How can a church be successful with unity, while practicing division?
In my recent three-part series on How to Disagree (part 1, part 2, part 3), I talked a lot about maintaining unity while recognizing that there may be (most likely, are!) disagreements among us.
One thing I didn’t say is that we should practice division. What we should practice is unity despite disagreements we may have with one another on non-essential beliefs and/or practices. This is what Paul is stressing in Romans chapter 14 and into the beginning of chapter 15. And he makes it clear that disagreements don’t have to end in division for God’s people. In fact, maintaining, unity even while we disagree with one another on non-essentials, is quite possibly one of the strongest witnesses we can offer to an unbelieving world as to how following Jesus changes a person.
For our world is divided. Unity is no longer maintained simply by being from the same country or neighborhood. Unity is no longer maintained merely by being part of the same political party or the same church. Even rooting for the same sports team won’t keep folks united these days.
The question Paul is forcing us to answer is this: Will we follow the path of a divided and divisive world, or the path of our united and unifying God? For followers of Jesus, there is only one answer.