Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Unity in Jesus Christ is the bond that all those who are born again have with Jesus and one another. It is a work of God’s grace in the hearts of all who have been regenerated by The Spirit of God. You are either born again and in Christ, or not born again and lost. Every born again individual is a part of the body of Christ. Each person is a single part of many members. We are fearfully and wonderfully brought together as Christ’s bride, and called to glorify Him and serve one another in love. This is the very command of God (John 13:34, 15:12,17). Within this one body there are distinctions and differences of administrations, operations, and purposes. Within this one body there are non-salvation issues where we may be on “opposite sides” of opinions, interpretations, or even convictions. In love, we choose to agree to disagree, because we all see these kinds of things through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). A person or church who claims to know it all knows nothing at all. But one thing that we can see clearly and know for sure is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that He rose again from the dead on the third day for our justification (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 4:25). That is a non-negotiable, binding truth that links us to Him and one another.
Does this unity mean that there are no sins to repent of, issues to deal with, or religious frauds that need to be exposed? Absolutely not! This side of heaven, no Christian and no church is sinless or perfect (1 John 1:8). Even the apostle Paul was found at odds with Barnabas and the apostle Peter over issues of ministry and compromise. The church at Corinth was filled with doctrines and behavior that needed to be reproved. Five of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were commanded to repent by Jesus. Warnings were given to individuals whose behavior and unholy speech contradicted their alleged conversion. Every local congregation is a gathering of individuals who are a work of God in progress. But to be divisive or call a brother or sister “Raca” is serious stuff in the eyes of God (Matthew 5:22b). The ”glue” that binds us together as one, warts and all, flaws and all, differences and all, is the love of Christ for us and that love of Christ for one another. Selah
