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RELIGIOUS UNITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS

1. NEHEMIAH 8:1-8

2. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31a

3 LUKE 4:14-21

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is religious unity. Religious unity means the church members serving God with a common purpose of fulfilling His will. Religious unity is unity in diversity and fulfilling God’s mission on earth through the church. We shall discuss the three main points

1. Religious unity must be founded on the word of God.

2. Religious unity is possible when diversity is embraced.

3. Religious unity must fulfil the mission of God through Christ.

Firstly, religious unity is possible when the church is founded and guided by the Word of God. After returning from exile and settling on their land, the people of Israel yearned for a Spiritual revival and a deeper relationship with God through the Word of God.. In the first Scripture reading, we realised that “…all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel…The Levites —Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. (Nehemiah 8:1,7-8) Jesus assured us that “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6). The Word of God is the only way to seek true spiritual and moral revival and unity of believers in the Church. Dear friend, how often do you hunger and thirst for the Word of Life, do you have a habit of reading and listening to God’s Word? Does the Scripture and Sermons you listen to have any positive impact on your life? If it does, how does it affect your relationship and unity with other believers and God and how does it manifest in your work as a believer? As we study and gain an understanding of the Scriptures, our minds, hearts and spirits are united in worship to glorify God.

Secondly, Religious unity is not a homogeneous unity but unity in diversity through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is captured when Paul wrote “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-28) In other words, in Christ we are united, through Him we are one body but are given divergent ministries through the enablement of the Holy Spirit to fulfil the mission and purpose of God in the world. It is important to note that a divided church cannot represent Christ.

Thirdly, religious unity must fulfil God’s mission. What then is God’s mission in the world? It is summed up by Jesus when He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19) The church must united to fulfil the mission of bringing Good News, liberation, enlightenment and salvation to those who put their faith in Christ.

In summary, we have discovered that religious unity must be founded on the word of God, religious unity is possible when diversity is embraced and last but not least, religious unity must fulfil the mission of God through Christ. May the Holy Spirit continue to sustain the unity of the Church in the world. Amen.