Christians Need to Begin Making Every Effort to Live in Unity, Part 1
People need each other.
Following having a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, our greatest need is each other. God believes this so much that at the moment of salvation, we become part of Jesus' family, His Church! This occurs just as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body."
While this happens to us spiritually, we are living in a culture that is completely opposite of this. The American way compels us to live independently of one another. This leads to a selfish and oftentimes destructive life. It also defies the Scripture and is not the life we are called to live within the body of Jesus Christ.
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The Greatest Diversity Movement in the History of the World
Jesus created each of us uniquely. Jesus is leading the greatest diversity movement in the history of the world, His Church. This is why Jesus' prayer and desire for us as His Church is to live in unity and oneness. People need each other.
Jesus believes the only way people will believe God sent Him to be the Savior of the world is through the testimony of the Church living in unity and oneness. As recorded in John 17:21, Jesus stated, "May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me."
As the Church of Jesus emerges, the New Testament reminds us how unique we are; but even in our diversity, we should be compelled to do whatever it takes to live in unity and oneness. Therefore, this call to action is declared in Ephesians 4:3, "Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Unite is Something You Do, While Unity is What You Are
Unite is a verb. When we unite, we can unite in the name of a cause or whatever our passion is. We see people unite for their cause, and sometimes the cause can become destructive by dividing a family, a church, a nation, and even the world. You can unite for things and you can unite against things.
While unite is a verb and is something you do, unity is a noun. Unity is oneness. Jesus wants us to live in oneness and unity.
America Personifies Division, Not Unity
America personifies division, not unity. In the last five years, we have seen America become very polarized and divided, spewing words that are vitriolic and destructive. Trust is minimized and division is celebrated.
As I have said before, I say again: America is broken. Division is undeniable. Racial tension is alarming. Lawlessness abounds. Reconciliation appears impossible. Government cannot fix us. Politics will not heal us. The spirit of the age is ruling. America needs God now more than ever before.
Now is the Time for the Church to Lead in Unity
Where is the Church? The Church of Jesus in America is more divided than I have ever seen it. We are living in contradiction of Jesus' desire in John 17. The churches of America are living in disunity. There are not hundreds of thousands of churches, but one Church, the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord. In the past, churches have chosen to unite, recognizing and appreciating important theological variances that are more secondary in nature. But now, churches divide over everything from extreme theological views to things like politics, economics, morality, and social justice issues.
This is not being the Church of Jesus Christ.
Whatever happened to uniting in our belief in the authority of Holy Scripture, Jesus being the only way to salvation, and that the greatest need in the world is the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Not only are churches living in disunity with one another, but we also see disunity within thousands of individual local churches. Division is ruling while Jesus is calling His people to unity! Until Christians and Christian leaders stop declaring their independence from one another, we will continue to see disunity and division rule the day.
This is in complete contrast to God's Word and God's will for us in the Church!
Now is the time for the Church to choose unity rather than division. Therefore, let's come back to the authority of the Bible as God's Word, to the Lord Jesus being the only Savior of the world, and the consuming conviction that the world's greatest need is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Originally posted at ronniefloyd.com
