Unity Is No Joke
March 17, 2021·Brian Majors
Romans 14:16-19
16Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.
17For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,
18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
You don’t need a magnifying glass or telescope to see the clear lines of disunity in the Church. It’s evident that, in this season, we have collectively allowed race, politics, and cultural differences to divide us.
And it might seem ridiculous that the Apostle Paul addressed in this letter to a group of people, a church made up of many different cultural backgrounds, that FOOD shouldn’t get in the way of their unity in Christ. Disagreements over food must have caused such a divide that Paul decided to address it head on. It wasn’t a light matter, unity within the Church never is a “light matter.”
It’s very clear that…
- It’s not because we eat the same food that we are unified (v. 17).
- It’s not having the same political views that unify us.
- It’s not ethnicity that solely unifies us.
- It’s Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that truly unifies.
Paul writes in Galatians 3:28 (NIV)…
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Even if you know this to be true, it’s obvious we don’t act as if it’s true. The Church is arguably just as divided as some people feel this nation is.
It’s also clear, that…
- We all have difference of opinions.
- We all have different views on politics, government, culture, etc.
- We all see the world through different lenses (shaped by our life experiences).
- If we allow our fleshly differences to bring disunity in the Spirit,
- If we allow our lenses to become foggy, to where we don’t see someone as our sister or brother, instead they are the opposition,
- If we stop lending an open ear to listen to each other, then…
We are NOT making every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification (v. 19); then, we are NOT pleasing God (v. 18) and our focus is NOTon the Kingdom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (v. 17); then, we must be aiding Satan in his attempts to tear Jesus’ Church apart, without any realization!
I know that’s a strong statement… but we also make a strong statement when the world sees Jesus’ Church:
- Building up, not tearing down.
- Disagreeing, but still sharing meals with each other.
- Listening more than we speak (Book of James).
- Acting out of love, not fear.
- Forgiving and not holding grudges.
My people! With much prayer, let’s make a conscious effort to be:
- People of righteousness.
- People of peace.
- People with joy IN the Holy Spirit.
If we were all sitting in church right now, I would ask you to look at your neighbor and say this…
“If God is our Father, that makes us family… how could you love God and not love me?”
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ who unites us all.
Pastor Brian Majors
