Unity In Confronting Sin

# 178 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 14:7, “So his armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart." ( 1 Sam 14:7) What a beautiful statement from Jonathan's armor bearer. It is a pledge of brotherhood. He proclaims that his heart is one with Jonathan's. God loves unity among the brethren. Ps 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” This kind of unity can only come from the indwelling Holy Spirit. God grants this gift as we read in Jer 32:39 'then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. Did you catch that? This unity is for our good and the good of our children! Jesus prayed for this kind of unity in His church in Jn 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Wow, this kind of unity is an asset to evangelism! Paul encouraged this kind of unity often, Eph 4:3 says, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. And Peter did the same in 1Pe 3:8, “ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;” God loves unity and I think it's important to note that Jonathan and his armor bearer were unified in a very specific area. The action they were about to undertake in confronting the Philistines was a picture of confronting sin. We could learn from that. We can and should unite on that front. Spirit-led confrontation of sin in our own lives and within our own congregations, followed by confession of those sins, repenting of them, and then receiving God's forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ.