Ever since Cain Killed Abel there has been division in the world. The classic division is between good and evil, light and dark, righteousness and wickedness. This type of division exists everywhere and cannot be avoided. Through the millennia, people have learned to divide themselves many additional ways. Language, ethnicity, geography, skin color, national origin, income level, education level and anything else people can think of to label and divide ourselves.
In Galatians 3:28, Paul explains that in Christ, there are no divisions. There are no divisions because everyone is saved the same way, to the same level. We all have the desperate need for Christ. No one brings anything to the cross to aid or improve the work of Christ. We all start at the very bottom and Christ lifts us up. So in Christ we are all the same. Paul explains that ethnicity difference, economic differences, even gender differences make no difference in Christ. The body of Christ is not divided.
Yet, with the insane political divisions that are occurring today, where everything is political, we need to be careful to not let our social and political divisions come into and divide the church. I may be a republican or a democrat or a Green Party person at the voting booth, but in the church, I am a child of God.
I understand that there will always be disagreements in church. That is just fallen, sinful, human nature. Until we are glorified, there will be disagreements in the body of Christ. We need to learn how to appreciate these disagreements, work though them and glorify God in our disagreements. We need to understand that even though we have different ideas about things, those differences are meaningless in the body of Christ. Therefore we understand the different opinions and ideas, we discuss them and we come to an consensus which glorifies God. We may not agree on everything, but we don't have to be disagreeable either. People need not leave the church or get upset or even claim great hurt and distress. This is because all these differences are insignificant compared to the glorious work on the cross to bring us together.
When I claim my opinions are superior and everyone one else’s is inferior, I am putting myself above the unifying work of the cross. That is pride and that is a sin. Philippians 2:3 tells us that in all humility we need to value others, and their opinions, as more valuable than ourselves. That is a tall order and tough for people who do not get along. Yet we all have the same Spirit, the same Lord and are saved by the same blood. Lets all learn to get along, and lift up Christ and not ourselves.
In Galatians 3:28, Paul explains that in Christ, there are no divisions. There are no divisions because everyone is saved the same way, to the same level. We all have the desperate need for Christ. No one brings anything to the cross to aid or improve the work of Christ. We all start at the very bottom and Christ lifts us up. So in Christ we are all the same. Paul explains that ethnicity difference, economic differences, even gender differences make no difference in Christ. The body of Christ is not divided.
Yet, with the insane political divisions that are occurring today, where everything is political, we need to be careful to not let our social and political divisions come into and divide the church. I may be a republican or a democrat or a Green Party person at the voting booth, but in the church, I am a child of God. I understand that there will always be disagreements in church. That is just fallen, sinful, human nature. Until we are glorified, there will be disagreements in the body of Christ. We need to learn how to appreciate these disagreements, work though them and glorify God in our disagreements. We need to understand that even though we have different ideas about things, those differences are meaningless in the body of Christ. Therefore we understand the different opinions and ideas, we discuss them and we come to an consensus which glorifies God. We may not agree on everything, but we don't have to be disagreeable either. People need not leave the church or get upset or even claim great hurt and distress. This is because all these differences are insignificant compared to the glorious work on the cross to bring us together.
When I claim my opinions are superior and everyone one else’s is inferior, I am putting myself above the unifying work of the cross. That is pride and that is a sin. Philippians 2:3 tells us that in all humility we need to value others, and their opinions, as more valuable than ourselves. That is a tall order and tough for people who do not get along. Yet we all have the same Spirit, the same Lord and are saved by the same blood. Lets all learn to get along, and lift up Christ and not ourselves.
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