Unity in the Spirit

by Kim Larsen

Acts 2:13. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled, And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

No longer were the disciples ignorant and uncultured, No longer were they a collection of independent units or of discordant and conflicting elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness. They were of “one accord,” of one mind and one soul. Christ filled their thoughts. The advancement of His kingdom was their aim. In mind and character they had become like their Master; and men “took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

Isn’t it cool that Christ did not choose the learning or eloquence of the Jewish Sanhedrin or the power of Rome, but instead he chose humble unlearned men to change the world? It gives me hope and encouragement that He can use me too. It’s not by human wisdom or might that the work will be finished but rather by regular people who are just doing their best to follow Jesus.

I started to say, I wonder what it was like to walk and talk with Jesus day by day, hearing his words and seeing his healing touch among the people, when I caught myself…wait a minute… we can walk and talk with Him. We have His words not only in a book, but on our phones, and lap tops. We can talk with Him in our thoughts and He can talk with us this way too. We can read all about the mistakes that our brothers and sisters made before us, so that we don’t have to repeat the same mistakes. We have the prophetic message, so we know what will happen in the future. So, what are we doing with this information? Are we letting Christ into our lives and allowing Him to shape and mold us like Peter and John? Are the people that we meet recognizing Jesus in us? In mind and character, we are to become like our Master. When this happens, people will take notice that we too, have been with Jesus.

He prayed not only for the disciples but for us also who would believe in Jesus through their word. “I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and has loved them, as Thou has loved me.” John 17:20-23

The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that is impossible wholly to resist.