Unity with the world systems was never God’s original intent for His people. True unity is only possible in Christ.  Building the Tower of Babel was an early example of a failed expression of unity.

The people had come together in one place to build a “monument to our greatness,” highlighting their pride that empowered their endeavor.  The Tower of Babel was built with a single purpose in mind: “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world” (Genesis 11:4).

This false unity violated an earlier command from the Lord: “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it” (Genesis 1:28). The people built a monument to their greatness, which caused them to settle in one place and celebrate their greatness, not the greatness of God.

The Lord saw what the people were doing: “The people are united, and they all speak the same language” (Genesis 11:6). The problem was they had relied on their achievements and their supposed greatness. An early translation of the New Living Translation refers to the people coming together with a single language that allowed them to gain political unity. When we all speak the same compromised language and form unified alliances in an attempt to create political unity, we set ourselves up for spiritual confusion. Be careful of accepting an invitation to unite with people who do not share God’s heart. It will always lead to compromise, a compromise of our integrity and a compromise of God’s calling in our lives.

We were never called to settle in a place of compromise, yielding our free will to the false unity of a lesser kingdom. We have been called to follow the truth of God no matter where His leading takes us.