Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
Many pastors and believers often talk about the importance of unity, but often unity is the destruction of good. Many times, unity is the call of the liberal to those who hold to the truth to compromise for the sake of unity. I heard a well-known preacher say that we can accomplish more through unity; therefore, we must stop majoring on minor doctrine for the sake of unity. My answer to this preacher is that there is no minor doctrine. If God placed something in His Word, then it is all major.
If unity was such a good thing, God would have praised the men who were building the tower of Babel. However, when you look at this work, God made it clear that unity is not always a good thing. In fact, God confused the language of these men to break up their unity because their unity led to compromise. I find that unity is not always good. Let me share three instances when unity is not good.
First, unity is not good when you must compromise to be unified. If I must compromise to be unified with someone, I will choose not to be unified. Too many are willing to lay aside truth for the sake of unity, when truth is the foundation upon which we build. If I must lay aside truth for the sake of unity, then the only thing I am unified with are lies. Compromise cannot be an option for the sake of unity. I have no problem being unified with someone, but not for the sake of compromising truth. Truth must be my primary focus that I embrace and live for and to compromise it must never be a consideration. My question to those who want me to compromise truth is, why don't they compromise and embrace truth? The truth is that these people do not want truth; they just want me to leave truth at any cost.
Second, unity is not good when you must let up your drive to be unified. There are some people I cannot unify with because I must stop what I am doing to unify. My drive is critical because I am driving to reach the souls of mankind. If I let up to unify, I am letting souls go to Hell for the sake of unity. If someone wants to unify with me, then they need to step up their drive to serve side-by-side.
Third, unity is not good when you must criticize your own to be unified. I am not interested in criticizing those who are walking the old paths. If I must criticize someone so that I can be unified with another, I will choose to walk alone and not be unified. If I must criticize someone to be unified, the critic I am joining with will be critical of me when I am not with them. I would much rather be alone than be unified for the sake of being critical.
My friend, the best way to stay unified is to get busy doing what you’re supposed to do and you will find people next to you who are unified with you. Let unity be a discovery of others walking on the old paths beside you rather than a pursuit to be unified. If you will stay busy soul winning, running your bus routes, building your church, living a separated life, starting Sunday school classes, and pursuing the lost on the old paths, then you will find there are others who are doing the same thing as you. It is when you discover these that you are unified with them. I am unified with them because of truth and not for the sake of unity. Let me be unified in one thing, pursuing truth and doing it and you will find many people with whom you can be unified.