When Jesus is central in our hearts; when He is our First Love; when He is leading us and we are following Him—then, and only then—we have unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When I am so in love with Jesus Christ, as a bride loves her husband, I enjoy sweet fellowship with others in the Body of Christ who are similarly love-struck.
We may have differences in our understanding of Scripture, but when we look to Jesus, the Living Truth, we experience harmony with one another.
We may have different ways of worshipping, but it is the same God we worship, and the same Lord we serve.
We may have various manners of praying, but it is the same Heavenly Father we are praying to and the same Lord Jesus Christ in whose name and authority we pray.
We may look different, act dissimilar, and dress in diverse ways, but if we are in love with Him and serving Him wholeheartedly, those differences quickly fade away, like morning fog as the sun rises.
He, and He alone, is the head of a glorious body of which we all are distinct and necessary members. When Jesus is central, it becomes a vital, whole, and healthy body that lives, breathes, and moves throughout the earth, bringing light, love, and healing to all it touches.
Throughout history, a focus on doctrinal differences has wracked and divided the Church, causing countless divisions among its members. Sound doctrine is essential to our walk with God—but doctrinal understanding should never usurp lordship over Christ.
Woe to those who think they have the only right way of understanding the mysteries of God and Christ! Scripture reminds us that we know only in part and understand in part. But one day, when He returns, we will know even as we are known!
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We receive our nourishment from Him, to the end that we grow and bear much fruit. His instruction to His followers was never that they all agree on the doctrine. It was that they love one another.
What a distinct and amazing privilege it is to be light-bearers to the world! And what joy it is to serve alongside brothers and sisters who are focused on loving Him and Him alone.
If we each do our part, keeping Jesus central in our hearts, the church can come together as one, celebrating God together, and bringing His love to a world desperate with need.
Jesus is the great unifier.
How will you love Him today?
Thank You Cheryl! Amen!! Will confess that seeing Jesus as the Bridegroom for the Bride, His Church, is still a little new for me, but there it is in Ephesians 5! And then to go to the level of real personal intimacy and say (and feel) that He is MY bridegroom/husband, and I am His bride/wife… You said that we could “be in love with Him” and “love struck”… Even on a friendship level, I can begin to see and know how Mary and Martha must have treasured their times with Him, and how He blessed their lives… It is a wonderful thing to consider that now Jesus is working on our behalf as an intimate brother, savior, and friend, and can minister to us on this deepest of levels as a kind strong loving “bridegroom” with His “bride”, or as Ephesians says, as a husband would his wife.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ann. I feel I’m just beginning to scratch the surface in understanding the kind of loving Lord we have and the deeper levels we can go with Him. Blessings to you!
Ah yes Cheryl, Jesus truly is The Unifier! When you consider how much of God’s Word you know ~ or think you know ~ no matter how in-depth your knowledge ~ at best you or all of us can only know in part today ~ that’s why it is ridiculous to argue over what little we know today! Excellent article Cheryl!
Thanks Tony! Glad you found it meaningful.