So, the song pleads in prayer to our One True God. It's a theme that's been visited throughout my Christian experience and must have been around since the first church split, over a thousand years ago. Based on my observations as a minister since 1991, unfortunately, most of those praying for Christian unity are truly asking, "Please make those other poor heretical fools agree with me, so we can fellowship together." This article will reveal, to the surprise of many, despite the silly factions and divisions, the Christian Church is, always has been and always will be...united.
Some of you are already asking how the Church can be united when you see over 100 Christian denominations in the phone book and none of them talk to one another. You're right! The first church split was over the use of communion wafers with leavening in them. Some, on whether Adam had a belly-button. Then, there's the predestination debate, the tongues debate, the adornment issue, the long hair issue...seems to be no end to the subjects professing Christians will make enemies over. I've been told, at various times, by well-meaning Christians, that I'm going to Hell and leading others there because I make it too easy for people to accept Jesus, because I use the NIV Bible and because I don't make water baptism a condition of salvation. If you agree with my critics, maybe now would be a good time to stop reading this article. Of course, then, you wouldn't know how I can look at all this stuff and say that Christianity is united.
The reason I can make that claim is because that's what the Bible says, at least, all reliable versions. It refers to the Church as the body (not bodies) of Christ. The Bible says we have one body and one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism...one God. It says we Christians have God within us, have the mind of Christ and participate in the Divine Nature. How can God be divided? Factions don't indicate disunity in Christ, instead, they provide opportunity for us to affirm our unity in Him, just as I'm doing, here. Because of the factions, our unity in Christ is made even more clear. In fact, the factions confirm the validity of God's Word.
In the Word, Jesus said there would be weeds mixed in with the wheat by the devil. He said many would turn away from the faith, betray and hate each other, that the love of most would grow cold. Paul wrote that there would be false prophets that would say whatever our itching ears wanted to hear. The Bible gives us a mission to go into the World to reach the lost, but tells us to avoid divisive Christians. So, when you see factions and divisions among professing Christians, don't follow the temptation to choose a side...choose Christ. When you see professing Christians who hate and judge the lost or refuse to fellowship with other Christians who are different...avoid them...and praise God! The Word is being fulfilled.
To be unified, we only need to seek Jesus Christ in our whole life and make love our aim. The Bible says whoever does not have love does not have Christ. We who are in Christ share a love that's beyond the boundaries of denomination or country or language. As Christ lived, we live to share that love with anyone who will believe. Our love is beyond time and space, because it's His love. His love cannot be divided...only multiplied.
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