How Gospel Truths Encourage Biblical Unity
The cloud of disunity continues to hang heavy. Although we have made much progress in biblical unity, opportunity to grow remains. We have seen unrest in our country over racial issues. It has left many believers wondering how to biblically and effectively walk out the Christian faith in a way that pleases God in this area.
The gospel affects every aspect of our lives, including ethnic and biblical unity. Though this topic may be difficult and uncomfortable to consider, Christians are still called to love our brothers and sisters well.
Racism is a sin. Though racism brings division and pain, it is first sin against our holy God before sin against our fellow man.
"But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." - James 2:9
Sin is the significant dividing element here. If we acknowledge racism's sinfulness, we can also recognize the gospel as the answer. It is ultimately the gospel that brings biblical unity.
Unity through the Gospel
Our reconciliation with God is the ultimate restoration, and it enables us to move forward in biblical unity. Regardless of our skin color, we are all descendants of the same parents, Adam and Eve.
Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world. We were bound to sin until Christ came to earth, lived a sinless, perfect life, died a gruesome death, rose again, and ascended into heaven with all power and glory. Through his grace and our faith in him, we are reconciled to God and have been given new hearts to love one another in Christ. Now, Christians are spiritually one people and can show Christ-like love towards each other and the world.
"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:13
Spiritual Discernment and Worldly Methods
The world sees the problem of racism, and they have no Christ or Scripture to inform the way they try to solve the problem. We see this so clearly as the world seeks to develop its ways to resolve the racial divide. The social gospel seeks to apply Christian ethics to social problems while neglecting the fundamental truths of the gospel. Critical race theory aims to change what is viewed as the oppressed and oppressor roles in America by reforming society. Both use unbiblical methods in efforts to bring unity. We must be careful to stay alert and practice spiritual discernment.
Though methods and systems can feel enticing because they offer quick and pragmatic ways of achieving what appears to be success, unity pursued outside of the faith should be avoided. The world's methods do not have the power to fix the problem.
We must remember that this is a spiritual fight. Christians fight with God's Word, not with each other or the world when trying to bring sin under the authority of God.
We are not fighting against flesh and blood. There is only one gospel—the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is not about using man-made methods to change society but about bringing sinful people to a loving and gracious God.
The Value of All People
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1:2
All people are valuable because all were created by God in his image. God made his creation uniquely and with distinct differences but with the same dignity and value. Therefore, there should be no room for racial discrimination, especially amongst Christians.
The Bible does not distinguish people by their skin color but by their Creator and through the Savior. We are all in need of grace and mercy, and we can all receive that freely in Christ.
The Importance of the Vertical Relationship
"After this, I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands," - Revelation 7:9
This biblical unity in heaven is only made possible because of the beautiful gospel. How wonderful would it be if we were to see a glimmer of this kind of unity here on earth? For this, we first have to start with the vertical relationship with God. In the current conversation, we often hear much about the horizontal relationship with people. However, Jim Denison wisely said, "Our truest unity will never be horizontal, only vertical."
When we gain a biblical understanding of the gospel and begin to live from it, we have hope to have peace horizontally in our relationships. This peace includes ethnic harmony. Jim Denison also said, "The closer we draw to God, the closer we draw to each other."
Biblical Unity through Sanctification and Community
Matt Chandler said of biblical unity, "The issue isn't justification, but sanctification."
Living out the gospel and becoming more like Christ in our actions, through sanctification, is where the work of biblical unity lies. This work of ethnic harmony is hard, and it is progressive, but it is holy.
We must not shy away from ethnic harmony but embrace it as a people of love. As children of God, we learn how to think rightly about this topic by reading about it in the Bible. We might not see the words black people, and white people, and orange people. Still, we see words like Nations, Gentile, Jew, and Samaritan.
Christians are not loners—we are a communal people—and we should be actively trying to improve racial relationships in a community. As we move, informed by Scripture, we learn to listen to one another, be quick to forgive when offended and bring our offense to the person who hurt us.
Many of the problems that we face with biblical unity center around miscommunications. We learn to show compassion as we discover and grow in this area. We must lean together into these uncomfortable matters, walking with one another through the learning and lamenting.
Ways to Love and Obey
"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39
Loving well requires intentionality, selflessness, and a willingness to obey the Holy Spirit in challenging areas.
1. Be familiar with self-reflection.
God gives us the gift of repentance. We are not to be afraid of asking the Holy Spirit to show us any implicit attitudes or assumptions that are discriminatory—including thoughts, words, or actions. If the Lord reveals any specific sin in this area, repent.
2. Take cultural initiatives and start conversations.
It can be one of the most helpful things we do. This one may also be one of the most uncomfortable and trying things we do. But as we seek to understand one another from different cultures and with varying skin colors, we learn how to effectively walk out biblical unity, lovingly and practically.
3. Recognize the widespread effects of racism.
In his book Bloodlines, John Piper quotes Michael O. Emerson, "Inequality and health care, economic inequality, police mistreatment, unequal access to educational opportunities, racial and balanced environmental degradation, unequal political power, residential segregation, job discrimination, or even congregational segregation..."
Emerson lists several causes for which we can advocate. One of the easiest ways to do this is to support laws that help progress change for the good. If we are able, great benefits result from standing up for these just causes through advocating for policy change.
God is able.
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us," Ephesians 3:20
Years upon years, we have seen racism cause division, and it can look impossible to change. We can quickly become discouraged as we see more unjust actions and even more division because of them.
The truth is, biblical unity is impossible in our strength, but God is able. It is not up to our strength, power, or methods. We lean on a mighty God.
Head, Heart, Hands.
Head:
Choose a Scripture to meditate on that relates to unity in Christ or man being created as image-bearers of God. You may want to start by choosing a Scripture from this article.
Heart:
Set aside time to pray that God would search your heart and that God would stir in you the affections of brotherly love.
Hands:
Lovingly start a conversation about biblical unity with someone you know. Listen, learn, and grow together as you seek to show Christ-like love that reflects the unity Christ has redeemed.
Remember the gospel brings the answer to the problem of racism. Live from the gospel and share it as you seek to practically advocate for unity.
May we lean on Christ as we take what we have learned, internalize it in our hearts, and put it into action with our hands.