Diversity, humility, and unity in the Church – our challenge.

Diversity is as visible in the church as it is in society. There are many “brands” of churches and our members come from most of these church backgrounds. There are liberal, conservative, reformed, Anglo-Catholic, Pentecostal, and charismatic churches. There are white, black, brown, English, and Afrikaans churches. Our members come from all these church backgrounds and traditions. And it is a challenge for our quest for unity in Christ.

 

It requires all the humility Christ can give us through his Spirit, to pursue the dream of "One Jesus, and therefore united in one Church!"

 

The Bible teaches that we must serve and love as one in God’s church, because we follow one Jesus. He is the Head of the Christian Church, which is a single, holy, universal Body, with one purpose.

 

According to Acts 1: 14 – 15, the Christian Church was established when all the believers were together in one place and prayed in one accord. The result was that our Lord sent the Holy Spirit to fill the church and let the Spirit take charge of it. (Acts 2:1-4). This church was so strong in the power of the risen Christ, that they in one generation claimed the entire known ancient world for the Lord Jesus. (Acts 17:6).

 

Therefore, we must be careful that Jesus’ personal influence on us and as such on his church and work, never becomes less because of personal or ethnic causes and passions becoming too important.

It is Christ’s will to respond to our coming together as his one, holy Bride, by giving us spiritual growth, stronger faith, hope, love, inspiration, and a sense of calling and obedience when we as his Body, only focus on following Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of God alone and in accordance with his Word alone.

 

Real unity can only exist in the church when we humbly focus only on our Redeemer. Then we can live up to a slogan that says: one Jesus, one Church! The purpose of unity is to with grace, efficiently serve Christ and his work and Kingdom.

 

The Christian Church began by being in one accord, in prayer. They experienced the fullness of the Spirit and as a result experienced a unity of love to the extent that many others turned to the Jesus-Way, because they were convinced by this unity in Christ that Jesus really is alive and is the almighty leader of his people that lives and reigns in his church. (Acts 2:4, 44-47; 4:23-37)

 

When we become proud, self-centred, and more concerned about ourselves and our preferences than about the Body in which we find love, mercy and salvation, there will be a decline in our spiritual growth and passion for the Lord. Only a congregation of believers that follows Jesus as one, can ever experience unity and in this unity share in the power of the risen Christ Jesus.

 

What does God require of us to be more like the first church? To never be half-hearted in our obedience to him. We must be passionate in our pursuit for the honour and will of our Lord. We must admit to Jesus having pre-eminence in all things. We must demonstrate our love for Jesus with humble, sacrificial lives of obedience. We will be serving him because we are to do his work as one. This is Christ’s purpose and intention for us!

 

Shall we not consistently unite in prayer and worship and in the experience of the powerful leadership of Jesus Christ, the Lord, in everything we do?

Then we can move ahead as one Church in Christ Jesus, with the sole purpose to follow, love and obey one Redeemer and Lord of all his people – only to the glory of God our Father, through power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.