The Bible teaches that all those who are in Christ are united as one body through their faith in Him. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This verse teaches that the divisions that exist among humanity outside of Christ are erased when someone puts their faith in Him. The ground is level at the foot of the cross, and all believers are brought into the same family as children of God. So what does it mean practically that we are all one in Christ?
We are united in our identity in Christ
When we put our faith in Christ, we take on a new identity. Our primary identity is no longer based on ethnicity, social status, or gender, but rather that we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). In God’s eyes, these earthly differences and divisions fade away, and He sees us all as His beloved children. Galatians 3:26-28 explains that in Christ we are all “children of God through faith.” This new identity in Christ takes precedence over any other label or category that may divide us. As believers, we are now members of the same spiritual family.
We have equal access to God by faith
The divisions that separated people under the Old Covenant law have been removed through faith in Christ. The Jews had been God’s chosen people, but the Good News of the Gospel is that God’s promises and blessings are now available to all who put their faith in Christ. Galatians 3:28 teaches that we all have equal access to God and His salvation by faith alone. There is no advantage or privilege based on class, status, or ethnicity when it comes to our standing before God. As believers, we all come to God the same way – through faith in Christ.
We are members of the same body
1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” We are baptized into Christ’s body, the church, when we are saved. Despite our differences, the Holy Spirit unites us together into this one body of believers. Just as a physical body has many parts that function together as a whole, the church is made up of many members who are meant to work together in unity (1 Corinthians 12:12). God has designed His church to display the supernatural power of the Gospel to break down barriers and bring diverse people together in Christ.
We are co-heirs with Christ
Romans 8:17 tells us, “…if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” No matter what our earthly status may be, as believers we are adopted into God’s family as His children and heirs along with Jesus. This means we share equally in the inheritance that Christ has provided for us. The blessings, promises, and eternal life that Christ earned are now ours by faith. There is no partiality or favoritism with God regarding our position as co-heirs with Christ.
We are united by the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:3-4 exhorts believers to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit.” It is the Holy Spirit who produces unity among believers by giving us new life, illuminating God’s truth to us, and empowering us to love one another (1 Corinthians 12:13, John 14:26, Galatians 5:22-23). As we walk in step with the Spirit, submitting to His authority over our lives individually and corporately, He enables us to live out the supernatural unity we have been called to as Christ’s body.
We are equally accountable before God
Galatians 3:28 concludes by saying that in Christ we are “all one.” This oneness in Christ means that we are all accountable before God to believe in Christ, pursue holiness, and carry out the mission He has given us. God does not have separate standards for different groups of people. By God’s grace, the righteousness of Christ is equally available to all who put their faith in Him. At the same time, God calls every believer to the same high standard of living in a way that honors Him and advances the cause of His kingdom.
Implications of our unity in Christ
Recognizing the unity we share as believers should impact the way we think, speak, and act toward one another. Here are some key implications:
– We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). If we are all one in Him, then we are to treat each other with the same sacrificial, servant-hearted love that characterized Jesus. There is no room for prejudice, bitterness, or divisiveness within the body of Christ.
– We must be vigilant against anything that would undermine the unity we have in Christ, whether it stems from preference, tradition, ignorance, or pride. Pursuing genuine biblical unity requires humility, patience, and effort (Ephesians 4:3).
– We should use our unique gifts and perspectives to build up others in the body, not tear them down or promote ourselves at the expense of others (Romans 12:3-8). We need each other.
– As one family in Christ, we share a common allegiance to Jesus that transcends any earthly allegiances. Our primary identification should not be with a particular Christian tradition or denomination, but with the entire church worldwide.
– We should support, encourage, pray for, and joint labor with other Christians whenever possible, rather than remaining isolated from each other (Philippians 1:27). Partnership advances the Gospel.
– Within the church, there should be mutual love, honor, and service between people of different genders, generations, nationalities and economic classes. No one should be stereotyped or dismissed.
– There must be repentance and reconciliation whenever sinful attitudes or actions undermine the biblical oneness we are called to display as God’s new covenant community.
In a world filled with division and hostility, the church displays the power of the Gospel when it lives out costly unity across the barriers that divide society. As we grasp what it means to be one in Christ, we can participate in His mission to establish a united community that brings glory to God by looking like Jesus. Our oneness in Him is both a present reality and an ongoing process as we allow God’s grace to shape us more fully into the image of Christ.
Warnings against undermining unity in Christ
The New Testament includes strong warnings against attitudes and actions that undermine the unity we have in Christ. Believers who promote factionalism, pride, racial/ethnic partiality, disunity, false teaching, or discrimination within the church distort the spiritual oneness Christ intends for His body.
Here are some key verses that warn against divisive sins that destroy our fellowship:
– Romans 16:17 – “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
– Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
– James 2:1-4 – “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory… have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
– 1 John 2:9-11 – “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light…But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness.”
– Jude 17-19 – “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions…”
These passages make it clear that selfishness, pridefulness, racial discrimination, false doctrine, hostility, andfactiousness distort the unity Christ intends for his Church. As believers, we must heed these sober warnings and examine our own hearts and actions. Do we value the oneness we have with other members of Christ’s body? Are we contributing to unity, or undermining it through sins like partiality, selfish ambition, or divisive speech? Thankfully, as we recognize where we have failed, we can repent and experience forgiveness through Christ. Staying humble, teachable, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit enables us to continually walk in a manner worthy of our calling to peace and unity as God’s people.
