The love of Christ controls us

A prayer for unity

Oct 31, 2024

a close-up of a mask — Photo by Matea Gregg on Unsplash

Over the last year or so, I’ve grown increasingly more burdened over disunity, particularly within the body of Christ.

Often, it feels as though our priorities have slipped. This shouldn’t be too surprising; after all, we’re (unfortunately) still human, and still have a sin nature to contend with even as we’re being transformed into new creation day by day.

I don’t intend to criticize good-faith efforts to correct improper teaching; what I take issue with is the us-versus-them mentality that tends to underlie all discourse during this moment in time, even among fellow believers.

Today is Reformation Day. We’re also five days out from the U.S. presidential election. I am not going to talk about either of those things—there are plenty of people on every platform known to man telling you what you should believe, how you should feel, how you should act, what you should think, and who you should hate based on where they stand in relation to those two topics. I don’t need to throw my hat into that ring.

Instead, can I encourage you to do something else? Next time you’re tempted to draw a line in the sand, to point a finger, to criticize “them” for a difference in approach or perspective, take a pause. Examine the moment, and examine yourself. There may be a legitimate reason for concern—if so, present it to the Lord and ask him for humility and wisdom before you take another step.

And if not—present it to the Lord.

As usual, the words of the Apostle Paul help bring everything into its right order. Take a moment to read the following:

“…For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:14–21

God has given us, as Paul says, the ultimate ministry of reconciliation through Christ. That’s the most important thing to know. There is nothing—no doctrinal disagreement, no misunderstanding, no political stance, no schism—that supplants the importance of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in the life of the believer.

Therefore, our actions must always find their basis in that fact. The most important thing in my life is my reconciliation to God. The second most important thing is yours.

With all that in mind, I wanted to share a prayer for unity and reconciliation:

O God,
You are the Great Reconciler.
Through Christ,
you crossed the gulf of sin and darkness
to provide a way to bring your children
into your eternal, glorious light
forever and ever.
If this greatest of all chasms can be bridged,
can we not trust you to bring unity
among your children even now?
You are the God of Truth.
Love, goodness, mercy, grace;
all things right and pure
find their source in you.
Help us recognize that it is the work of the enemy to tear apart;
to steal, kill, destroy.
Give us the courage to resist
    the temptation to fight;
    our tendencies toward division;
    the desire to define right and wrong in our own eyes.
We have been freely forgiven;
help us freely forgive.
We have been freely loved;
help us freely love.
Make us agents in the ministry of reconciliation.
Form us into new creations who rejoice only in the truth.
You are the object of all our affections,
the only one worthy of our praise, devotion, and undivided attention.
You sustain all of creation;
you will sustain your church.
Thank you for rescuing us from our sin.
Amen.

I want to leave you with one more thought, from the Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9

I’ve seen it pointed out that Jesus doesn’t say “peacekeepers” here, but “peacemakers.” There’s a subtle but significant difference between the two. A peacekeeper will do what it takes to make a situation blow over. They’re interested in quick fixes so everyone feels comfortable—even if it doesn’t solve anything in the long run.

That’s not the M.O. of a peacemaker. Peacemakers are ready and willing to do the dirty work of resolution and reconciliation. It’s awkward. It’s messy. It might make you unpopular. It requires a hefty dose of humility for all involved. And it’s absolutely vital work for the kingdom to flourish.

God will give us all we need. Praying for peace, reconciliation, and truth to triumph as we enter into the holiday season.