The Beautiful Diversity of Unity

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Ever since mankind was separated from God, it has been God’s plan to reunite us with Himself. He started with choosing Israel as one nation to be His people. Then, in Christ, the Gentiles were brought together with the Jews as one people. This unity is extended to all people through the spread of the gospel.

Regardless of religious background, social position, or gender, all people on the planet who have faith in Jesus Christ are united, or “one,” with each other. This is an effect of Christ’s work; it is true whether we like it or not, and whether we act like it or not. God’s word tells us that we are members of one body, one family, and one army. Carried out as God intends, our unity with one another is a picture to the world of greater truths about God and His people.

Where do we see unity modeled?

We are united with Christ. This is the basis of our salvation and in fact every spiritual blessing.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 NLT

Unity was seen in the New Testament church. Acts 2:42-48 describes how the early Christians devoted themselves to the same four things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, sharing meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and prayer. They also shared all things in common, even selling their property and possessions and sharing the money with those in need. They did more than just meet together once a week; they shared their lives with each other. The apostle Paul continued to encourage this oneness in his letters. The church had slave masters and slaves, Jews and Gentiles, males and females, tax gatherers and taxpayers. People were saved out of all walks of life, whether good citizens, religious leaders, prostitutes, thieves, slanderers, sexual deviants or even murderers. Paul reminded them that they were no different in Christ; all in need of their Savior.

At Riverview, we unite with two national church networks, and with Lansing area churches, to spread the gospel and plant new churches. We have put on a statewide conference called Sola with a neighboring church, and allow another church to use our facility, as we unite to reach our community together. We don’t agree with everything each of these churches believes, but we unite in the basic truths of Christianity.

What does unity look like?

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 3:11

Unity requires that we share something in common. What we have in common is Christ.

As Christians we receive the same Spirit, as we exercise the same faith in the same Lord, and are baptized with the same baptism into Christ where we are called to the same glorious hope for the future, all under the same God and Father. We all depend on the Father drawing us to Himself, Jesus’ payment for our sins, and the Holy Spirit to complete the work started at salvation.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up ONE whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

If a physical body has a part that is not united, or in step, with what the rest of the body is trying to do, the whole body is considered handicapped. Every part of the body must work in unison to function properly. Unless the body of Christ functions together, it’s considered dysfunctional and likewise handicapped. Agreeing on the essentials of the faith allows us to function as a healthy body.

The parts of the body work together.

Differences are necessary in a body. They do not interfere with our unity, but actually enhance it. Beyond the essentials of the faith, God wants differences among His people. In the body of Christ, God has put each part right where He wants it. He created us with differences that actually make the body of Christ stronger and more functional.

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

1 Corinthians 12:17-18

Far beyond being handicapped, an entire body that consisted of one kind of body part would simply be impossible.

The way God designed us to need each other and care for each other makes for harmony among the members. In the music world, harmony has a much richer, more beautiful sound than a single melody line. In the body of Christ, the beauty of harmonious, rich relationships draws the attention of those outside our community. It is also a reflection of the triune God.

We do not share the same talents and gifts. Different gifts, and different outworking of those gifts, are essential to the health of the body of Christ.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

Embracing our oneness is important for unity, but so is a proper working together of our differences. It is the exercise of these different gifts for the good of all that builds up the whole body, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith.” Differences are not the enemy of unity, but actually the beauty of unity.

This has been excerpted from the book Credo. DOWNLOAD A COPY, or get a physical copy for free at your venue’s info center!