One of the things the book of Romans shows us is that if the Jews and Gentiles could be unified in the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, then anybody could. God had chosen the Jewish people, not based on their own merit, but because of his mercy. They were a set apart people and they had God-given rules to keep them holy (set apart). But they took God's gift of being his people and allowed sin to warp it into hatred for anyone who wasn't like them. They added even more rules and spit in the face of those Gentiles who did want to worship the one true God (Jesus getting crazy in the temple). They assumed that if God was going to reconcile the Gentiles to himself (which he promised over and over in the Old Testament) that he would make those Gentiles into Jews. What he did instead was something totally different.
God's plan was a new covenant. One in which Jews and Gentiles were on even ground at the foot of the cross. This was difficult for some of the Jews to understand, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, bitter enemies became brothers and sisters. That same Holy Spirit lives in all believers today, so why can't we get along with our neighbor whom we have way more in common with than the Jewish and Gentile peoples? Why do we find ourselves so divided when all Believers are part of the family of God?
A couple of phrases that I liked from the BSF notes for Romans 15:1-13 are these: "Christian unity does not happen automatically" and "the diversity of the Church is not accidental." I think these two statements represent two big misconceptions about unity within the church.
Intentional Unity
Unity in the church doesn't just happen. If the church weren't made up of a bunch of sinners then it would. But it IS made up of a bunch of sinners. Unity takes effort. Romans 12:16 says, "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight." These statements require effort on our part. Earlier in the chapter is one of the places in Scripture that it talks about parts of ONE body. But unity is not something we do on our own either. Romans 15:5 says, " May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus." God is the one who enables unity. And it's not just for our good either. It goes on to say in verse 6, "that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our unity is for His glory!
The book of Romans is full of practical ways to move towards unity. One is to "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:10) Truly loving one another leads to unity. All of Chapter 14 is about not judging other believers on disputable issues. Allowing for everyone to be in a different place in their journey with Jesus is critical in building unity. And Chapter 14 goes on to discuss giving up Christian liberties for the benefit of others. Unity requires action to achieve and to maintain.
Purposeful Diversity
The flip side to unity within the church is the diversity of its members. None of the verses mentioned above say to build unity by striving for uniformity. In fact, some of the verses (especially the ones on the body in Chapter 12) speak to the fact that diversity is necessary within the church. If we were all the same, then we wouldn't be as effective in reaching others for Christ. We shouldn't expect the members of the Church to all look, act, or think the same. God has a purpose for differences within the church and we should seek out a church that models that.
How do we get diversity in the church? Make sure others feel welcome to be there and to be themselves. Find ways for people to use their giftings within the church and celebrate what God is doing in and through them. Make it a priority. But remember, the goal is to glorify God. So we aren't to strive for unity at all costs. Especially if that cost is sin.
I could pull from many other verses to talk about unity and diversity within the church (and I have included just a sampling below). They are just as relevant today as they were in the first century church. So what are you doing to seek out unity and diversity within your church?
This very idea is one of the reasons I wanted to start a podcast. I wanted to hear from individuals who are unified under the cross but are being used by God in different ways. It is critical to have honest yet gracious conversations with people about topics that are important to us. If you're interested in hearing such conversations then stay tuned because it's coming very soon!
Other verses about unity:
John 17:20-23
1 Corinthians 1:10
Ephesians 4:3-13
1 Peter 3:8
...and many more
**All verses quoted are from the English Standard Version (ESV)
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