Doing the work of division
As I mentioned in a previous post (“Unity: The Series“), this week I’m writing a series on the topic of unity among the body of Christ. I suggested that we are united in Christ, but we are not generally living in that unity (“We ARE united, but we are NOT united“). Yesterday, I wrote that humility is the work of unity (“Doing the work of unity“). Now, remember, I am talking about unity among those who are in Christ, who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, who are followers of Jesus Christ, who are children of God. This is the beginning point of my series. Throughout the series, you can assume that these are the people that I am talking about.
So, if humility is the work of unity, then what is the work of division? In other words, what results in failure to maintain the unity of the Spirit (as Paul exhorted his readers in Ephesians 4:2)?
Well, before I jump into that question – with what will be an obvious answer – I want to point out how important this issue is to the body of Christ. Yes, there are many, many examples in Scripture of exhortations toward unity. And, there are many exhortations against divisiveness and divisive people. Here is one example:
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (Titus 3:10-11 ESV)
In the verse before that warning, Paul even gives some examples of these people who “stir up division”:
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. (Titus 3:9 ESV)
What makes these issues foolish and divisive? Because the people involved are putting themselves, their interests, their understandings above the health, benefit, and edification of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Today, few people argue and divide about genealogies. But what about certain types of teachings (baptism, spiritual gifts, gender roles, the church, leadership, end times) or experiences (speaking in tongues, baptism again, etc.)? If we separate from brothers and sisters in Christ over arguments related to these and other issues, then we are not living in the humility, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Instead, we are doing the work of division.
Often, the divisions are subtle and accepted (even praised), such as dividing over meeting locations, leaders, denominations, or organizational issues. If two believers live side by side and yet never relate with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ because they belong to different “local churches,” then one or more of them are doing the work of division.
If we look at the way followers of Jesus Christ live today, it is clear that we are generally more involved in the work of division than in the work of unity. So, how do we move toward the work of unity and leave the work of division behind?
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Series on Unity
Replay: Red, White, and Blue… and Jesus, too
Last year, I wrote a post called “Red, White, and Blue… and Jesus, too.” I love living in the United States of America, but, to be honest, I get tired of some of the spiritual language that is attached to this country. This is not “God’s country.” We are not the new Israel. I think this kind of uber-patriotism is damaging to the body of Christ. The political freedoms that we have as citizens of the USA are secondary (at least) to the freedoms that we have in Christ.
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Red, White, and Blue… and Jesus, too
Yeah, I know… everybody and their sister (in the USA) is writing a post about Independence Day. Not the movie… the patriotic holiday. The day that the USA celebrates it’s rebellion from… I mean, independence from England.
No, I’m not anti-American. Not at all. I’m very grateful to God that I was born in the country in which I have many personal freedoms. But, I’m also tired of the church in the USA confusing patriotism with following Jesus.
I haven’t traveled out of the USA much. But, I’ve traveled (and read) enough to know that God blesses many people in many different countries. Yes, sometimes the people in those countries have less personal freedoms, but, for the church, that’s not always a bad thing.
I’ve talked to too many Christians in the USA who were more concerned with the individual rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed by God in the Bible, right?), and much less concerned with giving up their rights (much less their life) for the sake of others. To be completely honest… I have been numbered among those as well.
But, spending time with believers in Nicaragua and Ethiopia has opened my eyes to a new set of rights that God truly bestows on all his children. No, I’m not talking about the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I’m talking about death, service, and pursuit of others to show them the love of God.
Yes, many people died to guarantee certain political, social, cultural, and even religious freedoms. Like I said, I’m grateful for those freedoms, and I pray that I take advantage of them in the service of my God.
However, those freedoms cannot (and must not) stand between me and showing the love of God to others through word and through deed. And I mean that the existence OR lack of those freedoms must never stand between me and showing the love of God to others through word and through deed.
Citizens of the United States of America definitely have more individual freedom than citizens of other countries of the world. However, these freedoms are not based on our relationship with God. Those freedoms are granted to Christian citizens and to nonChristian citizens. Yes, Christians died defending those freedoms, but so did nonChristians.
