Conformity, on the other hand is the result of pressure applied from the outside to adhere to an external standard. This is because most of the time when Christians experience disunity, the root issue is not our differences of opinion but pride and selfishness. Unity happens when people from different ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, political philosophies, etc. Victory Gollancz. 22:115; Matt. One of my favorite and most quoted versus of Scripture is Ephesians 4:13 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Psalm 133:1,4b, How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. Christian unity is the result of God bringing together people of differing ethnicities, backgrounds, and social classes into one family (or body) by faith in Christ (1 Cor. There is no one definite notion of truth on Earth; all is inference on some level. Of all the reasons thrown about that demeaned the idea of all the students dressing alike, this one was heard the most: "You're taking away my child's individuality." And before you push an idea on someone else, examine why you are doing so. We have one Spirit, the Spirit of God. . What is it that unites us? Unity is having the same conviction about the gospel and the same understanding about its importance, and then attempting to think about everything else in line with that. What about those stories or bright spots should we strive to replicate? How Do the Arts Help Us Learn and Grasp Scripture? . Here is how it works: In the town where I live and work here in the USA we have extreme diversity in the Catholic Church. Quina Aragon is an assistant editor and administrative assistant for womens initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. He also created scientists and artists. Unity with the truth of Christ is. . Then we must repent, resolving anew to love our neighbor as ourselves. I have yet to find church members who agree on everything percent of the time. . Unity is harder than uniformity because unity require death to preference. Many studies and think-pieces from both Christians and secularists try to determine why this disconnect exists. Two women can have a passion to rescue animals and volunteer at the same Humane Society while having a deep hatred for each other. We have unity despite our diversity because, for the most part, we are all passionate about things that really matter and are clear in Scripture. The modern church, while of course retaining its dogma and keeping its well-defined direction as an institution, has realized that the mission of a universal church as a vehicle for Christ is to include, not exclude. But not too much. Uniformity is when we all believe the same thing and practice the same thing. Because unity is a gift from God, the church is called to maintain unity, not create it. He desires togetherness, not sameness. While HCOG is not perfect, we do experience exceptional unity within our church family. Some in the church choose to focus on the necessity of division and on the importance of thinking precisely in keeping with the dogma of the church. Finally, unity is not sentimentality, where you paper over divisions, never talk about them, and just smile for the camera. Unity refers to the union or harmony between different groups. The Dignity of Difference by Jonathan Sacks. It doesnt mean discounting sin or making little of evil. chief undershepherd-oh wait, that's Christ!-recognizes a disunity and basically . If pastors said too much or too little on a cultural issue, people left. The Spirit indwells God's people, and we are his temple, his dwelling placeall of us. . Unity is not . Nothing better illustrates this than 1 Corinthians 12. There are different kinds of working: but the same God. David Brodsky is a freshman in the College. May God help us to rejoice in the benefits of diversity and to pursue genuine unity, not merely a comfortable shell of uniformity. We have one purpose, to glorify God. Unity is found at the cross on our knees, setting aside personal opinions for the love of God and the good of His people. God, who is love (1 John 4:8), has forever existed in a perfectly pure unity as Father, Son, and Spirit (Deut. 4 . 5:113; Gal. This week I'll be continuing that thought by exploring examples of tribalism (or, for alliteration's sake, uniformity) and how we must transfer this for unity: where we seek to be united over common group and connection as we seek to make a better world and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven . teaches from Romans 14 and 15 . Uniformity wills that those who disagree with doctrines of the church inevitably will defect and either join reformed churches or live individual spiritual lives. This is clearly the case in 1 Corinthians 810 and Romans 1415. What does the word "unity" mean to me in my relationships with others? It's not uniformity, but it is commitment through differences. That doesnt mean we should ignore politics or pretend that no one is ever wrong. Posted on . I would have let it stand as it is sufficient in itself, but you mark a milestone, comment #100 since we turned the commenting feature on. I havent polled church planters, but Im guessing its the same in other places. Find out if there is spontaneous ministry happening or if the leaders control all the activities of the church. The New Testament church is a place where Jesus is so large that it makes disagreement on secondary things less important. Unity Is Not Uniformity. One church likes gays while the other one doesnt even though they claim they do. 6:7). ", Yet, as we strive to define ourselves as individuals, as Marguerite Young so astutely observed, "Every heart is the other heart. When the Spirit builds a church, on the other hand, it is possible to experience far more than just uniformity. These dogma are necessary for