Did you play a sport in high school? A team sport? What unites a team sport? It may be the desire to learn a sport or to improve in a sport, to learn specific skills. Ultimately, what unites a team is the shared goal of winning. You share a purpose.
In Christianity, we share a purpose. Our common goal is to get to heaven. In Christianity, we follow the Coach – Jesus Christ. Our unity begins, first of all, with Him. In Romans 6:4-5, Paul writes that all unity flows from the top down: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Spiritual unity flow from the top down. I can have unity with you only if you have unity with Christ. If we both are not united with Christ, we cannot have unity with each other. It cannot happen. We are on different teams. A player on the Wildcats team is not united with a Hoosier. They are on different teams with different – even opposing – goals. Christians can only be united with those who are united with Christ, who are on the same team.
If a coach were to walk in to a locker room and see that his/her team is disjointed, arguing, at one another’s throat, it’s likely that the coach will sit down and say, “Let’s remind ourselves why we’re here. Let’s get back to the basics.” Unity on the team revolves around those basics, those shared goals.
In 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul chastises the Christians in Corinth for their denominationalism. He says, “Let’s get back to the basics.” In Ephesians 4:4-6, he gives the seven “ones” – the seven basics. These are the framework within which we can, should, and must have unity. Those are our core principles. You can’t have Christian unity indifferent to those seven.
So, we are united with Christ when we are baptized into Him. All spiritual unity flows from the top down. But, sometimes you find yourself on a team with someone you don’t really like. But that animosity can’t exist on the team. If it does, you’ll lose. You might get kicked off the team.
In Christianity, God brings together into one body, people of all different backgrounds. Some grow up in Christianity. Some come to the truth from various religious backgrounds. Some are educated; some are not. Some have money and influence. Others do not. How can we maintain horizontal unity in keeping with our horizontal unity?
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2 Timothy 2:24-26: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
HOW TO HAVE UNITY
Be committed to Jesus Christ and His word – ultimately the golden rule – Matthew 7:12.
Give preference to the other person. Romans 12:10.
Be patient. Acts 24:4. Others don’t have the knowledge you have.
Don’t be argumentative. 2 Timothy 2:24. Don’t try to win arguments; we want to win souls.
Be gentle. Watch what you say and how you say it. Ephesians 4:32.
Recognize that others – even non-Christians – can give you new insight into the Word of God. Seek to understand first, then to be understood.
Go the extra mile to be kind. Philippians 4:14.
–Paul Holland
