Unity in the Body
Maintaining Biblical Unity in a Divisive Culture
by
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Paul gives three markers of how believers can know if their local assembly is accomplishing what they are supposed to accomplish. The first marker of progress is by building the unity of the faith. The unity of faith is expressed by the knowledge of Jesus Christ, both relationally and experientially. Faith grows as the knowledge of Jesus Christ is gained through studying the Word of God and through the experiences of daily life. The unity of the faith means trusting in Jesus Christ more each and every day. The more a follower of Jesus gets to know Jesus and His heart’s desires, the stronger the connection of the unity of the Church.
The second marker of progress is spiritual maturity. Have you noticed that infants can’t be unified about anything? They are inherently selfish and want what they want, regardless of who has the item. You can manipulate them through distraction. They think they disappear by covering their eyes. It is not too hard to fool a baby. One of the saddest things in the church is realizing people who have been Christians for a long time are still spiritual infants. They have not progressed in their spiritual development. They are young in the faith because, as Paul said, they are tossed by every new thing that comes along and are easily deceived and caused to go away from the truth. Like a child drawn away by an illusion or distraction, infant Christians are drawn away from the unity of the faith by predatory false prophets.
The third marker of progress is attaining the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The Bible often speaks about the fullness of Christ. The fullness of Christ means to reach an understanding of being complete in Christ. Nothing else is needed for life or godliness.
The body of Christ must be spiritually mature not immature. Paul says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15–16). Speaking the truth in love can be translated “truthing in love.” People cannot truly love others when they are lying to them and letting them think errant thoughts. At the same time, the truth must be spoken in love to produce positive results. Do not forget Ephesians 4:2, where Paul talked about being humble, gentle, patient, and loving. When the truth is spoken in love, the church grows up in Christ. The more the church grows, the stronger its expression of unity and diversity. Speaking the truth in love is a catalyst for the growth. Speaking the truth in love is to cause each part of the body to work properly. Speaking the truth in love is key to helping the body grow.
The church celebrates diversity by unifying, not by pushing uniformity. Division is not of God, and neither is uniformity. God gifted all believers with talents and abilities to be used for His kingdom. All talents, gifts, and abilities are on loan from God and are to be used in His service. The members of the body of Christ have talents, gifts, and abilities making the body diverse, and the diversity makes the church strong. The body of Christ should not be a mirror of the culture. Diversity should not divide. Diversity of talents and abilities should be celebrated. Neither the church nor the culture should be pushing uniformity. Diversity should make the church strong by uniting with common purpose—all hands on deck, working and serving, using God-given talents and abilities to further the kingdom of God. The church should be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Questions for Thought and Discussion
1. Name some things in nature you appreciate more because of the diversity you observe in them.
2. What gifts and abilities has God given to you? How does the gift or ability contribute to the unity of the church?
3. What are some behaviors spiritually immature believers exhibit?
4. What are some behaviors spiritually mature believers exhibit?
5. How does a person, practically, speak the truth in love? What might speaking the truth in love really look like on a personal level?
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About the Book
Today, more than ever, the church needs to recognize the need for unity. The fabric of society seems to be coming apart at the seams. Societal norms are being challenged and old rifts are being exploited. Political factions cannot seem to agree on anything. Racial strife has heated up to a boiling point. Authority figures are being targeted by people who desire anarchy. Families are being torn apart by lust. Major church denominations are in decline and are experiencing internal fighting over issues. Many local churches are consumed by petty arguments and personal preferences. The human race seems more divided than ever.
For this reason, the church must make a pointed effort to maintain unity. Followers of Jesus Christ need to show the world the strength of being unified in mission and purpose. Jesus desires for his people to demonstrate the supernatural unity that comes from a relationship with him.
About the Author
Benjamin Karner is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Laredo, Texas. He has served in ministry for over 15 years in various roles. He holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary. His ministry theme is “moving people from where they are to where God wants them to be.”