guidance, particularly for those who do not spend significant amounts of time in thought and prayer on theological issues. It grieves the Spirit of our Father when the scriptures are so poorly handled as to misrepresent their meaning and His heart. Two policemen can wear the same uniform and work at the same precinct and still be at odds with each other. It was fun doing it with the kids Glad it was helpful to you! Uniformity: Uniformity implies that everyone is alike, so there is no room for differences. John 17: 21 King James Version, "If we focus on differences, our focus is on each other. As pleasant as it is when brothers dwell in unity (Ps. The same day, Pope Paul VI entered All Saints Church in the suburbs of Rome and said Mass in Italian. The results were catastrophically divisive. Churches divide themselves over more than just race. The mistake is to confuse unity with uniformity. And, those outside the majority never seem to find themselves in positions of influence. It had a universal, diverse focus: Likewise, Jesus while on Earth made it clear that He came for both the Jew and the Gentile. "From amidst diversified and often warring creeds: over a vast span of history: in the language of many a tribe and many a nation: out of the mouths of the learned and simple, the lowly and great: despite oceans of bloodshed, and torturing inhumanities, and persecutions unspeakable the single voice of a greater humanity rises confidently to heaven, saying "We adore Thee, who are One and who art Love: and it is in unity and love that we would live together, doing Thy will." (and keep the eBook, of course). The second false model of unity Francis proposed is to believe that unity is equivalent to uniformity. But with all of our differences we still struggle at times to love each other and walk in unity. As Christ-followers we are called to be the example of true unity in the world. This doesnt mean we shouldnt be convinced of our view or that we cant persuade people to our side, but we must make sure we are more interested in helping people walk with God than we are in winning a debate. The Holy Trinity is a perfect loving relationship, which urges us to allow God to perfect our relationships. Unity, Not Uniformity April 24, 2021 Brian Keepers Read: Ephesians 4:1-16 There is one body and one Spirit . 4:13), a shared mission (Matt. when he rejected unity with professing-Christian slaveholders, stating: Although I commune at the Lords table with men of all creeds, yet with a slave-holder I have no fellowship of any sort or kind. Brad thank you for taking the time to explain this episode with all those amazing kids! The family of God is a diversity of people, gifted to serve each other for the sake of unified maturity in the faith (Eph. As Christians we strive to live in unity. But unity can be messy. The catechism of the Catholic Church makes this quite apparent in stating that the desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit and that the church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce and perfect the unity Christ wills for her. Christ himself says to God, I am in you and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me (John 17:22-23). One church has young adults while the other one has baby boomers. September 26, 2017 by Kit Johnson. . Zacchaeus, the tax collector who swindled his fellow Jews out of their money, understood this: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. Uniformity is the state of being uniform; holding the same views, beliefs, standards, ethics, etc. I think that in general, all Christians everywhere are in unity. Keeping my background and context in view, I tentatively offer five of the most important lessons I've learned in multiethnic youth ministry so far: 1. Abi and Aprils Synchroblog Bridging the Divides, Emotional Pacifism: Laying Down My Weapons. There was a rather complicated and highly debated theological issue on which they did not agree. The church must have dogma to allow for its faithful to follow its path. Jesus didn't pray for the Church to be uniform. Unity is having the same conviction about the gospel and the same understanding about its importance, and then attempting to think about everything else in line with that. 1:22), and reconciliation with each other (Eph. there are different gifts from Share. On one hand, we had a president who was contentious, aggressive, and often narcissistic in his approach to the office of the presidency, pushing the boundaries of decency and integrity. I have seen this pressure in far too many churches. Maybe you really dont like debates, and you look down on people who want to debate certain issues. For Paul, unity is not uniformity, where everybody in the church agrees on everything. Those who do not fit into the local identity of the church either visit awkwardly for three weeks until they disappear, or worse, are told that their ideas, suggestions, or beliefs make them a wolf in sheeps clothing and are asked to leave. No deviations are tolerated. Watch how well the children that grew up in that church do once they get to college age. The halls of Heaven will be like an endless stained glass window. The Spirit and the Church unifies his people as his temple: First Corinthians 3:16 reminds us, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" In this verse, Paul comes on strong with the basis for unity. 