The Holiness of Unity

Ever get worn out with “Christianity?”  I know, that is a really tough question, but think about it for a bit.  There seems to be so much arguing, fighting, debating, segregating and politicking within the family of God. 

Whatever name is decided to be worn outside on the marquee shapes the thinking and attitudes towards doctrine and unity with other believers in Jesus.  The “marquee” name becomes the recognized tribe whenever one is traveling from one town to another as they seek out a church gathering to attend.

Why is it that some have an inner-circle of “accepted” believers within their own tribe that they are unable to see the good in what others are doing in the name of Jesus?  The disciples had the same issue.  They thought their inner-circle was the correct one and thus, they became elitist until Jesus gave them a dose of reality.  Luke 9:46-50 records Jesus’ conversation with his disciples about their elitist attitude and their view of those who were “outsiders.”

“They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side. “Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me,” he said. “And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.”  John spoke up, “Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t of our group.”  Jesus said, “Don’t stop him. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.” (The Message)

It appears that every side road in America has some kind of “church” that wants to make its mark on the community or even the world.  There are thousands of groups who lay claim to being Jesus’ followers.  Within many of these groups, they have denominated within themselves due to the lack of unity or doctrine. 

If our culture is going to take a turn for the better, then we as believers in Jesus need to see the value in what we have in common, rather than where we disagree.  In most cases, it is more opinionated doctrine than it is doctrine itself. 

If believers in Jesus would live out the Matthew 25 principle, the community culture would change dramatically.   “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

The goal is to be a welcoming spirit to those in need and not get tangled up in religious politics.  When one is hungry, they don’t look on the marquee of a church facility and say, “I can’t eat from this tribe or that tribe; rather, they simply open the door and asked to be fed. 

The desire is to be believers who are bent on being Jesus, not a denomination of elitist who only sees themselves as the only ones worthy to be heaven bound. 

The aim is to be united believers who capture the essence of Jesus’ message in John 17:20-21 when he said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  (NIV)

I am grateful that many are seeing the value in uniting as believers for the common good of our communities and nation.   Jesus must be the centerpiece of all that we do, not our personal agendas and marketable churches that want to be popular.  When the Lordship of Jesus is permeated in the hearts of every Jesus believer, unity takes place and the prayer of Jesus becomes a reality in the twenty-first century America. 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian