SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 1
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. [1Corinthians 1:10] Paul is addressing concerns in the church of Corinth in this letter. He is appealing for unity in Christ, and not in factions and fighting. In this chapter he stresses how Jesus is the key to our unity and hope. People can get sidetracked by secondary things – impressive speakers, miraculous signs, clever wisdom – but these things divide us (some have them, some don’t) whereas Jesus unites us.
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one. [John 17:11] Jesus desire is for all of us, no matter who we are in the world, to find welcome and unity in Him, that we may be one just as He and the Father are one. His going to heaven is necessary so that He can send the Spirit, and it is the Spirit that unites us with the Father and the Son, as well as with each other.
When we focus on what divides us, we lose the blessing of unity. It makes me think of the Promise Keepers clergy conference I attended where 45,000 pastors first called out the names of their denominational background, then the Name by which we are saved; there was noise and confusion when they said the former, but loud unity when we named Jesus.
Do we focus more on our differences, or on Jesus. The closer we are to Jesus, the closer we are to each other. There will always be differences, and we need to be humble and open to learn from others, but in the end, we are saved by grace alone through Jesus alone. Only by focusing on jesus can we increasingly be united in mind and thought.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am guilty of focusing on the differences in others – both Christians and non-Christians. Help me to focus on You, and to see others with Your eyes.