We hear so much about being tolerant and inclusive that it’s easy to wonder where unity fits in all of it? Does unity mean that we never say anything that someone else might not agree with? Can we ever speak freely without the fear of offending?

Is there a difference between cultural tolerance and Biblical unity? The short answer is yes. Keep reading for the longer answer.

In order for cultural tolerance to exist, no one can ever say anyone is wrong. You can think that someone is wrong, or that a belief system is wrong, or that a lifestyle is wrong. But you can’t say it, and once you do, the offended party can then say that YOU are wrong. It sounds hypocritical, but it’s simply the way the fragile tolerance of culture is maintained. As long as no one rocks the boat, it works. Once the boat is rocked, the disrupter must be tossed overboard.

Biblical unity is entirely different. Biblical unity happens when we all acknowledge that everyone is wrong. The Bible confirms this over and over again.

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:10-12‬, emphasis mine)

The Biblical truth that we are born sinners in need of a Savior doesn’t pair well with the cultural message that we are born good and need encouragement to be even better.

But Paul understood that the foundation of equality in sin was necessary to build a house of unity. A few verses later, Paul talks about the righteousness that is available to all of us because all of us need it.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:22-24, emphasis mine) ‬‬

So, why don’t more people run to the saving grace offered by Jesus? Simply because we want to avoid admitting that our way is wrong, and His way is right. Accepting Jesus as my Savior can’t happen if we’re simultaneously rejecting Jesus as Lord, and it’s the Lordship of Jesus that rocks the boat of cultural tolerance.

How can different people with different perspectives and different ideas get along in the same boat? By remembering that all of us were drowning, and none of us were good enough swimmers to save ourselves.

It doesn’t mean that we unify around how bad we were (and sometimes, still are), but rather, we sit in the boat and collectively point each other – and those who are still being pulled from the waters – to the One who saved us.

Photo by Stormseeker on Unsplash

Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Christian Nationalism” a time or two, since there’s been a lot written in articles, blogs, and social media posts about it. I’m not going to cover it here, but most people who write about it see it as a huge threat and something to be avoided. Not surprisingly, people have vastly different opinions about it, but there’s another trend that is far more dangerous to the mission of believers than that one:

Christian Individualism.

Ok, so I don’t know if that’s an actual sociological term, but it should be, and the two words in it should never be together. The only reason we consider Christianity to be an individual faith is because we live in a “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” culture that values the individual over the many.

But the Bible talks about individuals following Jesus together with other individuals who are following Jesus. Biblical discipleship isn’t just “alone time with God and the Word” and jotting down some takeaways in a journal that no one sees but you. Biblical discipleship is the body doing life together, sharing meals together, studying Scripture together, and so on. If that last sentence made you squirm a little, then I think you’re starting to understand the difference between Christian Individualism and Biblical Christianity.

In her book, “Find Your People,” Jennie Allen talks about a pastor in the underground church and his response to her question about why the American church has lost its connectedness, especially in comparison to the people he’s with in the Middle East. His answer?

“Because the West is all about individualism, convenience, and being comfortable. Discipleship is inconvenient, uncomfortable, and very messy.”

Why has the pandemic taken such a toll on all of us? Because it kept all of us from being with all of us. It’s time to dig deep together again, to allow others in to see our messes, and to grow as one body of many parts instead of one church of many individuals. Paul summed it up like this:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:14-18‬ ‭NIV, emphasis mine)

Paul’s whole prayer is in the context of family. He prays that we would be rooted together – trees who stand strong in the storm because our roots have grown deep and connected before the storm – and that the rootedness we have would display God’s love and power to the world.

There is no easy route to this kind of power.

It takes time.

Together.

In the dirt.

Photo by Liam Charmer on Unsplash

Today is the down day. The forgotten day. The day in the middle of the death that rocked the whole world and the comeback that changed the whole world.

Everyone remembers the cross. Everyone celebrates the resurrection.

But no one gives cards celebrating the Saturday between the two.

Maybe we should.

Maybe we should remember that what seemed like a down day was actually the day when the coming victory was building in the unseen realm.

This is the day when Jesus delivered the news of the enemy’s defeat to the enemy in person.

The day Jesus took back the keys to death and the grave.

The day that reminds us that our God is always at work, even when we aren’t.

The day that stands as a testimony to us all that there really are no down days. That even when we’re weeping in the night, our God is working behind the scenes to set the table for a breakfast of joy in the morning.

We may be down, but our God isn’t.

Ever!

Today, on what many see as the throwaway day between the two most important days, remind yourself that God chose three days for a reason, and it’s often because there’s work that only He can do in the middle.

Our job? Simply to stand still and see the deliverance of our God.

Still not convinced? Just wait and see. The Son will rise tomorrow.

Photo by Cody Chan on Unsplash