Working Toward Unity

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”  Philippians 3:15-16

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi to encourage the believers in their faith.  He never tired of reminding believers of what Christ did for them and how they should honor Him at all times.  The members of the Philippian church needed some encouragement because some false teachers had infiltrated their community and were teaching that the believers must submit to circumcision in order to be right with God.  However, after Christ came and made the once-and-for-all sacrifice to make men and women right with God, the only circumcision required was that of the heart, that is, the cutting away the sin in a person’s heart and replacing it with the righteousness of Christ upon repentance and faith in Him.

Paul then urged his readers, those who were mature Christians to always keep Christ the focus of their lives.  What is a mature Christian?  A mature Christian is one who has usually been walking with Christ for many years and has been serious about his or her commitment to Him.  Maturing in Christ is a process.  It takes a lifetime to develop a close, personal relationship with Jesus.  When a man and a woman marry, there is still much to learn about each other.  We may think that we know all about that person before we get married, but find there were many habits, peculiarities, likes, and dislikes they had that we were surprised to learn.  One has to live with a spouse for years to get to know him or her on a deeper level, which is exemplified by knowing what the spouse will say before he or she says it, how he or she will react in certain situations, and the depth of his or her spiritual life as well.  God said that a man and a woman, let me repeat, a man and a woman become one when they unite in holy matrimony (Genesis 2:24), and that oneness is devel0ped over their lifetime.  In Ephesians 5:22-32, Paul used marriage as a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and the church, the body of believers, emphasizing that Christ and His church, like a husband and wife, are also one.

All believers do not have the same opinion about matters of worship styles, music, methods of baptism, giving of resources, and many other things of which they do not agree.  However, there is one thing about which there should be no compromise, disagreement, or disunity–that is, Jesus is Lord, that one must repent and place faith in Him, and live lives committed to and focused on Him.  Paul wrote that if there is anything that a believer thinks, believes, acts upon, or teaches that is not in line with the gospel, then the Lord will reveal that to him or her.  No Christian knows everything there is to know about scripture.  Even the one who studies diligently for years is always discovering something that he or she has missed in God’s word.  If a person spent 40 hours a week studying the Bible, he or she would still only be scratching the surface because God’s word is so vast and far-reaching.  There is no other way whereby one can learn about God other than through His word.  It is good to never stop learning.

As those who differ in various ways of worship and service wait for direction from the Lord, they must obey what they do know and agree upon.  They must keep Christ front and center and not let petty arguments or disagreements interfere with their commitment to trust Christ and spread the gospel.  It is those little, seemingly insignificant things that can disrupt an entire church body.  Solomon called that the “little foxes that spoil the vines” (Song of Solomon 2:15).  It seems that the greatest hindrance to unity in the first century church was false teaching.  People would take sides with different leaders believing that the one they chose to follow was the most correct in his doctrine.  Today, church members argue over the color of the new carpet, the type of songs sung, whether it is praise music or the old hymns, and other things that instead of contributing to the overall worship, cause disharmony among the church body.

The world is replete with disunity.  Everywhere one turns, there are disagreements, arguments, fights, wars, and murders because so many folks have the attitude of “my way or the highway” and refuse to even listen to others’ opinions and ideas, but most of all, many refuse the word of God which can bring unity and harmony if folks will only heed God’s word.  People are so easily offended by the most trivial remarks.  Even our churches can’t be in unity.  How many different denominations are there now?  What matters is that they are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, honoring Him, and winning lost people to Him.  Since Christ is not divided (I Corinthians 1:13), neither should His followers be divided for we are all united in Christ.