Ephesians 2:14-16
“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
As we said yesterday, the body of Christ on earth—the church—should be a diverse community of believers from a wide variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. Many churches today reflect this diversity and unity. Some do not.
Sadly, there have been times and places in American history when evangelical churches were segregated; that is, there have been some churches—while claiming to be Christ-centered—that prohibited black people and other minorities from attendance and membership.
Thankfully, that is in the past. However, we must ask:
- How is it possible for that kind of prejudice and discrimination to happen in churches that profess Jesus as Lord?
- Are there vestiges of racial division that continue to influence the church today?
- Are we, in our time, displaying the diversity of the community of the King?
- What can the 21st century church do to be ambassadors of reconciliation and unity of authentic Christian fellowship?
The importance of these questions leads us to Jesus’ prayer in the Upper Room the night before his death.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17.20-23)
Jesus, knowing the following day he would be crucified, prays one final time for his followers. He doesn’t pray for their prosperity or happiness. He doesn’t pray that their life would be easy and free of adversity.
Jesus prays for their unity.
Unity in the Christian fellowship matters to God because: 1) It reflects the unity between God the Father and Jesus the Son; 2) It binds the people of God together in life-changing relationships; 3) It makes the church much more effective, efficient, and engaging in the world; and, 4) It inspires belief in people who see the love and unity of Christians.
This is an essential truth of the gospel. Unity in the church is a catalyst for belief. Disunity, on the other hand, is a catalyst for disbelief. Who wants to board a ship of bickering sailors? Who wants to be a part or an organization where people argue and gossip and fight all the time?
One commentator wrote: “The continuous and widespread fragmentation of the Church has been the scandal of the ages. It has been Satan’s master strategy. The sin of disunity probably has caused more souls to be lost than all other sins combined.”
May the 21st century church experience the powerful presence of Jesus, turn away from selfish divisiveness, and commit to the unity to which the Lord calls us.
