Unity is something that’s hard to come by in the church. There will be opposition, but we cannot allow anything to discourage us from giving everything we have to the pursuit of a unified, restored Bride.
Those who are believers will hear the call and be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (v. We have done a poor job at this, but it can all change. The reason that God gifts the Church with leaders is so they can equip God’s people in a way that leads to “unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13). This is what desperately needs to change. If unity is so important to the heart of God, why is the Church one of the most divided groups on earth? While many believe doctrine is at the root of the problem, Francis argues that the real problem is the shallowness or non-existence of our love for each other-rooted in a shallowness in our understanding of the gospel. It is absolutely clear from Scripture that God passionately desires supernatural unity within His Church. Unity is what Jesus prays for, what He commands, and what He says will be our greatest witness to the world. We have to hate sin, love truth, and pursue unity for the church. This is messy, but no matter what, Christians must give everything they have to the pursuit of a unified, restored Bride.New York Times-bestselling author Francis Chan calls for believers and churches everywhere to align our hearts with God and start taking seriously His numerous commands to unify.
Believers have done a poor job at this, but we can hear the call and be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).Īlthough the Bible commands unity, some will resist these unifying efforts. He has provided the solution to the church through gifting of leaders to equip his people in a way that leads to “unity of the faith” - but not at the expense of truth or holiness. God hates this division between his children - and our indifference to it. Instead, we allow jealousy and selfish ambition to prevail. Do we truly understand the gospel? Do we believe in the miracle of the Holy Spirit in us? As believers, Christians are supposed to yield the fruit of supernatural love for one another. In his new book Until Unity, New York Times best-selling author Francis Chan tells listeners that the real problem is shallow or even nonexistent love for each other.
Doctrine is necessary, but it is not the solution. Many seek reassurance or perceived unity by creating doctrinal statements, but that misses the point. The church becomes more divided each day.
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