Unity & the Local Church
God wants his people to be united. We could delve into heavy theological texts on the subject, open Philippians and Corinthians and do a deep Bible study, but the lesson is actually quite simple: God wants us to stand together in his kingdom.
Unity is good
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore” (Psalm 133).
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
Martin Luther, the Reformation leader, told a story about two goats meeting on a narrow mountain ledge. There was barely enough room for one of them to pass safely, and they met head-on. So how did they meet safely? One goat happily laid down on the ledge and let the other literally walk over him. The goats were wise, unlike many of us humans. They were more concerned with survival than ego. We oftentimes let our egos, desires, and feelings get in the way. If two humans met on that ledge, there would probably be a bit more back-and-forth over which one of them would lay down.
Within the church, problems with unity tend to arise from the same sources. There are people in the congregation continually causing problems or instigating conflicts. When an issue is brought to the elders and deacons, they know how to trace it to its source. It’s a terrible reputation to live with.
There is nothing more critical to a healthy church than unity. In the Lord’s kingdom, we need to bend over backwards to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. God wants his people to get along; and where two (or more) believers are in peace, God is also in the relationship.
‘Correct’ doctrine doesn’t lead to a unified body
One of the most important doctrine in Scripture is how we get along with each other. Being ‘correct’ on doctrine is less important than being a unified body. This isn’t a suggestion to compromise Scriptural doctrine, but what good does it do to preach baptism for repentance if the congregation can’t get along? How does instrumental or non-instrumental music improve relationships within the body of Christ?
As the apostle Paul wrote, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the greatest command we’ve been given—to love God, love the world, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Keeping unity
It’s a lot easier to build a church building than it is to build the church. We often forget that it takes the same ingredients to keep a church healthy and functioning as it took to begin one: prayers, friendliness, effort, kindness, compassion. There is no doctrine in the Bible that will condemn people more than how we get along with each other and the person in the pew next to us. Nothing will tear the church down quicker than disunity. If we all share responsibility and keep together, the church won’t be broken.
Reflection questions
