Ephesians 4:1-3 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Pastor Herk continues that it is important that the Christian church doesn‘t get sidetracked from its purpose. One of the major distractions for the church is in putting too much importance on “growth” in membership. The Christian church needs to be concerned about accomplishing our five purposes (Membership, Maturity, Missions, Ministry, and Magnification) and lives touched for Christ. If there is balance in these purposes, then God will see that the growth will naturally happen. All churches have not problem with fellowship within the church family members; that part is easy. The harder pieces are involvement in ministries outside the church, mission projects, teaching and small groups, encouraging to grow in the knowledge of God, the Word and Christ as mature Christians.
In this day and age, divisions within the church occur mainly due to personality differences more than theological differences. There is a selfish, “me first” focus at this time and that attitude needs to be set aside in order to meet the needs of others. In the past, doctrinal issues and heretical teachings were the main causes of divisional splits in denominations and individual churches, but today the scenario has changed to conflicting and protracted struggle and oppositional clash between interests and ideas of strong-willed individuals that are tearing the church apart. Power, popularity, passion, persuasion, and pomp politics take priority over piety and probity before Almighty God.
Splits find their roots in our fervor to make ourselves, our needs, our goals, our opinions, or our Theology the most important things in the church. This is the “Me, myself and I” factor of a self-centered, individualistic mindset that causes separation and create cliques. They are usually organized around power and popularity. Leaders of such groups often are charismatic and controlling. Members of the group rely on exclusivity and very strict internal codes to establish and maintain the idea that they are something special. They have no tolerance and feel that unless something represents their particular views or conforms to their positions and beliefs, then it is absolutely not acceptable. But, if the Word of God says it, that settles it. Obey the Lord. St. Augustine of Hippo stated: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
This is what the Apostle Paul was saying in Ephesians 4:1-3 about making every effort and being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is a danger to the faith when we do not have unity. He stress what God has done for us in salvation and providence, then focuses on our response in light of that fact and stressing the need for unity in the body as we apply these Christian life principles. Two principles here are (1) that our practice doesn’t determine our position, but our position does determine our practice. Being “born again” in Christ grants us conversion adoption into the family of God. We don’t do anything to earn that position of Child of God. It is strictly a function of our Heavenly Father’s actions. That position that the consecrated and sanctified Christian has plays has a great impact on the way that they attempt to live their life.
John 1:12-14 “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. It is a redemptive reality into the eternal kingdom of Heaven, yet there is pressure in a fallen world. Yet, we relish our position in Christ. John 3:16-18, 35-36 explains our eternal choice stating, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Because of the Fall of Man and God’s offer of Salvation, everyone is in the position of making a choice. It is not amazing that God doesn’t save everyone after the Fall’s rebellious doubt, inequity and unbelief. The amazing thing is that our Just and holy Creator gives everyone a choose for forgiveness and salvation, redemption and reconciliation, eternal life, adoption and citizenship in Heaven at all. We all voluntarily choose of reject or accept the free gift of salvation in the atoning and redemptive death of Jesus Christ on the Cross in our place for our sins and receiving eternal life. The Apostle John confirms this in 1 John 5:11-13 “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” That is the unified Gospel truth.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on Christian Unity in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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