As You Head Off to Church This Morning… The Importance of Unity

We all are children of the same God.

Think about this. We are all children of God. Fellow believers in Jesus Christ are also brothers and sisters in the family of God. Unity – of course under God. Diversity – all of us are in the same family. Again, let that hit you. Everywhere there is a person who follows Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, there is a person who is a child of God. Money, power, politics, race, gender, nor anything else determines who can or cannot be a child of God. We are all one in Christ (Col 3:11). As you look out across your congregation today, see people in all their differences as family.

We all are imperfectly striving for the same goal.

Together, all in the family of God, specifically inside the same local church, are striving to become more like Jesus Christ together. Our minds are being renewed to better reflect Jesus Christ, to glorify Him and honor Him. To become like Jesus is our goal in life. Will we flesh that out differently from one another? Sure. Are we different from one another? Absolutely. God works in us who are in Christ and who also have our own personalities, likes, dislikes, weaknesses, and strengths. One of the joys of the family of God is the fact that we all are so incredibly different, yet strive for the same goal in our own skin. Thankfully, God helps. Further, what a joy that God provides us mercy on this journey and we strive to provide that same grace and mercy to each other on that journey as well.

Therefore, protect the unity of the church as much as you can.

Same God. Same Family. The Same Goal.

How do we protect the unity of the church in an environment where although these things are true, we are also still in progress, sinners, strugglers, sufferers, and influenced by an evil culture around us? Let me just give a few bullet point answers to this question.

• Measure your words – be careful what you say and how you say it to each other
• Suspend your judgement – give people the benefit of the doubt as much as you can
• Seek to encourage – this is a major part of the one-anothers. Seeks to encourage those around you in the family!
• Consider where you can help – what is going on in the lives of those around you? How can you help them?
• Remember what you have in common – sometimes we have to specifically call ourselves to remember that we have the same God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the family of God, and the same goal together. All of these thins we share, although we can be quite different.
• Think how you would want others to respond to you – as you look around, think of ways where people have blessed you. Strive to be that kind of person to those around you.
• Forgive often and for much – God demonstrated mercy to each of us in Christ as evidenced in our own forgiveness. There are many different people with lots of different problems and quirks; however, we can be a mercy-filled, forgiving, loving, and caring person toward each other. Will people disappoint? Of course. Will they do things that make your head and heart hurt? Of course. However, we seek to walk diligently in Christ striving to love and serve Jesus Christ together.

The Importance of Unity

On this Sunday, enjoy our God with our family striving to become like Jesus! While we do, we will protect the beautiful unity of the body of Christ provided through the death of Christ. God will be honored. People will be blessed. You will be glad.