We live in a divided society. Even in the Church we let all sorts of issues divide us with strong opinions pitting us against each other. We may follow certain personalities, putting one above the other. Perhaps we engage in certain inconsiderate practices that favor one group of people over another. Our programming can also separate us rather than bring us together. Brothers and sisters this ought not to be. Read through Ephesians 2 and discover God’s intent for unity, not disunity in the Church.
When God established the Church, He broke down walls, making unity possible. Why do we rebuild those walls?
Remember that we all are on the same plane and with the same ultimate purpose:
We all came from the same place pre-Christ.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Eph. 2:1-3)
We all came into Christ by grace. None of us deserved our salvation.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph. 2:4-9)
Having all been saved by grace, not of ourselves, we now live for Him, not to advance our own cause.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
On this foundation, God built His Church. bringing together two very different groups of people, the Jews and the Gentiles, who were hostile toward each other. He “made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility … in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Eph. 2:11-16).
Being on the same plane leaves no room for superiority of one over the other. We are equal in Him, each receiving the same message of peace made possible because of His grace. “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Eph. 2:17-18)
Walls stay down when Jesus remains the centerpiece, keeping disunity at bay. Why do we make it about ourselves?
We all have the same access (Eph. 2:18) to the throne of grace where we “may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16). “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Eph. 2:19). — When we rebuild those walls, it’s like we’re disregarding the fact that we’re God’s people. As God’s people, we align with Him. It’s not about our preferences or politics.
Here’s the key: The Church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” (Eph. 2:20-21). — When we let our differences, and any other cause, divide us, it’s like we’re saying that Jesus isn’t enough to hold us together.
We don’t have to rely on ourselves to stay united. Why don’t we depend on God’s power source?
When we keep the focus on how it’s “in him the whole building is joined together”, we rise above and “become a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:21). The good news is that God doesn’t expect us to muster up the will power and self-effort to stay united. Rather, “in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). When we walk by the Spirit, we will “serve one another humbly in love” rather than “gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:13-16).
When we make it about ourselves, we stifle and quench the Spirit who lives within us. Then we wonder why the Church at times looks no different than the world around us. Let’s be the Church God established us to be, built on the foundation of Jesus Christ with Him as the Chief Cornerstone, the Head of the Body.
Church leaders, do your part to steer the Body toward God’s power, the only means of staying united. Check out the Steering the Church Toward God’s Power Leadership Guide.