Unity

Michelle's dad is still away, and in addition to working Big Oaks Farms in his absence, we've had the opportunity to be involved at the church he pastors. Last Wednesday night, Michelle spoke to the ladies at their church and I spoke to the men about our summer trip to Cuba. We were able to share how our mutual commitment to Christ and the common salvation we've experienced being covered by the same blood transcends any national, lingual, cultural, and all other differences. Ephesians 2:19-22 says

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you
are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets,Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone
. . . and are being built together into a dwelling place for
God by the Spirit.

A local church we visited in Cuba

Sunday I had the honor of leading the SS class lesson. I decided to teach on unity - a topic I had thought a lot about last week after reading Howard Snyder's Community of the King. In preparing for the lesson, I began to see how welcoming and hospitable the Ephesus church here in NC has been towards us, on this visit and every visit. In this small way, I've been able to see why Jesus spent so much of His prayer to His Father while in the garden on being made perfect in one. In John chapter 17, just before He was arrested, Jesus prays that the glory He has given us from the Father would unify us so the world may see that we are one.

This means that the Church come together, in spite of national identities, ideological conflicts, doctrinal differences, race, political affiliations, denominational affiliations . . . and rally behind the name that gives us all our hope and ultimate identity.

That doesn't mean acceptance of anyone who claims to be spiritual or religious. Baal (any false doctrine) has no power to overcome the divisions of the world to bring us all together. But as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, Christ has called us to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

For whatever reason, God has chosen to allow for discenters and quarrelers to use compelling doctrines to cause division within the church. But praise Him that "He is our peace, and hath made us one, and hath broken down the wall of hostility between us."

Fellow Christ follower, please do not let secondary differences get in the way of our primary calling: that being gathered together as one in Christ, we be to the praise of His glory, forever and ever.