So, while I am truly grateful for the freedoms that I have as a citizen of the United States of America, I refuse to recognize myself and other citizens as honored higher by God simply because of our citizenship.
Similarly, I refuse to speak or to write about God’s view of America and Americans in a way that I could not also speak of Nicaragua, Ethiopia, China, Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other country in the world.
The United States of America is not God’s country. Citizens of the United States who have received the good news of Jesus Christ and have been indwelled by the Spirit of God are God’s people. But, citizens of other countries who have received the good news of Jesus Christ and have been indwelled by the Spirit of God are God’s people also.
Doing the work of unity
As I mentioned in a previous post (“Unity: The Series“), this week I’m writing a series on the topic of unity among the body of Christ. Yesterday, I suggested that we are united in Christ, but we are not generally living in that unity (“We ARE united, but we are NOT united“). Now, remember, I am talking about unity among those who are in Christ, who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, who are followers of Jesus Christ, who are children of God. This is the beginning point of my series. Throughout the series, you can assume that these are the people that I am talking about.
In that last post, I said that the reason we are not living in the unity that we actually have in Jesus Christ is that we fail to do the work of unity. I pointed to the following passage penned by Paul to the church in Ephesus:
I [Paul] therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body… (Ephesians 4:1-3a ESV)
In that passage, Paul says that “walking in a manner worthy of our calling” in Jesus Christ is reflected in the way that we interact with people who disagree with us, that is, by responding to them in humility, gentleness, patience, love, being eager (or making every effort) to maintain the unity that we already have in the Spirit.
There is a similar passage in another letter that Paul wrote, this one to the believes in Phillipi. There is a focus on unity and fellowship throughout that letter, but especially at the beginning of chapter 2:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV)
Again, the work of unity is found in seeking love instead of seeking to fulfill one’s own desires. It’s found in considering others more important and looking out for their interests. Or, in a word that we find in both passages, the work of unity is found in humility.
Notice that Paul says this work of unity flows out of our encouragement in Christ, our fellowship in the Spirit, and our love for one another. This is not something that we attempt to drum up on our own. We can’t. But, since we are in Christ, everything needed to carry out this work of unity is already present.
Finally, just after this passage, in Philippians 2:5-11, Paul again points his readers back to Christ as the ultimate example in this kind of humility – an example of putting others first, of refusing to hold on to what was rightfully his so that we could serve others.
So, humility is the work of unity. Then, what is the work of divisiveness?
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Series on Unity
Watch out for those unpatriotic (supposed) Christians!
I’m really worried about Jon from “Jon’s Journey.” His post “Unpatriotic Blasphemers and Traitors” crosses a very important line.
Everyone knows that being a Christian goes hand-in-hand with being a flag waving citizen of these here United States of America!
If someone doesn’t love the Stars and Stripes forever, then maybe that person doesn’t love God.
Sure, Jon includes some quotes from early Christians, but there wasn’t an America then, was there Jon? So, those quotes are completely useless today.
Yep. Be an American tried and true, or you’re not a good Christian.
Oh… wait… Jon is talking about Canada. That’s different. Nevermind.
(In other words, read Jon’s post.)
We ARE united, but we are NOT united
As I mentioned in my introduction post yesterday (“Unity: The Series“), this week I’m writing a series on the topic of unity among the body of Christ. Now, remember, I am talking about unity among those who are in Christ, who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, who are followers of Jesus Christ, who are children of God. This is the beginning point of my series. Throughout the series, you can assume that these are the people that I am talking about.
(Note: Do not misunderstand my statement above. I am not under the misconception that everyone who claims Christ is actually in Christ. However, from reading Scripture, I think we begin by assuming that anyone who claims Christ is actually in Christ, and it is only in very extreme situations that we come to the conclusion that someone who claims to be in Christ is not actually in Christ. This is a point that requires even more in depth study, but it is not the point of this series.)
To begin with, we ARE united. There is only one body of Christ. We cannot choose who is in Christ and who is not in Christ – we do not have that authority. If someone is in Christ, then we ARE united with that person and in the Holy Spirit we DO have fellowship with that person. Period.
