Bold Faith and Unity in Christ.

Unity is uplifting but often messy. How do we strive for oneness in Christ while standing firm in our faith? Join the conversation.

What comes to mind when you think about "Unity"? Maybe this past week, when our newly elected President indicated his inaugural address would have a theme of Unity. Or possibly in marriage, where God brings two people together joined as one in Unity? What about us as Christians? What is our responsibility to promote Unity within the Christian faith? While the message of Unity is uplifting, the reality of its application can be messy.

One of the challenges with the word "Unity" is that it seems to take on different meanings. The Oxford Dictionary defines Unity as "the state of being united or joined as a whole." Other sources cite the words "united in agreement," "united in harmony," or "oneness." Okay, that makes sense in our marriage. But how do we apply this to Christianity in the world?

What does the Bible teach? As Jesus was talking to his disciples in John 17:21, he prayed:

"that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so the world may believe you have sent me." John 17:21

Jesus indicates a desire for "ONENESS" within his people. After his death, the disciples continue to support Unity in their teaching:

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly UNITED in mind and thought." 1 Corinthians 1:10

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8

Many other verses in the New Testament support the idea of "unity" in the early Church. God values it, and the apostles frequently taught it.

Why do we find it so VERY DIFFICULT?

Now, as at any time in history, the Church is divided. A few Google searches indicated there could be as many as 45,000 Christian Denominations worldwide! Without debating the number, we can likely agree that we do not agree on all biblical applications within the Church.

Do we find that discouraging? Is that Satan's way of trying to separate believers based on the application of the gospels? Wow, this is tough stuff!

For simple guys like us, we like to go back to the basics. As Christians, we can all find Unity in Christ. God sent Jesus to this earth to redeem us, to live on this earth as a man, teach, and ultimately sacrifice his life so that we all may have hope for eternity with our maker. Gents, let that soak in.

We owe it to HIM to UNITE as CHRISTIANS in the common belief that JESUS is our SAVIOR!

Okay, guys, this is where the rubber meets the road. How do we apply this common belief in a world where we CHRISTIANS don't all agree on the application of the teachings in the Bible? We won't even get started on the list, but it isn't short on our disagreements. Does this mean that, as Christians, we should accept and adopt each other's beliefs? Do we become apathetic and bury our heads in the sand? Or should we always strive for harmony because we are instructed to unite?

We don't think so! God gives each of us HIS WORD in the Bible, the HOLY SPIRIT to guide and lead us, and EACH OTHER to sharpen, admonish, and support us in our walks of faith. We look to Jesus's life on this earth as our perfect example. From the world's perspective, Jesus brought disagreement, conflict, pain, etc.

At times, He flipped tables with injustice in the Lord's house. He healed people and took care of others on the Sabbath. He touched the lives of those deep in sin and prompted life-changing conversions to follow Him. But in the end, he provided an opportunity for PERFECT UNITY through his death and resurrection!

Guys, we are struggling a lot with this. We would love to hear your thoughts. We need to unite God's Church more now than ever. People are watching. We have Christian Men in this group from many denominations. We are sure we all don't agree on everything. But we want to encourage you, MEN, to be BOLD in FAITH. Strive for UNITY in Christ while maintaining strong convictions in God's teaching in the Bible.

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY." Col 3:13-14

God created each one of us for a Purpose on this earth. We pray that he will speak specifically to each of us and prompt us to build HIS KINGDOM in LOVE for CHRIST, our LORD AND SAVIOR.