2:911). The idea everyone might be wearing the same outfit was totally unacceptable to some parents especially those who had the financial means to dress their children well. Cults enforce uniformity. The Christian faith did not eliminate those distinctions, but Christs righteousness freely given transcended those distinctions. On the contrary, the unity of the Church is exciting because it's built on diversity. Because God calls us to perfect unity, and it is the Holy Spirit that unites us! We cant answer that until we first ask, What does the Bible mean when it talks about unity? In the churches of Galatia, there were Gentiles and Jews, males and females, and people from different socio-economic backgrounds. It was the first vernacular Mass celebrated by. Not a uniformity that denies us our individuality, but a unity that blends our individual gifts. These differences and many others make pursuing unity hard at times. Musicians and mathematicians. One day our unity will be perfected when we are united with Christ in His Kingdom. A church with uniformity gathers people from the same socio-economic strata, the same cultural background, the same ethnicity, and the same social aspirations. Liturgy is the source of our strength to go out and accomplish the Church's mission of bringing people to Christ and unfolding the Kingdom on Earth, but if the summit of our faith is corrupted by bickering over guitar vs. organ and . Notice, Paul doesn't say, "find," or "create," or "produce" unity, but maintain the unity that he . Since Old Testament times, God hasnt merely been interested in offenders proclaiming Im sorry, but in the offended (or victimized) being made whole. Rather, I believe the Scriptures call us to pursue a much harder road to unity but one that is well worth it. A body with unity recognizes the difference between the head and the heart, the hand and the foot, appreciates that difference, and is able to work together as one precisely because it has different parts for different purposes. 6:10; 1 Pet. . But again, Paul never shies away from issues that matter. 133:1), unity is not a virtue in and of itself. Hi Dan, thanks for the comment. Typically we grow a lot more from interacting with people who are different from us than we do from interacting with those who are just like us. are able to coexist peacefully and respectfully. He had a dear friend who was also a Biblical scholar. What are some of the bright spots or stories where you have personally seen people honor the dignity of difference and live in unity rather than insisting on uniformity? Jerusalem was Gods city. A good starting place is to identify the following: A common identity Shared values Shared goals (Galatians 3:27-28). Unity, Not Uniformity. He prayed that the Church would be one in unity. . Listen to people and learn from them. Pauls vision of unity is real people, with different perspectives and preferences, who find a larger, uniting hope in Jesus. is one of those guys who likes to take a break from a document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2020 J.D. . Church was meant to be for everyone. One solution would be to whittle the church down to where we have uniformity (which is not the same as unity), but Im confident that Paul would reject that solution. As Jesus told His disciples in John 17, when the world sees the harmonious and loving interaction of God's children, they will believe. If someone fails to fit the mold, they are welcome to leave and find something else. The #ChurchToo movement revealed the tendency of some churches to cover up abuse cases, often for the sake of unity. Then there was the quiet exodus of black church members from white-majority, Trump-supporting churches in 2016many of whom, when they vocalized their concerns about a lack of engagement with racial justice, were considered divisive.. Dec 3, 2022. . 12:27; Gal. Paul certainly did not instruct Christians to meet separately in Jewish only or Gentile only churches. From our viewpoint on earth, we so often entrench ourselves in beliefs and creeds to the point where we separate ourselves from others whose love for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and whose belief in the Bible, God's Word, is of such depth and strength that their lives would only inspire us. ~ Peter Drucker, Eric Geiger, LifeWay, Lifeway Christian Resources, Lifeway Church Resources, Sunday School, Innovation, Church, Theology, Simple Church, Simple Youth Ministry. Martin Luther King sat down for an interview with Meet the Press in April, 1960. 4:1113). Did our first parents remain as they were created? 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Its important for us to keep in mind the biblical vision, especially when we hear hollow unity calls that fail to also call us to repent of damage done to others. Second, give thanks for the sharpening effect of differing opinions. As a result, we have widely divergent views in our congregation on theological issues like Calvinism vs. Arminianism, on church philosophy issues like music, and on practical life issues like dress standards or schooling preference (i.e., homeschool, Christian school, public school). 2. Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham (Luke 19:9). Author Unknown. I also know of plenty African-Americans who attend white churches and love itso much so it would probably upset them that I called it a white-church at all! There is only one God and one gospel and the church's inner dynamic is to reflect this reality. Unity isn't the same as uniformity, I think. The unifying of everything under Christ has always been Gods plan, and it will be cosmically realized when Christ returns (Eph. 1:710; Phil. But churches do not recognize that God calls his people to unity, not uniformity. Very timely and encouraging. Unity vs. Uniformity. It matters what you believe about the sovereignty of God, worship, raising your family, etc. Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work. In this episode, Brad Gray discusses how there is a dignity to difference. We have to be unapologetic in our stand for the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, Gods design for gender, and other unpopular things, even if it makes people mad and causes them to leave their church. Enter: the restitution laws, which required an offender to make reparation to his defrauded neighbor before seeking the Lords forgiveness (Lev. She never produces 'classes'. It is the goal of every church. The New Testament church is a place where Jesus is so large that it makes disagreement on secondary things less important. Anyone who holds a different view is ostracized, demoralized, silenced, deplatformed, defunded, de-banked, fired, sued, etc. Ugly splits leave churches calloused. God is a God of unity, not uniformity. 2020-09-25_SLWJDG. Praise to God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who works in us in all these ways. How did Jesus respond? Why would people from such diverse life-experiences strive for perfect unity? This takes a concerted effort. Uniformity: Uniformity is the state of always having the same form, manner, or degree. Because we are united in Christ we can accept one another, tolerate one another, and love one another. Regrettably, I have used it in the past . Because they reach across ethnic boundaries, they have to wade through uncomfortable cultural clashes. It is believed that if you have unity, you have peace, Kum By Ya and that sort of thing. Adam and Eve enjoyed peaceful fellowship with God, but their sin brought a great division between them and God, and consequently, between us and God (1 Cor. Youll also receive this eBook, The #1 Mistake Most Everyone Makes Reading the Bible, which will launch your journey for reading the Bible in context. Powered by Knownhost and the Genesis Framework. Unity does not mean unvaried or even uniform. Further, biblical unity is not uniformity. As a result, Jesus chose such a group that grew because of their unity, not uniformity. May it never be said that we, like God's children on the banks of the Jordan, ready to enter a land of milk and honey, missed the blessing because we could not live in harmony with God's children. Psalm 133: 1 King James Version, When I was in high school, a discussion was brought to the faculty about the possibility of uniforms being adopted as the attire. Both faiths were founded on Christian beliefs and have since expanded those teachings. The fact that now an Anglican priest can become a Catholic priest and keep his wife and children demonstrates that the church is making efforts to reunify all Christians under one faith. which will launch your journey for reading the Bible in context. What kinds of things do you sense are fueling and contributing to the division? I want to repeat the words of John Chrysostom, "We fight one another, and envy arms against one another; if everyone strives to unsettle the body of Christ, where shall we end up? The lesson in this story is that unity is not the same as uniformity. On the other hand, during President Trumps tenure in office, many in our country subscribed to #notmypresident, and several lawmakers were discussing impeachment before President Trump even took office. Matt Brown // October 29, 2022. There were twelve tribes from different regions, each with different local stories, opinions, beliefs, and rituals. Key Passage(s): Matthew 10:2-4; John 17:20-23. During my first year serving as a youth pastor, I noticed my tendency to unconsciously equate unity with uniformity. 6:4; Matt. Unity is not going to happen automatically. Or maybe you would prefer to avoid people who disagree with you. . We have one purpose, to glorify God. We are of one mind, spirit, purpose, mission, and goal. So yes, the players look the same . We are part of the Mystical Body of Christ, thus unity between members is paramount when we consider the optimal functioning of the Church. . He doesnt even say, Guys, let me come and settle all these disagreements, and then you can be unified. No, he says, Be of the same understanding and same conviction, and he means, be of the same understanding and same conviction about the gospel. Have the same conviction about the primacy of the gospel and its importance over secondary things. Christ died for the different. It will demand that we, empowered by the Holy Spirit, actively put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity (Col. 3:14). The American church has disintegrated into a field of silos where people attend the congregation that most fits them. We have one Spirit, the Spirit of God. I love that! If a high percentage of them walk away from Christianity, it is likely a church that practices conformity and not unity. That the church should focus on unity in keeping with the nature of the faith itself, the common individual quest for God and the most idealistic realization of the mission of Christ . We are engaged in making Christ's body a corpse; we declare ourselves members of one and the same organism, yet we devour one another like beasts." God understood if His children, on the verge of entering Canaan, were fighting and feuding, there was no way they could succeed in His plans for them in their promised home. Its sequel, Love Gave, poetically retells the incarnation and good news of Jesus Christ through that same Trinitarian lens. Amen." Unity, not uniformity, is a mark of a churchs maturity. I have wondered if it would be easier to be unified if we were the Calvinist Church, the Southern Gospel Church, the Homeschool Church, etc. Absolutely NO SPAM! Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church pastor Mark Schwarz holds up a copy of the plans for an approximately 6,840-square-foot addition addition to the church building. The Only Leadership Trait You Absolutely Need. So how do we remain passionate for truth but compassionate toward people? We are uniform in our beliefs and behaviors. We would like the same things, vote the same way, root for the same teams, and read the same books. King David learned this the hard way when he failed to execute justice for his daughter Tamar after she was raped by her brother Amnon (2 Sam. Unity is when we are one. Third, the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent Papal Magisterium teach that liturgical uniformity is not necessary to the unity of the Church . In short, it is pressure to appear to be something that we are not. A town may have twenty churches that all believe essentially the same thing, but one church has the drums while the other one has the organs. When the early church in Corinth faced such issues, Paul told them to be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.. Diversity is a part of Gods plan. Neither an inferiority complex nor an attitude of superiority are appropriate responses for the people of God. One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, what is the ultimate example and source of christian unity? Unity is different in the Christian faith. is the state of being undivided, or oneness. So, arent we right to pursue it? Uniformity hi religion is, as defined in the Covenant, agreement in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government. Introverts and extroverts. But, I will say, unity was on display this past Saturday, March 26 at the Lakehills Civic Center- the meeting place for this year's Bandera County Republican Precinct and County Chair Convention of 2022. and I dont think you are only talking about 12 year old churches or younger. Unity in the church is not uniformity. We hear much in church about unity. There is no debate, no diversity of thought; only their way or the highway. Then we must repent, resolving anew to love our neighbor as ourselves. God only can make us the subjects of sacred "unity." Uniformity we get in trees and hedges hacked, cut, and clipped, so as to reduce them to a common size and shape. Not so in Gods church. Uniformity would require everyone to agree on everything. Listen to Broadcast. 25 September, 2020. Michael Perry, Dorothy Valcarcel, Author When A Woman Meets Jesus Dorothy@TransformationGarden.com. Instead, uniformity seeks to create harmony by silencing all dissenting thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. If we really want true and virtuous unity among Gods people, that both reflects him and also expresses the unity his Son secured on the cross, then we must examine ourselves. 13). Perhaps the fear of division itself is to blame. Black and Hispanic churches are just as segregated as white ones. There are different kinds of service: but the same Lord. 15:22). Our church family is made up of people from various ethnic backgrounds, economic levels, faith traditions, and political sentiments. A church built on human uniformity rather than the Spirit's unity is like those smoking chambers. 2021 J.D. In fact, our unity is most pronounced when we are unified with people who are not like us because the source of our unityChristis put on display. One solution would be to whittle the church down to where we have uniformity (which is not the same as unity), but I'm confident that Paul would reject that solution. Second, the standard Roman Missal contains an enormous number of options, and hardly seems to be aiming at uniformity of prayer in the sense which seems to be intended in Pope Francis' new letter. 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What was to be a civil conversation, turned into a verbal war as parents and students began to make their very pointed opinions known. Awesome job! The Holy Trinity models this perfection for which we strive: diversity without division, unity without uniformity. Audio Download. The unity is the foundation for our whole life together. Christianity by its very nature introduce[s] an element of individual decision (Spivey and Smith, Anatomy of the New Testament). But for Paul, unity is also not relativism, where you say that everyone is right about everything. Any call to unity that requires partisan allegiance, discarding ones heritage, or conflating cultural and/or social class norms with spiritual obligations is not a call to biblical unity but to assimilation. A Different Unity. Jesus is both the pattern and the power for seeking this kind . There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free,male or female;for you are all onein Christ Jesus. There are right and wrong approaches to many things. Love means not jumping to conclusions about peoples motives, intelligence, or godliness when you are on different sides of a controversy. We are uniform in our beliefs and behaviors. 4:46). My present purpose is simply to demonstrate that that church is bent on unity at the heart of its mission. Its important for us to keep in mind the biblical vision, especially when we hear hollow unity calls that fail to also call us to repent of damage done to others. Let's be co-laborers in Christ because Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Watch how the members interact with each other. Unity is the state of being undivided, or oneness. So, arent we right to pursue it? Similarly, unity is not abandoning the faith. Mistaking Uniformity for Unity. But throughout his letter to the Corinthians, Paul identifies certain beliefs and says, We have to agree on these, or weve lost our identity as Gods peoplethings like the person and work of Christ, the nature of saving faith, the inerrancy of the Bible, and even Gods designs for gender and sexuality. Any call to unity that requires partisan allegiance, discarding ones heritage, or conflating cultural and/or social class norms with spiritual obligations is not a call to biblical unity, but to assimilation. I think that in general, all Christians everywhere are in unity. Black and Hispanic churches are just as segregated as white ones. If the leaders exercise control over body life, you likely have conformity and not unity. Unity does not equal uniformity. YES! Every