Day 21 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Protecting Your Church”

Back to the subject of unity! The opposite of unity is division. I have enjoyed reading about Abraham Lincoln. His love for the unity of this country is undeniable from what I have read in a number of books, but during the Civil War many circulated the slanderous idea that he was unwilling to bring the Union back together to serve his own purposes for he was unwilling to accept a compromise with the South. Lincoln knew that any compromise would continue the awfulness of slavery. He knew that if the Union were restored with the continuation of slavery, it would be torn apart again. He believed the only way to truly restore the United States would be to end slavery and that would demand war. War was not desired, but it had to be fought.

Some in the Church feel the absence of “war” will be the introduction to true unity. While fighting is not what any desire, well maybe some do, and fighting among brothers and sisters is sinful, there are some things that are worthy of a fight. Unity that rallies for a cause is not one that has replaced the fight with apathy and complacency. This type of unity, based on everyone moving to the standard of the lowest common denominator of “who cares?” will become a war again the first moment someone is daring enough to challenge the status quo with the suggestion that all is not right. And it should! Unity that parades under the banner of a social tone of non-commitment is not a unity that will last.

Unity claimed through a compromise with foundational false teachings, immorality and tolerance of knowingly continuing in sin is not real unity. When Jesus cleansed the temple of those who were profiteering through taking advantage of the poor who trying to serve God, he made a statement about the price of unity. We have no unity when it is gained by taking a stand on a system of sin, or that stands for nothing. Standardized sinful behavior is not unity; it is a community of lost values without a conscience.

We want the church to be united. It is God’s command; it is the principle of the Body of Jesus. But we hold to the unity of faith through a conviction that stands for something and we will not compromise that foundation to stand for nothing in order to be united for the sake of shallow unity. Let’s stop fighting wars over matters of human opinion that divide us. But let us fight the wars that are worth fighting and come out united for a common cause to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s stand together united against a common foe fighting for a common victory that will last forever!