Christian unity among believers is vitally important to Jesus. He prayed for his followers to be one, just as he and the Father are one (John 17:20-23). It pleases the Father when there is unity among his children (Ps. 133:1-3). It is the primary means by which observers will be convinced the Father has sent Jesus and that God’s love is real (John 17:21, 23). It is important to God that individuals, churches, and denominations reflect this unity.
As a concept, I am sure every Christian desires unity. However, practically, it is surprisingly hard to achieve. Ever since the Fall, by default human beings have a natural tendency to separate and divide from one another (Gen. 3:12). Disunity grows out of differences in ethnic, religious, or denominational backgrounds. It can come from variations in doctrinal emphasis, ministry philosophy, and leadership style. There are so many reasons Christians separate from one another.
When differences surface between believers, it is easy to retreat into our comfortable theological or denominational silos. Worse, we can begin to suspect the sincerity of other groups because they are not like us and even start to vilify them.
I believe that division between Christians hurts the heart of Jesus. Large sections of Scripture primarily address disunity in the church. Romans and Ephesians are whole letters devoted to uniting divided Christians. Settling for disunity and division among God’s people is not an option. Despite the many challenges, we must continually strive for greater unity with fellow believers. How do we do this?
Remember the Basis for Christian Unity
In my experience, it is easy to lose focus on the basis of unity. On one hand, we can be so committed to doctrinal distinctions (which is a good thing) that we lose sight of our common faith and experience as followers of Christ (which is where we go wrong).
On the other hand, the push for unity among some Christians is so great that even a friendly and open-minded discussion of theology is carefully avoided or even seen as taboo. Depending on the company we keep, the social pressure to move toward one or the other of these sides is real and formidable. It disorients us from thinking clearly about this important matter.
So, what is the basis for Christian unity? The answer might sound obvious and simplistic, but it must be stated nonetheless. The basis of our unity as Christians is the gospel. Nothing more and nothing less.
The Gospel Unites All of Us in Christ
The gospel is the good news of the salvation Jesus gained for us through his life, death, and resurrection. Everyone who has received the gospel by faith has experienced the forgiveness of sins and has been brought from death to life (Eph. 1:7, 2:4-5). Through the gospel every believer has become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). God has replaced our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26). Through the gospel every follower of Jesus has received the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). We have become children of the living God (John 1:12).
The basis of our unity as Christians is the gospel
This common experience of the gospel has already united believers in Christ in the most profound way possible. We are one, even as the Father and the Son are one (John 17:22).
Our common unity and experience in Christ is far more important than our denominations, doctrinal distinctions, ethnic backgrounds, style of church, or anything else that may attempt to separate us as Christians.
Of course, not every church or preacher who claims to be ‘Christian’ preaches the simple gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is clearly laid out in the Scriptures. Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to discern whether a particular church or pastor proclaims the true gospel or not. But it is critical to remember that our point of unity as Christians is a common experience of the gospel itself, not anything else (Phil. 2:1-4, 5-11).
Making Christian Unity Visible
As believers who are united to one another through the gospel, we should now make every effort to experience this unity practically and visibly. Here are some ideas for how we can do this.
Pursue Friendship with Pastors and Believers from Other Churches
Take every opportunity to meet believers from other churches. This can happen throughout citywide Christian events, attending the programmes of other churches, or just as you interact generally with the Christian community in your area.
Participate in Your Local Pastors’s Fellowship or Citywide Gospel Movements
Many cities in India have groups for pastors or citywide networks for Christian leaders. Sometimes there may be opportunities for lay people to participate in such movements too. Pastors and believers should be encouraged to actively take part in these fellowships.
Appreciate the Strengths of Other Churches
No church is perfect and no two churches are the same. We should expect that there will be differences between churches in doctrinal emphases, demographic make-up, ministry philosophies, and leadership styles. God uses different kinds of churches to reach different kinds of people, even with all our weaknesses and deficiencies.
No church is perfect and no two churches are the same
This does not mean we must host common programmes with other churches. Nor does it mean we ought to compromise our convictions in any way. But it does mean we need to be very careful to speak well, not ill, of other gospel-preaching churches in our cities. Instead, we should rejoice in the strengths of other churches, even if they do not do things quite the same way as we do in ours.
Pray for Other Churches
A wonderful way to promote Christian unity is to pray for other churches in your city by name. You can do this in a prayer meeting or during a Sunday service. Pray for the church’s leaders to receive blessings, for God to strengthen believers, and to add new people to their number.
Help Other Churches in Any Way Possible
Be eager to help other churches in any way possible. It can mean being available to offer counsel in challenging pastoral situations, allowing other churches to use your meeting space, aiding struggling churches financially, or helping a church that is facing opposition.
Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers. He gave his life to make that unity a reality. May we do everything in our power to experience and enjoy this unity among our churches.