It would be easy to quote passage after passage of Scripture to prove this point. But, it’s really not necessary. Just pick a book of the New Testament and begin reading. Soon, you will come to a statement about our unity in Jesus Christ.
I believe that this must be our starting point when we think about unity. We ARE united.
But, when it comes to how we live our lives day in and day out, in general the body of Christ is not living as if we are united. In other words, we are not living in the reality of our unity and fellowship that we already have in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are living a lie.
And, for the most part, we have accepted the lie as normal and healthy. Even when Christians today work toward unity, they tend to work to unify certain subsections of the body of Christ. While these efforts may bring that particular subsection together, the efforts also often further separate that subsection from other parts of the body of Christ. Thus, often efforts that are intended to maintain unity actual produce or intensify division.
Unity is given to us by God in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, but we are to work (yes, work) to maintain that unity.
Notice Paul’s focus on our efforts toward maintaining that unity that we already have in Jesus Christ:
I [Paul] therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body… (Ephesians 4:1-3a ESV)
According to Paul, part of living in Christ (“walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”) includes the way that we respond to and interact with other people – especially people with whom we disagree: humility, gentleness, patience, love. Through this “work,” we maintain and live in the unity that God has already created.
I think its clear that in general we are not maintaining this unity.
So, we ARE united in Christ, but we are NOT living in that unity.
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Series on Unity
She died in the church and was buried along with her name. Nobody came.
The title of this post comes from the same song that Robert (from “Abnormal Anabaptist“) used in the title of his post “All the lonely people, where do they all come from.”
In his post, Robert is thinking about the lonely people in this world – people all around us. And, they really are all around us. If we take the time to pay attention, we’ll see them everywhere.
At one point, Robert writes about a time he began to notice the “lonely people” while he was in the Emergency Room with his daughter:
First, we were alone. We sat there, my daughter and I, and no one interacted with us, really. Now, the receptionist dude at the desk took pity, offered a coloring book and a blanket to my daughter while we waited, but that was his job. And, he was busy so couldn’t dedicate much time to us.
Secondly, we weren’t the only ones alone. I saw children coming in with bruises and broken bones, people with injuries from car accidents, alcohol poisoning and/or a drug OD, fevers, illnesses, injuries, etc. And they all sat in their own little corners. No one talked to them. No one listened to them. No one showed any sense of compassion and humanity to them. “All the lonely people, where do they all come from.”
Interestingly, love and concern for others is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit that Paul mentions. It is the “royal law” according to James. It is a demonstration that we truly love God, according to John. It is the most basic responses of a person who is following Jesus, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and submitting to God’s will in his/her life.
In spite of love being the most basic response, every author of the New Testament books found it necessary to exhort their readers toward love. Love is the most basic response to God, but also one of the most difficult to follow him in.
Thanks for the exhortation to follow Jesus in loving others, Robert!
Unity: The Series
I’ve written several posts on the topic of “unity.” In fact, there are 138 posts on this blog with the category “unity.” And, one of those posts, “When Disagreements Lead to Disunity,” is one of the most read posts over the last six years of blogging.
However, I have never written a series on the topic of “unity.” I’ve written some two-part posts on “unity,” but never an entire series.
So, this week, I’m going to write a week long series on the topic of unity – specifically, real, relational unity among those who are in Christ, that is, unity among those who are God’s children.
As I begin this series, I want to ask a few questions. And, with these questions, I would like us to start with positive aspects concerning unity about the body of Christ. I hope you will consider answering one or all of them.
1. What is the best example of unity among the body of Christ that you have ever experienced? What made this experience memorable?
2. Is there someone in your life who is very different from you and yet with whom you share a special bond of unity and fellowship? How do you maintain that unity in spite of your differences?
3. Have you ever been in a situation where someone handled a disagreement in a way that maintained or fostered unity instead of damaging unity? What did that person do?
4. Do you have any other positive experiences with unity among the body of Christ that you would like to share?
Again, please keep your responses positive on this post. We’ll have time to examine other aspects of our experiences with unity (or a lack of unity) in later posts.