face is the other face.". In both cases Paul says that one side is right and the other is wrong about the key point of debate. God is a God of unity, not uniformity. Rather, he emphasized their oneness in Christ and challenged them to work through their differences. In this message, Pastor J.D. According to the website DifferenceBetween.com, The key difference between unity and uniformity is their acceptance of differences; when there is unity, people tend to tolerate and accept differences, but uniformity implies that everyone is alike, so there is no room for differences. (https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-unity-and-vs-uniformity/) When uniformity is the focus, the goal is not to discover ways to live in harmony with one another. Her first childrens book, Simple Solution to Same-Sex Civil Marriage, Disneys Strange World Embodies Strange New World, New Advent Resources: 75-Song Playlist, Books, and More, The Mission Trip Most Churches Should Take. 28:19). God created distinct genders that are not fluid. God understood if His children, on the verge of entering Canaan, were fighting and feuding, there was no way they could succeed in His plans for them in their promised home. What the world needs from the church right now, is not silence. Shes also an author and spoken-word artist residing in Tampa, Florida, with her husband, Jon, and 5-year-old daughter. A study led by Rice University determined that less than 3% of all evangelical congregations in America qualified as a multiracial congregation. In fact, it can actually be detrimental to unity. We are engaged in making Christ's body a corpse; we declare ourselves members of one and the same organism, yet we devour one another like beasts.". No ones individual thought can be considered superior or subordinate to that of any other because different people come to their conjectures through different preconceptions or ways of thinking. Gay Marriage, World Vision, and a Unified Church? We are even divided over the cause of our division! He designed multiple stages of life with unique characteristics and experiences. Often the crowd will clap and shout hallelujah thinking this means everyone is going to be like them. Our unity in Christ, fleshed out by the earliest Christians (Acts 2:4247), is powered by the Holy Spirit who unites us through the truth of Gods Word (John 17:17; Eph. Of course, it's not an easy call. To be united is to be joined together for a common purpose. The key difference between the two is that uniformity shrinks the beauty of our complexities, and shrinks it to simple outward conformity. Unfortunately, Christians often meet this mindset with suspicion. If godly people who are committed to the Scriptures have historically landed on different sides of a particular issue, we need to humbly acknowledge that the issues at stake may be more complex than we like to think. Instead of tolerating differences, uniformity seeks to eliminate differences and create an environment of sameness. How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week? There is a true spiritual reality between Christ and His Church, and the . That's true reality, and the Holy Trinity invites us to live there. If we focus with unity, our focus is on God." Nobody likes having their email bombarded.). You must actually distinguish things and separate them before you can spiritually unite them, but usually at cost to yourself (see Ephesians 2:14-16). Rev. Unity and Purity In The Church By Dave Saxon | November 28, 2018 | 3 A Historical Survey As early as the second century, two contradictory trends had developed that would affect the doctrine of the church until the present time. Probably just the satisfaction of a job well done. One solution would be to whittle the church down to where we have uniformity (which is not the same as unity), but I'm confident that Paul would reject that solution. But we know this is Godswill for His church. Uniformity is the state of being uniform; holding the same views, beliefs, standards, ethics, etc. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. When people ask me what it is like to pastor Life Point Baptist Church, I typically respond by saying something like this: Pastoring Life Point is incredibly hard but incredibly exciting. Both the difficulty and the excitement are tied in part to the theological and philosophical diversity of our church. When God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, that blessing did not just stay within Abrahams family. Unity is an important part of the Christian life. As Lydia Child wrote: "The boughs of us two trees ever have the same arrangement. Now, there is a church for everyone. Unique people of different shapes and colors all brought together to make one beautiful image: a body of sinful people forgiven by a righteous God. His Kingdom his heart starting place is to blame that liturgical uniformity the. People left you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week from issues that matter as ourselves day... Of Rome and said Mass in Italian and of itself of silos where people attend the that... Press in April, 1960 world vision, and political sentiments ask, what the... In part to the division two trees ever have the same as uniformity dont like debates, and government disconnect., Father, son and Holy Spirit that unites us away from Christianity, it is when all. God is a gift from God, the unity of the Christian life without,! Thing and practice the same conviction about the key point of debate is... The unity is like those smoking chambers if a high percentage of them away. It matters what you believe about the sovereignty of God. how good and pleasant it possible. The lesson in this story is that unity is the state of being undivided, oneness! 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