I am not a politician, nor do I want to be one as I personally feel the more important work is Gospel Work related to a greater Kingdom … that of God’s eternal place in glory. Although I am not qualified to speak about political issues, I want to pick up on an extract from CBS News relating to America’s new president and what might be an olive branch handed to him by ten senators from the previous Administration.
The group of 10 Republican senators seeking to negotiate with President Biden on a new round of COVID-19 relief unveiled details of their proposal on Monday, hours before the lawmakers are set to meet with the president at the White House. …
“Mr. President, we recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,” the senators said in a joint statement. “We look forward to discussing our proposal in detail with you this afternoon at the White House.”
Leading up to the November elections and thereafter, the news media spoke extensively of a divided nation. When chatting to our son and his wife, both American citizens, they said the country was terribly divided. Although the Apartheid system was declared a crime against humanity (rather, I would say, “a sin against humanity”), the architects of that evil system understood something about unity. Their motto was “Unity is Strength” … most likely meaning that when all the “Afrikaners” or all “white” people are united, they could or would be “invincible”!
The new American President called for unity in the nation and between the two political parties. These ten senators seem to want to take him up on that call. A divided nation cannot stand, though a united nation can. I sincerely hope that they can work together as history reveals over and over again that a divided nation cannot stand. We saw what happened at Babel in Genesis 11:
Ge 11:3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
They also understood something about unity … yet they forgot something far greater than their human planning:
Ge 11:5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
Because of rebellion, God broke up their “unity” and they became a divided people … to fulfil God’s will, “fill the earth”. Sin is a horrendous thing … it divides and hurts and destroys! This happens in nations, families and even in the church of God … sadly so!
Calling for spiritual maturity in the Church, Paul says to the wayward and spiritually off course Corinthian Church:
1Co 1:10 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.
He wants them to base their unity upon Scripture so that they think Biblically and that their minds are filled with Scripture, for true unity can only be when we all agree with what God wants and requires and conform to that! He explains this more fully to the Church at Colossae:
Col 2:1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
He wanted that church and all the believers he had not met personally to “know the mystery of God, namely, Christ” so that they would experience two things: (1) “the full riches of complete understanding” and (2) “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Yet, to achieve this they needed (1) to “be encouraged in heart” and (2) “united in love.”
As the Body of Christ grows in Scripture together, so they achieve spiritual maturity and then they are encouraged and more … united in love. This is where the Church can arise and become a formidable force in the society they are situated in. Paul implies this in Ephesians 4 … when pastor teachers do their work correctly:
Eph 4:12 To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
The Body of Christ will never achieve this without the pastor-teacher doing what God has called him to do … expositional preaching. Naturally, the Body needs to receive and apply the teaching. Surely, unity in Christ implies being united on a good and correct understanding of what the Bible teaches … then, “unity is strength” to accomplish God’s will for the Church and a lost world!
Dear God, how we marvel at the unity found in the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the unity You desire for us as Your Church, yet we know such unity needs to be soundly based upon Your Holy Word, as our directive for community, comradery and commitment arises from Truth, not humanistic thinking. Lord, the visible Church is often torn and scattered Biblically. Please bring us back to the Truth of Scripture so that we might be the force on earth that You will be proud of for Jesus’ sake and Your Glory. Amen.