There are many different explanations to why and why there isn’t unity in the Body of Christ. Some seek a unified denomination, some seek unified cooperation, others seek to eradicate titles completely and press forth to an institution only under the banner of Christ. Whichever your assumption on how this should take place unity is and will be the driving force of the church’s effectiveness on the earth, as well as the current emergency that requires our attention.
“…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21
The Mission of the church is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, but here we see that the detriment to our mission can come in the form of our own division.
“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25
Upon being questioned about the source of His power, Jesus takes time to give a lesson in households and kingdoms. Note that the detriment of the kingdom of the enemy is found in its division, though implied, even the enemy seeks unity within itself to maintain power sufficient to be effective in the world. Now before I get stoned for my comparison of the Kingdom of God to the stronghold of the enemy understand the lesson Jesus is giving here: There is POWER in unity. Anything less than that will cause a destruction to the household itself ( Ex. Cain and Abel; Israel and Judah).
Upon his address as a runner for the Senate, Abraham Lincoln gave an address known as the “House Divided Speech”. In which he chose to offer the strength of the decision of an entire country to wither stand on the grounds of slavery or stand entirely against. Upon his delivery much persecution came, but the result later on that brought about his presidency freed the nation of slavery.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s famed speech “I Have a Dream”, was formatted along the same lines. In it is the appeal to mankind to come together. He even made the famed statement that considered that 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning is “the most segregated time in our nation.”
The thought then goes to this; how far have we come from the times of Jesus, or Abraham Lincoln, or even Martin Luther King Jr. How many more speeches, sermons, statements, have to be made in order for the church to understand Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The will of the the God is that we may be ONE. The expectation of Jesus upon his return is a “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:27b ESV).
Let us continue to love one another. We are different, yes, but that is where the beauty dwells. God’s kingdom is diverse; we should seek to celebrate diversity instead of allow it to cause division. May our prayer be that we may become one just as the Son and the Father are one.
