Gospel of Unity

Albert Bogle June 15, 2023 1 1

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Ephesians 2: 19-22 (NRSVA)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

The fifth point of significance about the Gospel is its unifying nature. Herein lies a great contradiction, so many Christians instead of seeking to find ways to live at peace with each other, are not content until they have built walls of division and suspicion among fellow Christians. This I truly believe grieves the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4: 29-32 Paul exhorts us to be kind and compassionate to one another. To seek the unity of God’s people. Did you know it is one of the obligations laid upon a minister of the Gospel in the Church of Scotland? They must seek the peace of the people of God.

The facts are we may not be able to agree but we must never cut ourselves off from one another. If we remember that the Gospel is cross shaped and Christ centred — we must learn to pray through the cross, even encounter the suffering, if we are to understand the hearts of our fellow Christians who share different theological opinions. When we do, Christ himself becomes our peacemaker. His death on the cross is sufficient to create within us a new love for one another.  A new love for a brother or sister who thinks differently. It is Christ Jesus himself who is building our lives into an invisible church not made with hands but united in the power of the Spirit.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus

Forgive me

When I have stood firm

Stood my ground

For righteousness’ sake

And bruised a brother or sister

And grieved your Spirit

For righteousness is cross shaped

Lord Jesus

I’m learning

I can be so right and so wrong

All at the same time

Teach me

How to live in the cross shaped space

Willing to suffer in order to understand

Help me to filter

My opinions

My prejudices

My certainties

Through your eyes of reconciling grace

That I may become a

Cross shaped unifier

QUESTION: Where have I contributed to the disunity of God’s people?