Church Unity

Church unity has been on my mind a lot recently. Perhaps because my church is struggling in this area at the current moment. Therefore I have much more been driven to the Word to find the answer to Church unity problems. I have come to conclude that the basis for church unity is in fact Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul begins Romans 12 with the verses that have been made familiar by AWANA and Sunday Schools all over America "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." These verses begin Paul's transition from doctrinal instruction to doctrinal practice. In verses 4-6 we find that Paul brings out two truths that are inextricably rooted to the point that you cannot have one without the other: The individuality of the believer and the oneness of the body of Christ "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;" So how can the church be both individual and one? The answer is found with two important words in the middle of verse 5 "in Christ". Now the inhumanly possible task of uniting individuals can be fulfilled and can only be fulfilled by the power of the Gospel. That gospel is Jesus Christ! The individuality of the believer and the oneness of the church are rooted and sustained in the one and only Jesus Christ! Therefore the basis for church unity is Jesus Christ. The sustainer of church unity is Jesus Christ!