Christian Unity

I’ve been hearing a repeated plea for unity within the Church, and I agree there is a real need for this. But what does that look like?

The apostle Paul wrote “There is one Body” (Ephesians 4:4), and in John’s gospel we see how Jesus prayed for Christian Unity, asking that we be one just as He and the Father are one. (John 17:20-23) And even if Scripture didn’t discuss unity we could still embrace the practice. After all, practically speaking, there’s strength in numbers. For example: a healthy herd chases away predators, demonstrating how this plays out in nature. Likewise, we can observe that political parties push their agenda through when all party members vote in unity around an issue.

But understand this: Christian Unity is only possible when we are knit together through the Spirit of God. When Jesus said that He and the Father were one or that He abided in the Father, it defined unity as reflecting the likeness of God. When Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus explained that seeing the Son was like seeing the Father; even His words came from the Father. (John 14:8-18) The fact is as we draw closer to God, we look and act and speak more like Him. Drawing close to God, we reflect His image more closely. And as we individually seek clearer understanding of Who God is, we naturally draw closer together. Sure, there are different perspectives as we each grow in our understanding, so we should respectfully and lovingly challenge each other in our quest to know God better, and in so doing we will grow together. “As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17)

The problem with how many are using the term “Unity” is that it’s being conflated with the word “Conformity”. Conformity is an ugly thing in Church, often done unintentionally to manipulate and control. Conformity impedes discourse, portraying healthy questions as somehow heretical or spiritually immature. It is not spiritually immature to struggle with a concept; rather, maturity continues to wrestle with an issue. Proverbs repeatedly encourages us to seek understanding, and it’s clear that God wants us to do just that. God chose Israel, giving Jacob this new name which means “struggles with God”. Before this new name, the meaning of Jacob was “deceiver”, and I believe that he was selected as a model of how God chooses His people (us!) in our sinful nature. Then, in our ensuing struggle with God, He prepares His Church as His Bride. This struggle is a journey each of us must make as we are changed from glory to glory into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:15-18)

If you are in a church that discourages questioning, you may need a new church. I’m not saying you should definitely leave or suggesting that the leadership has bad intentions, but shutting down the conversation limits your spiritual growth and isn’t a healthy group dynamic. People who are threatened by questions are often insecure about their own position, and our goal should be to build them up, neither exploiting a weakness nor enabling the dysfunctional behavior.

I wouldn’t suggest focusing on reasons to leave so much as asking God to show you how to respond, praying all the more for your church and its leadership as you find gaps, specifically asking the Holy Spirit to fill in those gaps. Also, as uncomfortable as it may be, seek winsome ways to have conversations with the leadership from a biblical perspective rather than assuming bad intentions. We are, each of us, on a journey with Christ as our destination.


Speak the truth in love, and if they aren’t open to a conversation then be sensitive to how you respond. If there is an openness to growing together, then guess what? That is what unity looks like! But if there is no desire to walk through it, sharpening each other, then God may be leading you elsewhere (See Matthew 10:11-15). There is a priesthood of all believers, one body with many parts, and you have your part to play. So be careful to follow Jesus’ example as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah:

A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish;
He will faithfully make just decrees.


copyright ©2024 Mitchell Malloy (http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/)

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