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Series on Unity
Scripture… As We Live It #215
This is the 215th passage in “Scripture… As We Live It.”
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche those who divide from one another to agree in the Lord. (I’m not going to call out names, but you know who you are.) (Philippians 4:2 re-mix)
(Please read the first post for an explanation of this series.)
Replay: When God Communicates is it Subjective or Objective?
Four years ago, I wrote a post called “When God Communicates: Subjective or Objective?” Have you ever thought about the difference between how God communicates and how we receive what he communicates? I’m not talking about any specific type of communication, but any time God communicates with us, including through Scripture. This post is part of my thinking on this topic.
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When God Communicates: Subjective or Objective?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve read something similar to this a few times: Scripture is objective; but any other communication from God is subjective. This post is not directed at anyone in particular. Instead, as I’ve read the above comment a few times, I’ve been thinking about the objectivity and subjectivity of God’s communication.
By the way, I like to say “God communicates” instead of “God speaks”. Usually, the verb “speak” assumes something (audible communication) that is not always present when God communicates. So, when I say, “God communicates”, I mean many different types of communications, including but not limited to Scripture, dreams, visions, impressions, other people.
When God communicates to us, he always communicates objectively. His communication is never subjective. However, our interpretation of God’s communications is always subjective. This includes our interpretation of Scripture – it is always subjective. It is true that some interpretations are less subjective than others, but all interpretations are subjective.
It would be incorrect to say that interpretations of Scripture are always less subjective than interpretations of other communications from God. For example, when God told Abram to leave Haran, Abram did not consider that communication to be subjective. When God communicated with Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul did not consider that communication to be subjective. When God communicated to Peter while Peter was on the roof of Simon’s house in Joppa (the dream with the sheet and animals), Peter did not consider that communication to be subjective. Notice that all of these acts of communication are now part of Scripture, but they were not part of Scripture when they occurred.
(Interestingly, Peter’s dream became normative for everyone. I wonder what would have happened if Peter had thought his dream was more subjective than Scripture and had compared his dream to Scripture. But, this is another issue altogether.)
I am not questioning the importance of Scripture. I do believe that Scripture is extremely important. I believe that Scripture is inspired by God, and I believe that Scripture is inerrant in the original autographs. I believe that Scripture is authoritative. However, there are times when I’ve felt that Scripture has been placed in a position above the living presence of God Himself – and not just Scripture, but our (individual or corporate) interpretation of Scripture.
Our goal should not be to relate properly to Scripture. Our goal should be to relate properly to God. Some may suggest that studying Scripture brings one into a right relationship with God, but remember that the scribes and Pharisees studied Scripture meticulously, as do many scholars today. Studying Scripture does not guarantee that we are hearing God.
God always communicates to us objectively. Perhaps we have not heard him – as others have heard him in the past and as has been recorded for us – because we are not listening to him. Instead, we have replaced him with something else. We have made our interpretation of Scripture objective, and we’ve made God subjective.
Mind your own business discipleship
Have you visited Josh’s new site called “In Search of the City“? If you haven’t, you should. And, you can start with his post called “What’s it to you?”
Josh’s post is about following Jesus… and other people following Jesus… and how they follow Jesus into different things than we follow Jesus. He builds on the conversation between Jesus and Peter at the end of the Gospel of John.
At one point, Josh writes this concerning Jesus’ conversation with Peter (about John):
If this man shall follow me in that way, what is that to you? If I lead him to do a certain thing while you are busy with another, what difference does it make? You are following me and so is he. How each of you are called to follow is my business and not yours. Your responsibility is simply to be faithful in that to which I have called you.
Yes! God calls us to follow Jesus in different ways with different types of service to others. Of course, this is not really “mind your own business discipleship”. (By the way, Josh didn’t call it that… that was my “tongue-in-cheek” exaggeration.)
Instead, discipleship is helping others follow Jesus to do what he has called THEM to do – not what he has called US to do. Part of that, of course, is helping them to listen to him and helping them to determine what Jesus is calling them to. Meanwhile, we also allow others to help us follow Jesus as well.
Thanks, Josh, for the new site and for this post! It’s always good to think about helping each other follow Jesus.