Encouraged Towards Unity
History tells us that its okay if disagreement leads to separation. Isn’t that what we experience in our daily lives? Cancel culture, lack of listening and the idol of self protection reign in our culture. And yet again Scripture proves itself to be timeless wisdom we constantly need.
Paul twice in this short letter urges in the believers in Philippi to be united. This isn’t coming from a lack of wanting to engage conflict. No, it is the end goal of all conflict. It is the very reason we have conflict.
Unity is not the suffering of being with people you do not like. It is the hard work of being connected through something bigger than yourself. That is what Paul is reminding the church in Philippians 2:1-4.
He is pointing us to emulate the unity of our Triune God. The One who lives in complete and utter unity and the church should be that way too. There is something about the unification of believers that should point the world around us to the very thing that brings us together - Jesus. Jesus makes us new creations and we are to become, “of the same mind, having the same love and being in full accord and of one mind” The same mind Paul is talking about here is the mind given to us by the Spirit and the love that was displayed on the cross.
Church, we are to be different. We do no engage in cancel culture. We learn to work through our differences. We learn to love and praise God for bring such a wide variety of people. We condemn our flesh that is so prone to forsake people out of differences. That is sin and we kill that, knowing that it does not own us.
Doesn’t this feeling of cancel culture, leaving when there is a difference, walking away when it gets hard feel so familiar? It should as Paul talks about such a fight in Romans 7:15-20
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
It should cause aching grief for us to walk away from brothers or sisters in Christ due to conflict. It should hurt us like we are losing a part of our body. If I were to be frank, I don’t think it causes much pain for us. We love to blend in and cancel people because it’s easier than working through conflict and ending in unifying forgiveness.
Yet, that is not abiding in the love of Christ, not does it show we are a set apart people. In being set apart we are unified to one another bonded by the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Him and Him alone we fight for one another and with one another.
We see this in the urging of Paul, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion,1 help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3). He did not cancel Euodia and Syntyche, but called them up to cling to a unity only Christ can give.
Please note, that unity and forgiveness does not mean best friends or trust restored. It means accounts are erased and good is sought out for one another. That can be good prayed for from afar if the circumstances require it.
Where are you prone to self protect? Where are you prone to abide in your own bitterness instead of in the love of Christ?
