The Church
A call for more unity in today’s Christian church
Recent conversations with some old friends about faith and Christianity prompted me to write this short devotional about disunity in the Church. I’m sure all of us who call ourselves Christians are aware of how the Church has diverged into a seemingly infinite number of denominations, with even members of individual churches disagreeing on how we should pray, serve, worship, and interpret God’s Word!
Some denominations follow a set ecclesiastical calendar and liturgy, others don’t. Some venerate the Virgin Mary and saints, others don’t. Some say “anyone is welcome” and tolerate — even celebrate — sin, while other denominations are more discerning of sin and call for confession and repentance. Some want that confession to be made to a priest, others to repeat a public general confession of sin, others leave it to each person to confess their own sin directly to God. Churches use different translations of the Bible, all of which vary in their interpretation of each and every word of Scripture. In some churches, worshipers can feel at home wearing anything; in others, wearing more conservative “Sunday clothes” is encouraged.
Why am I bringing this up? Hopefully, we are all in agreement on the core beliefs that make up Christianity:
God is an omnipotent and omnipresent who has always existed outside of the human understanding of time. He exists as the Trinity, both three persons and one simultaneously as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is perfect in His character, loving, just, and holy.
God created everything — the universe, the earth, life on the earth and perhaps elsewhere in His creation. Man was created as different from all other living things in the image of God, with a spirit, a will, and with dominion over the earth.
The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God and brought sin and death into the world. Since the Fall, humanity is separated from God as people will always choose sin. God, being holy and perfect, judges humanity for its sin.
God still loves His creation, so He instituted the law to make humanity aware of its sin and the need for repentance and forgiveness. Mankind always failed, so God the Son came to earth and lived as a man. Jesus lived a sinless life and performed a number of miracles to demonstrate His divine nature, but the religious leaders of the time hated Him and worked with the political leaders to execute Him on the Cross. At that moment, God poured out His wrath on His Son, and Jesus died. This paid the price for sin for those who would repent and accept Jesus as their Savior.
Jesus rose from the grave, returned to Heaven, and will return again.
If we can all agree on these core beliefs, then why are we so different in our expression of this common faith? When I was a non-believer, this constant bickering between different denominations seemed to me to be proof of the absurdity of Christianity. It still upsets me, although now I realize that it is just our human failings at work. God is eternal and unchanging, and His love for us will never fail.
As believers, Christians need to show a more united face to the world. There are more than 2.4 billion people alive today who profess to be Christians; perhaps that number would be more if we could agree more on exactly what it means to be Christian. The variations in how we express Christian faith are nothing new — even the early Church saw disagreement and disunity, as seen throughout the New Testament.
I conclude today’s devotional with a selection of verses from the New Testament about the mission of God’s church here on earth:
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:15-16)
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. (Romans 16:17)
For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Lord, the Church has lost its way as it is seeking strategies to build denomination bridges and interfaith uniformity, at the expense of growing in true godly unity, and developing a Oneness in the Body of Christ, which reflects the unity between God Father and His beloved Son, the precious oneness You so desired in the Church, which is His body.
Forgive us Lord, for the lack of Christian unity and the lack of love we have towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. Forgive us that the visible church seems to have lost its witness to Christ and has compromised the truth of the gospel of grace for a social agenda to make the world into a kingdom of peace, without the Price of Peace at the helm.
Build up Your people O God, into a sanctified body, a fellowship of believers, a people set apart from the world to serve You in newness of life and living in gracious union one with the other. May we learn to pursue after all that leads to godliness and shed abroad in our hearts a the nature and character of love that only comes from You, so that we may become channels through whom the love of Christ flows to others in need.
Teach us to love each other as You loved us, and help us to grow in grace and in a godly unity, as directed by the Holy Spirit, unto our lives end. In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen.