"THE KEY TO CHURCH UNITY"

2 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 

Romans 15:2-3

Jesus Christ loves His Bride, the Church. That’s why He gave up His life for Her. On the night just before He was arrested, He commanded the disciples to love one another, which would become the distinguishing mark of Christian brotherhood. Moreover, Paul’s writings record Christ’s desire for the church to be united. But as we all know, as long as human beings are involved, disunity and conflict are always possible. So, how should we work together to achieve the oneness that Jesus desires?

The first seven verses of Romans 15 show Paul’s teaching on being gracious toward one another; specifically, those who are mature should be considerate of those with weaker faith. The apostle calls for mutual encouragement and harmony within the body of Christ.

Paul challenges his readers not to live to please themselves. Instead, they should live to please (ἀρέσκω, areskō, “to strive to please”) those in the family of faith. The Greek term suggests welcoming the opinions and interests of others. The command to avoid self-pleasing applies to all believers, whether they are strong or weak in the faith. Everyone’s goal must be to add spiritual value to the lives of others. This way, the church will be edified and win as many as possible to the Lord.

To strengthen his case, Paul cites the Lord Jesus as his example. Just like every believer, Christ also had to choose between pleasing Himself or others. The Lord said that He came to seek not His own will, but to do the will of the Father (John 5:30). 

Paul quotes Psalm 69:9, where the Messiah is portrayed as receiving insults on behalf of sinners. Despite the slander and defamation thrown at Jesus, He remained humble and faithful in His ministry. Paul argues that his readers must also seek the good of others even when they are misunderstood or falsely accused.

I think Paul’s message is quite straightforward. God wants us to set aside our personal opinions, agendas, and preferences to make room for others. If our Lord Jesus lived to serve others, we should have the same mission. With that in mind, there cannot be a place for selfishness and lack of consideration in the church.

The Church is also known as “the body of Christ.” The imagery cannot get any clearer. Every part, regardless of how small or big, is vital. When one part is not working, the whole body is affected. There is no such thing as an insignificant member in our spiritual family. We all have a part to play, and when we each do our part, we contribute to what is happening on a bigger scale.

So, if we want to achieve true unity in the church, we must first learn to accommodate one another and be gracious to one another. Together, we are the church, and we exist not to give pleasure to ourselves but to God and one another.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash