God’s work. There is no room for discord due to personality clashes, prejudice, hurt feelings and vying for leadership. We desperately need to value the function of each member as he is empowered by Christ. 

Ephesians 4:16 states that from Christ “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Nehemiah 3:5 notes that some of the Israelites did not do their work: “their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” Sometimes we feel that certain tasks are too menial for us or that someone else should do the job. Each of us needs to be willing to serve in whatever way we can. 

Another point in that verse is that the nobles would not work under their supervisors. Unity cannot exist where there is a lack of respect for authority. God’s plan for his people involves leaders and followers. Hebrews 13:7 directs us to “obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 further instructs us “to respect those who work hard among us, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” Nehemiah’s response to his enemies, always spoken in faith was, “the God of heaven will give us success.” He was confident God would bless the efforts of the people because they were busy doing God’s work. We too can be confident that God will bless our efforts if we continue striving for unity and do not let diversity cause us to fall. 

Devotion 

Another quality of Nehemiah that we need to emulate in our rebuilding of unity is his devotion to the work. Nehemiah didn’t lord his leadership over people nor was he proud or concerned with position. He didn’t use his leadership to acquire material gain and fame but single-mindedly sought the good of his people by rebuilding the wall. His right actions stemmed from his reverence for God (Nehemiah 5:16) and devotion to his work. 

Nehemiah’s enemies attempted to distract him from his work by saying, “Come, let us meet together.” They knew that if they could sidetrack the workers and cause them to compromise, the wall would be left unfinished. Unity is not brought about by compromise saying, “peace, peace where there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14), but by being devoted to the true peace found only in Christ. Ephesians 2:14–18 beautifully describes that peace and unity. 

Next, the enemies of Nehemiah tried false accusations in the form of an unsealed letter. The danger with false accusations is that they tempt us to defend ourselves and so be sidetracked from the work we need to be devoted to doing. 

Scare tactics are also commonly used by the enemy. Nehemiah’s foes taunted him by saying “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed” (Nehemiah 6:9). Satan fed me that same line as I worked on this lesson, tempting me to fear that I wouldn’t be able to put it together in a meaningful way. Nehemiah’s response was to pray for God to strengthen his hands. I experienced that same strengthening as my husband and daughters helped in some concrete ways so that I could devote my time to accomplish God’s task.

Finally, Nehemiah’s enemies tried to lead him into sin so that he would be discredited. They intimidated him through the nobles of Judah who were under oath to Tobiah and had to keep corresponding back and forth with the enemy. The nobles became middlemen relaying information. We should be wary of such second-hand reporting because it usually distorts the true picture. Human nature tends to believe the worst rather than think the best. 

I remember a time I got a second-hand report about a Bible class taught by a friend. It was noted that few scriptures were used. I was amazed and quickly became doubtful about the class instead of maintaining my confidence in my friend. When I received the direct report, I learned that my friend had prepared too much material and had already made plans to share the rest of the information at another time. If we are to be unified, we must believe the best and be devoted to seeking the truth in all things. 

When the work on the Jerusalem wall was completed, Nehemiah’s enemies lost their self-confidence because they realized that the work had been done with the help of God (Nehemiah 6:16). If we are to complete the work God has for us and have victory over our enemy, the devil, we must believe the reality of Christ’s prayer in John 17:20–26 and be devoted to becoming one as Jesus and the Father are one (verse 22). 

The actions of the people following completion of the wall give us one last parallel to unity. In Nehemiah 8, the people gathered to praise God and hear the reading of the Book of the Law. They feasted and celebrated with great joy, sharing with those who had nothing prepared. They were told to proclaim God’s word throughout their towns. 

As we feast on the blessing of unity in Christ, we too should be sharing and proclaiming with others the good news that Christ has broken down the dividing wall of hostility through his death on the cross, enabling mankind to truly be one. Paul attested to the great joy that comes from sharing the gospel: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” (1 Thessalonians 3:9). 

God’s desire throughout the ages has been for his people to be united. Jesus warned us that every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined (Matthew 12:25). If the church is to be successful in its mission, it must start rebuilding the wall of unity with the building blocks specified in God’s word. The oneness described in Ephesians 4:4–6 comes when we clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” We must “bear with each other” and forgive whatever grievances we have against one another, forgiving as God has forgiven us. Over all those virtues, we must “put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12–14). God’s church will be united only to the degree that each of us individually takes up this good work. As we continue to pray for unity as Jesus did, may our hearts be filled with a deeper desire for God’s people to be one. May each of us decide to be dedicated to this effort, resisting the discouragement of the enemy. May we be fully devoted to God, his word, each other, and those around us who are ignorant of true unity. Then we will be able to say with the Psalmist David: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). 

2022 addendum from Pat Gempel: Al and Gloria were our closest partners in the gospel. She is smiling from eternity that this book is being reprinted. In 2018, I spent the last few hours of her conscience life on earth with Gloria and her family. It was my blessing from God. When I see her again, I can’t imagine what it will be like. God’s victory in our lives was love and unity. I can never remember our friendship being threatened by disunity or conflict. We shared God’s vision. I remember us helping to build the wall together. I pray you have these blessings. 

About the Author

Gloria Elaine Baird’s life is a diamond with many facets; each reflecting the love of Jesus. She died from ovarian cancer in 2018. Her life still impacts people everywhere. 

Gloria grew up in Abilene, Texas as part of loving, devout Christian home with her parents, brother, cousin, and grandfather. She married the love of her life and best friend, Al Baird, in 1961. Tragically, they lost three babies at birth; but God used that to teach compassion, which enabled them to help many couples as they suffered similar loss. They were eventually blessed with three daughters; Staci, Kristi, and Keri — all who are now strong Christian women, wives and mothers — with our nine grandchildren. 

After college, the Bairds moved to Massachusetts to be a part of a church planting. At age 40, Gloria and Al’s lives changed as Al gave up his career in Physics and went into the full time ministry in a small church as an Elder and his wife, working with Bob and Pat Gempel, a fellow elder couple. This church grew to become the Boston International Church of Christ. This change in vocation enabled Gloria to fulfill her dream of being a Titus-2-older-woman who would teach and train younger women, in Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix and around the world. The couple focused on strengthening and encouraging churches in the Middle East.

One of Gloria's greatest joys was to help build and strengthen marriages and families. The Bairds worked together to conduct marriage and parenting seminars on every continent. Gloria was a gifted teacher and a talented writer. She is remembered for her open-hands prayer, “don’t waste your suffering,” her pitcher analogy, and her lifelines — cherished memory scriptures she often turned to and shared with others. At the end of her 78 years when the doctor said the end was near, she sent this text to friends: “Doctor says he thinks I have weeks not months….so Heaven here I come!!! Don’t like saying goodbye!!! Love you so much! Keep fighting the fight!!” She died like she lived: filled with joy and hope!