Pursuing unity requires effort and sacrifice
Maintaining genuine unity with fellow believers requires intentionality, humility, sacrificial love, patience, and persistent effort. It does not happen automatically. Jesus emphasized that loving one another deeply is one of the primary ways the church witnesses to the reality of the Gospel (John 13:34-35). Therefore, we must make every effort to pursue unity, rather than taking it for granted or ignoring issues that may divide Christ’s body.
Scripture highlights several keys to preserving unity:
– Have humility and esteem others above yourself (Philippians 2:3-4)
– Bear with one another patiently in love (Ephesians 4:2)
– Seek maturity and full knowledge of Christ together (Ephesians 4:13)
– Speak the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:15)
– Forgive grievances quickly (Ephesians 4:32)
– Serve one another, using gifts to build up the body (1 Peter 4:10)
– Welcome and accept those different than you (Romans 15:7)
– Seek righteousness, faith, love and peace together (2 Timothy 2:22)
– Finally, have the same mindset as Christ in all things (Philippians 2:5).
Following Jesus’ example of sacrificial love and humility enables us to honor Him by the way we strive to maintain the unity we have been given in Him. Our witness is weakened whenever we passively tolerate division, harbor grudges, insist on preferences, or refuse to forgive. As we celebrate the oneness we have in Christ, let us also actively pursue it in a way that gives a glimpse of God’s kingdom to the watching world.
Racial reconciliation and unity in Christ
One prominent area where the church has opportunity to display the unifying power of the Gospel is racial reconciliation. Scripture teaches that Christ has made us one in Him, removing any basis for racial hostility within His body. Believers from every nation, tribe, and language will worship Jesus together for eternity (Revelation 5:9, 7:9). The church should model the same kingdom diversity and harmony here and now.
Regrettably, professing Christians have often perpetuated the world’s prejudices rather than leading the way in pursuing cross-cultural unity in Christ. But when Christians repent of racism and make efforts at reconciliation, they reflect God’s heart for justice and display His supernatural power to unite people across ethnic barriers under one banner — the Gospel.
Racial reconciliation in the church requires intentionality, courage, and grace. Below are some ways this process can be furthered:
– Confessing and repenting of conscious and unconscious racism (1 John 1:9). This includes repenting of indifference and silence.
– Listening to and valuing the experiences of Christians of different ethnicities.
– Educating ourselves biblically on issues like justice, privilege, prejudice.
– Developing meaningful relationships across ethnic lines, not just surface-level friendships.
– Advocating for and supporting multi-ethnic churches and organizations.
– Standing against injustice and discrimination in society and our legal systems.
– Celebrating our shared identity in Christ that transcends any other label or category.
– Insisting on ethnic diversity in church leadership. We need each other’s perspectives.
– Honoring and learning from Christians from around the globe, not just those who share our culture.
– Emphasizing our primary citizenship is in God’s kingdom, not any earthly nation (Philippians 3:20).
As we take deliberate steps toward cross-cultural relationship, humility, advocacy, and celebration of our shared union in Christ, we reflect God’s redemptive purposes on earth. The manifold wisdom of God is displayed to the spiritual powers of evil through the church when people of diverse colors, cultures and classes are united in Christ (Ephesians 3:10).
Unity and doctrinal truth
While Scripture emphasizes the importance of unity within the body of Christ, this unity is grounded in shared truth regarding the Gospel and God’s revelation in Scripture. Unity does not mean uniformity in every belief or practice. Yet there are core truths that unite the global church, and some doctrinal differences are serious enough to warrant separation.
Paul exhorted believers to agree in what they say and avoid divisions around secondary issues (1 Cor 1:10). At the same time, he sternly warned against false gospels and urged separation from heretical teachers who denied fundamental Christian truths (Gal 1:6-9, 2 John 1:10). Doctrinal unity within the universal church is centered on shared faith in the revealed Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Below are some general principles for how Christians can balance grace-filled unity with vigilance for sound doctrine:
– Major on majors – some doctrinal differences are secondary. Focus on truths essential to Gospel.
– Condemn false doctrine; correct erring believers gently (2 Tim 2:24-26; Titus 3:10)
– Separate from those promoting serious heresy, not minor differences. (Rom 16:17)
– Allow freedom in disputable matters of conscience (Rom 14:1).
– Distinguish between essentials of the faith and personal convictions.
– Major on the mission of making Christ known (John 17:21). Keep the main thing the main thing.
– Season conversations with grace, patience and humility (Col 4:6). Listen well.
– Avoid quarrels over words and foolish controversies (2 Tim 2:14, 23)
– Earnestly pray for and correct fellow believers straying into doctrinal error
– Make doctrinal stances clear, but resist attacking fellow believers over minor differences
– Focus more on right living than just right thinking. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
With the help of the Holy Spirit, Christians can navigate issues of truth and unity with wisdom, care, and moral courage. As we celebrate the oneness secured for us through Christ, may we also strive to maintain it within His body amid our imperfect knowledge and understanding. By God’s grace, the way we stewward both truth and unity gives a powerful testimony to the genuineness of the Gospel.
Conclusion
The church displays God’s wisdom and the transformative power of the Gospel when it lives out costly unity across customary social divides. As we grasp the profound oneness we already possess through our union with Christ, we can participate in His mission to establish an inclusive community that looks like Jesus. May we be vigilant to do all we can to maintain this spiritual unity, through repentance, difficult conversations, advocacy, and celebration of our oneness in Him. And may we fix our hope on the day when people from every nation will finally worship together before the throne, one unified body manifesting Christ’s glory. Maranatha!
