At a wedding reception, the invitation from the bride and groom ensures that you belong there. If the guests got into a fight, it would be shocking!
Someday all Christians will be with Jesus, rejoicing together at the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (John 17:24, Revelation 19:9). Jesus prayed that, until then, all believers would “be one” to show the world He was sent from God. Regrettably, the Church often exhibits strife instead: name calling, power struggles, church splits.
Some church battles are necessary. At the Jerusalem council, Paul confronted Peter to establish that we are “not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). Sadly, Christians are also prone to fight over lesser things. Paul urged believers not to pass judgment about “disputable matters” such as food and holy days. Instead, they were to act in love because the other party was “someone for whom Christ died” (Romans 14).
What glue can unite Christians despite our tendency to quarrel? In John 17:20-26, “one” appears four times, along with references to God’s love and the concept of “in” (the Father in the Son, Christ in believers, etc.). Together these words describe a life-giving connection between us and Jesus and His Father as we pursue God’s purposes—like the connection between vine and branches or head and body. This unity is supernatural; “Its cement is the love of God bestowed on men,” Dr. Everett Harrison writes.4
When church doctrines vary, we can still show God’s love. In the 1640s, Dissenters at England’s Westminster Assembly noted that we sinners have a limited grasp of truth; even conscientious Christians can arrive at differing conclusions. In 1627, Rupertus Meldenius wrote this famous church motto: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity (love).” 5
We can also join forces to serve God. When I worked for a Christian publisher, my job included interviewing everyday folks and writing their stories. I felt an instant bond with these strangers as we teamed up to proclaim what Jesus had done for them. At the International Community Center, I sense a similar unity as volunteers from many churches minister to refugees. Within God’s love, we belong together.
For reflection:
- When have you felt “one” with believers from a different church or tradition?
- If you’ve had strife with another Christian group, how could healing be pursued?
- How might God’s good gifts be hidden by struggles?
by Sue Gilliland
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