Last week’s “Food for Thought” was a birds-eye view of what it means to be a Jesus-centered people.
A “church” should then be a gathering of Jesus-centered people from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, socio-economic levels, personality types, who have one thing in common...they have been called by God, have been redeemed and forgiven by Jesus, and are being transformed by the Holy Spirit. They are a gathering of Jesus-centered people who, in spite of their many differences, are centered on and unified because of their love for Jesus, and come together to worship, learn, grow, and serve.
But with any gathering of people with as many differences as are found in any typical “church,” there is bound to be conflict. How do we as Jesus-centered people remain unified as a people?
We can enjoy true unity when we remember first and foremost that what is of utmost importance is the gospel. Joshua Harris in his book, Stop Dating the Church said,
“True unity is by the Spirit of God through faith in the gospel. Any form of unity that forsakes the central truths of the gospel–the substitutionary atonement of Christ, His resurrection, and justification by grace alone through faith alone–is no unity at all. All those who hold and cherish these core truths–the kind of truths that Paul described as of “first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)–enjoy true unity. We’re one in Christ, even if we exist on opposite sides of the world and worship in different traditions.”
When we lose sight of what’s primary and focus on what is secondary we become unnecessarily conflicted. Hold firmly to the gospel, hold firmly to the authority of Scripture and the truth that it teaches us about who God is and what He has done on our behalf...contend for this. Strive for this. By all means die for this.
But there are things that we strive for, things that we fight for that are not primary. In these we need to learn to walk in humility, walk in love for each other, and submitting to one another. Here are 6 guidelines for learning to walk with one another in our differences (from John Piper):
1. Let’s avoid gossiping. The New Testament warns against gossiping. The Greek word translated “gossip” means whisper or whisperer. In other words, the focus is not on the falsehood of the word but on the fact that it needs to be surreptitious. It is not open and candid and forthright. It has darkness about it. It does not operate in the light of love. It is not aiming at healing. It strokes the ego’s desire to be seen as right without playing by the rules of love. For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find…that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12:20)
2. Let’s identify evidences of grace in each other and speak them to each other and about each other. The church in Corinth was deeply flawed. But Paul found reason to thank God for them because of “the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4). The most flawed pastor on this staff—and we are all flawed—is a work of grace. It honors Christ, and keeps criticism in perspective, to see it and say it often.
3. Let’s speak criticism directly to each other if we feel the need to speak to others about it. The point is not that we will always agree on everything, especially the practical application of shared principles. Paul’s word in Romans 12:18 is, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” It may not be possible, but we should try.
4. Let’s look for, and assume, the best motive in the other’s viewpoint, especially when we disagree. When Paul deals with disagreement in Romans 14, one of the things he appeals to is that those with opposite practical convictions have identical heart-motives. “The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Romans 14:6). Christ-honoring passions, Paul says, can unite us in spite of differences of application.
5. Think often of the magnificent things we hold in common. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” (Psalm 40:16) To mention a few things we hold in common: Sovereignty of God, the supremacy of his glory in all things, the majesty and meekness of Christ, the all-sufficiency of his saving work, the precious and very great promises summed up in Romans 8:28 and 8:32, the value and sweetness of the Bible, the power and patience of the Holy Spirit in transforming us, the hope of glory, a profound biblical vision of manhood and womanhood, a common global mission to see the nations know Christ…
6. Let’s be more amazed that we are forgiven than that we are right. And in that way, let’s shape our relationships by the gospel. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you…. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Ephesians 4:32-5:2) “The one who is forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47). In other words, think more of your own sins and how amazing it is that God saved you than you do about the other person’s flaws.
When we remember to keep the main thing the main thing (the gospel), and we keep our hearts and minds focused on this we can learn, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit in each one of us, to walk in unity.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture comes from 1 Peter 2:9-11 ~ “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” May we never forget that we are a chosen, holy people who belong to God for a purpose...to declare the praises of HIM who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. May this be what unifies us!
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