Unity

But God has left us free to resist this reality. We can hold prejudices and grudges. We can be racist and sexist and break unity at every turn. But when we do, we absolutely quench the Spirit and disfigure the face of Christ in the world. The gospel is that we are one in Christ. And when we are born again we share in God’s DNA of love.

So what do we say about the divisions and splits within church history? How are we to think about all who have suffered for the church and from the church? First, there is no way of getting around the grief this brings to God. And second, unless you grant that God is at work in the church, there is no way to explain how a small Jewish cult called “the Way” survived the first century, let alone the following twenty centuries of persecutions, divisions, heresies and all manner of political and religious intrigue. God has built his church on Christ, and the gates of hell cannot stand against it.

God reconciled the world to himself. And the multiethnic, socially diverse community of faith that still names Jesus as Lord is a miracle.

So let’s heed the Holy Spirit’s call to live as children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and as family of our Father who is in heaven. “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Reflection Questions

1. Are there fellow believers you would rather prove wrong than accept as brother or sister? What does that tell you about your heart?
2. What are your attitudes toward ecumenism, unity and oneness in the body of Christ?
3. When have you experienced a unity of reconciliation that is supernatural? What was that like for you?
4. How does competition among churches affect unity?

Spiritual Exercises

1. Study the “one anothers” (see the “One Anothers” appendix) found in Scripture. • Begin living out one of the “one anothers” this week. • The following week choose another “one another.” • Which “one another” is most difficult for you? Explain.
2. The body of Christ is to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). Look back over the past year. Who has rejoiced with you? Who has wept with you? Talk to God about what this meant to you. • What is it like for you to rejoice or weep with another? Find someone to rejoice or weep with today.
3. Looking for God in other churches: Once a year, go for a God hunt in a church tradition that is different from your own. How does this body of Christ reflect the Lord? What do they have to give you as part of the body?
4. As much as it depends on you, make peace with a fellow believer you are separated from. • How does what you are doing reflect Jesus’ prayer in John 17? • What is it like for you to make peace?
5. Imagine what it will be like when every tribe and tongue and nation gather to worship God. Consider what might surprise you. Who will be there that you didn’t expect?
6. Study Jesus’ prayer in John 17. How does his prayer challenge your thoughts about unity?
7. Create a “one another” collage. Draw a number of circles on a piece of paper and label each of them with a “one another.” For example, there could be a circle for “love one another,” “serve one another,” “pray for one another,” “stir up one another to love and good works,” etc. • Pray for God to speak to you about relationships that you need to attend to in each circle. Write the name of one or two people in each circle. Make a plan to attend to a circle a week.

Resources on Unity

Building Unity in the Church of the New Millennium by Dwight Perry

God’s Dream Team: A Call to Unity by Tommy Tenney

Making Peace with Conflict by Carolyn Schrock-Shenk and Lawrence Ressler, eds.

www.buildingchurchleaders.com

“Our communication of the gospel depends not on human strategies or well-polished techniques or even brilliantly reasoned arguments but on divine initiative. It is the hidden work of the Holy Spirit that gives our words meaning and power and that produces changed hearts.” —Rebecca Manley Pippert

Witness