DIVERSITY AND UNITY

DIVERSITY AND UNITY

All words have meanings, but the same word can have different meanings. For example, in Columbia the word “chucha” means a bad order from your armpit. In Argentina it means a female reproductive organ. In Chile “esta a la chucha” means that something is far away. We must be careful how we use words!

With this in mind let us discuss “diversity”. This is a very popular word in our modern world. Diversity, however, can be either good or bad depending upon what it describes. There are presently 193 different countries that are member states in the United Nations. There are also 7,117 different languages that are spoken around the world. Certainly our modern world is “diverse”.

Since Jesus sent His apostles to preach in every nation (Matt. 28:18-20), the converts from these different nations are obviously diverse. The book of Revelation speaks of “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev. 7:9). These are saved individuals crying out in a loud voice “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev. 7:10). Note that these people from all over the world are speaking with one voice. Converts to Christ do not remain diverse. Our goal in Christ is “unity”, not “diversity”. It is the eternal plan of God to unify all of the divergent elements in heaven and earth under one head, even Christ (Eph. 1:10). In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female. In Christ we are all “one” (Gal. 3:28). While converts come from different countries, like sheep converging on a shepherd, the closer we get to Christ, the closer we get to one other. Our ultimate goal is to “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). When we attain the “fulness of Christ” there will be no diversity. Then we will not only be “one” with Christ, we will also be “one” with each other.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven was like a man sowing good seed in his field. While men slept, however, an enemy sowed weeds among the wheat. This diversity is from the devil and is not good (Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43). In explaining this parable Jesus said “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and he good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.”” (Matt. 13:38).

Please note that the “sons of the evil one” are in the world, not in the church. The presence of good and bad in the world will continue until Jesus comes again. As long as we are in the world we cannot escape this diversity. To escape from the “sons of the evil one” you would have to leave the world (1 Cor. 5:10). Our desire for diversity, however, must never allow the devil to put his sons in the church. Yes! All people start out sons of the evil one, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Nobody, however, will be added by God to His church unless they repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38). You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God (Jn. 3:5). The liar must stop lying. The thief must stop stealing. Converts to Christ must get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling slander, and every form of malice (Eph. 4:25-32). We can all become sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). Just as bad company corrupts good character (1 Cor. 15:33), unrepentant sinners corrupt the church. The church at Corinth, for example, allowed a son of the evil one in the church. This evil man was having sexual relations with his father’s wife. Incredibly, they not only accepted him but were proud of this horrible sin (1 Cor. 5:2). Paul warned that unless this evil was removed it would spread like leaven throughout the whole church (1 Cor. 5:1-13).

Without repentance it is inevitable that “Evil men and imposters would go from bad to worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). If not removed weeds will take over the garden. Without repentance sinners become more and more wicked. David committed adultery, but he repented and never committed adultery again (See Psalm 51). The men of Benjamin, by contrast, committed adultery and refused to repent. These sons of the evil one gang raped an innocent woman all night long until she died (Judges 19:20-28). When their brethren rebuked them for this awful crime they refused to repent (Judges 20:12-16). They even mustered an army to preserve their “right” to rape and murder. Sadly, 25,000 Benjamites were killed in a single day (See Judges 20:17- 21:25). Unrepentant men like this must never be allowed to be part of the Lord’s church. Everybody ought to be safe in the church!

As you know, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Jesus came into the world to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19:10). Paul was lost and even described himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). He was an example to prove that if he could be saved, anyone can be saved. Becoming part of the church, however, required Paul to change. He had to put off his old self that was corrupted by sinful desires, and put on the new self that was like God (Eph. 4:17-24). Paul explained: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Paul’s transformation from his old life in sin and his new life in Christ is beautifully symbolized by baptism (Rom. 6:1-14).

We repeat, our goal is not diversity but complete and total unity in Christ. This unity can only be achieved when our old sinful nature dies and is replaced by Christ. Remember! Christ in you is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

Perhaps the word “synergy” can help us understand Christian unity. “Synergy” literally means “working together”. The dictionary defines it as: “The joint action of agents so that their combined effect is greater than the algebraic sum of their individual parts” R. Buckminister Fuller illustrates “synergy” in his book Synergetics by making reference to the tensile strength of four different metals. (tensile strength refers to the power required to pull a piece of metal apart). The tensile strength of iron is 60,000 lbs p.s.i., chromium is 70,000 lbs. p.s.i., nickel is 80,000 lbs. p.s.i., and carbon is 50,000 lbs. p.s.i.

If these four metals are made into a chain, the chain will break at it’s weakest link. (Carbon at 50,000 lbs. p.s.i.) If these four metals are wrapped together like a cable you add their combined strengths for a total of 260,000 lbs. p.s.i. Synergy, however, requires that each of these four metals be melted together so that each component loses it own identity. The result is an alloy called “chrome nickel steel”. The strength of this new alloy is 350,000 lbs. p.s.i. which is greater than the mathematical sum of all four metals combined. Chrome nickel steel is an amazingly strong metal without which the jet engine would not be possible. When we lose our own identity and become one in Christ we can achieve a power that is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

John the Baptist is a good example in that he was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth (Lk. 1:15). Remember, the Holy Spirit does not speak about Himself, but glorifies Jesus (Jn. 16:13-15). So John the Baptist did not exalt himself, he exalted Jesus. This is what everyone should do! John said: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegrooms voice. That joy is mine, and is now

complete. He must become greater; I must become less” (Jn. 3:29-30). What a contrast John is with Diotrephes. This ungodly man put himself first and refused to welcome the brethren (3 Jn. 9-10).

Diversity must never be used as an excuse for conduct that does not honor Christ. Remember! “We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor. 12:13). Remember! “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col.3:5-11).