One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
May we realize how our diverse roles make the body complete and balanced, and may the unity we share in Christ resonate within us far more profoundly than what separates us.
One of the gifts of God I usually partake of is always the gifts of men. Every single place I go to, I always enjoy the gift of good people. I always meet good people and I'll never get tired of that grace from God.
So over here in my school, I'm part of a Christian friendship group made of 5 girls (I know they'll read this so shout-out to you guys!). Many of my colleagues already know how close we are and we've been jokingly tagged the church girls of our level 😂. You see, I can never go hungry here because I have my girls with me. I can neither be bored nor would I ever lack good counsel because I have my girls with me. They're good people (though weird in their own sweet way😌). So today's writeup is inspired by them, I feel led to write a bit about our friendship.
The one thing that connects us all in this Christian friendship group is Jesus Christ. Apart from our shared faith, the only other thing we have in common is probably our physical height. We come from diverse backgrounds - different tribes, languages, and upbringings. Even the way we each perceive and connect with Jesus is unique.
Our expressions of worship vary, and we don't always see eye-to-eye on theological matters. In fact, we often find ourselves in lively debates, where an outsider might not believe we're actually good friends. However, through the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we've never let those disagreements undermine the unity we share.
Despite our differences, you'll find us going on evangelism outings together, praying together, setting up discipleship groups for our other friends, and strategizing ways to further the kingdom of God - the very thing that has bonded us together. From the relationships I share with my friends, I've been able to better understand what it means to be united by the bond we have in Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:14-17 teaches that through faith, Christians are adopted as God's children and heirs with Christ, conferring a sense of family unity. Understanding this concept of spiritual adoption helps me contextualize the differences that exist within the body of Christ. Imagine 17 children from different countries being adopted by one father and having to live together under a new family name. It would understandably be a bit chaotic at times.
So my concern is not exactly with the differences we share as believers, but rather the way we sometimes handle those differences. In my experience within the body of Christ, I've seen the differences sometimes resonate louder than the bond we share in Jesus. This burdens me greatly and makes me wonder whether the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace can truly be maintained, as Ephesians 4:3 instructs.
I've encountered situations where a particular brother or sister's expression of their faith in Jesus Christ differs from how others in the group express it. And because of those differences, the person with the unique expression is sometimes seen as "different" by the others.
In Romans 14, Paul addresses divisions that had arisen in the church over disputable matters. Some believers felt they could eat anything, while others only felt comfortable eating vegetables. Some observed certain holy days, while others did not. Rather than condemning these differences, Paul urged the church to accept one another, for "God has welcomed [them]" (Romans 14:3). He encouraged them to focus on the core unity they shared in Christ, rather than forcing uniformity on peripheral issues.
Paul recognized that believers may have genuine but differing convictions about how to live out their faith. The key was to avoid passing judgment and maintain the bond of peace, recognizing that "each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).
This right here is what I'll love to emphasize on.
What if we all lived according to the guidelines given, and did not allow these small issues to separate us? It has been a huge burden for me these past few weeks, and I truly long for the day that Jesus prayed for in John 17:20-21: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."
I dream of that day when what unites us - our faith in Jesus Christ - would be stronger than every difference in theology or style of worship. When, because of our hunger to see Jesus revealed to every person, we would be willing to drop every denominational loyalty or allegiance and come together as one to seek God.
I envision a time when the eyes of the body would recognize the hand as useful, and the feet would not be paralyzed because a motor neuron is no longer effective. When the neck would realize it is wired differently from the thigh, and contentions would not rise due to these apparent differences. By God's mercy, may the edification of the church take precedence over every personal opinion. Through His wisdom, may we manage and correct every error discovered without letting it shatter the unity.
May we realize how our diverse roles make the body complete and balanced, and may the unity we share in Christ resonate within us far more profoundly than what separates us.
That's all for this week. See you next Monday! Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share.
Good one ma'am