“Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other. Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives” (Ephesians 4:2-3, ESV)
It’s been a rough week in the evangelical world. Recent revelations in the presidential campaign have created even more divisions, with evangelical leaders winding up on different sides of the latest controversy.
I’m not taking a position on either side, although I have my opinions. Neither am I saying that the issues are unimportant. But the purpose of this post is to remind us all–myself included–that we must not let differences of opinion divide us. My pastor, Curt DeFord, spoke briefly this week about the need for unity among Christians. “No matter our differences of opinion,” he said, “we are one in Christ. Do not allow Satan to divide us over [political] issues.”
Whether it’s conversations over the coffeepot or comments and “shares” on Facebook, it is easy to get upset with friends who hold opinions opposed to our own. But, as the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, the Spirit should unify us, not divide us. The body of Christ must focus on the things we agree on, such as the sovereignty of God, the redemption offered by Jesus Christ, and the need to glorify Him in all we do.
At a church we attended decades ago, the song, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love,” was sung frequently. Perhaps we need to revive that song in our worship services. Pastor Curt urged us, “Political disagreements should never divide the body of Christ. Love one another, and love others.”
We may not agree on politics, but this one thing all followers of Jesus can agree on: love. Wouldn’t this be a good time to demonstrate the power of the Gospel by showing our unity and love for each other?
