Disparity is Not a Rarity Because Our Humanity Disrupts Our Unity.
/Disparity is not a rarity among the children of God, because our humanity continually disrupts our unity this side of eternity.
Sanctification, not unification, is the work of the Gospel.
Unity is for eternity.
In Ecclesiastes, the wise King Solomon reminds us “there is nothing new under the sun.”
We’ve always dealt with disparity in the Church — differences that stem from our inferences within. We read, we reason, we respond, and, inevitably our response differs from those who have also read, reasoned, and responded.
Why is that?!? And why can this age old problem not be solved by the timeless truth of the Word of God?
When God’s infinite wisdom and timeless truths are entrusted to the finite reasoning and limited understanding of mere mortals and immoral people, disparity is inevitable.
And yet, we can still praise God because no matter how much we disagree, and how wearying that can be, it is not new, and He will always see us through, because He is still the God who is making all things new. We must cling to Him, His Word, and His truth.
Disparity is not a rarity.
But God’s Word gives us clarity.
And His love is greater than our disparity.
“Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” ~ Ecclesiastes 1:8-9 NLT
Nothing is new “under the sun” (or shall we say “in this world”). Worldly wisdom is meaningless, but Godly wisdom settles for nothing less than His holiness and righteousness.
Even the wisest of the wise said,
“I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.” ~ Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 NLT
Our differences have always been evident throughout our “tragic existence” and have led to different Church denominations, Bible translations, and Scripture interpretations. Dissension among the children of God typically leads to the development of something new, and yet we know from this wise one, nothing is truly new.
While in this world, disparity will never be a rarity among the children of God, and our humanity will continually disrupt our unity this side of eternity.
And yet, the older I get, the more I’m convinced, our wholeness through God’s holiness will forever be within our reach when we lift our hands in surrender to Him. When we give up our efforts to unify and yield to His power to sanctify, wisdom truly wins in the end. He does make all things new.
Our disparity may not be a rarity, and our unity may be disrupted by our humanity, but none of it will ever usurp His authority. And that is a truth on which we can agree.
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” ~ Revelation 21:5 ESV
I’m afraid our quest for perfect unity this side of eternity may be a distraction from the enemy to deter us from simply pursuing God — taking Him at His Word, obeying His commands, and trusting His authority in spite of our disunity.
If unity is our aim, we will miss the mark, but if purity of heart born out of a pursuit of God is what we seek, He will always be found.
And we will always find Him at work, making all things new — that includes you and me, too! Oh to know the unity on the other side of eternity. It is waiting there for all who believe.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” ~ Romans 10:9-10
There are several scriptures that talk about unity this side of eternity (Psalm 113:1, Ephesians 4:3, 1 Peter 3:8, to name a few); however more are found in the OT with the Hebrew word for unity — ECHAD — which means “one-ness” with God.
The Greek word for unity — HENOTES (only used 5 times in the NT) — means unanimous agreement among others, rather than “one-ness” with God.
Just because perfect unity can only be achieved in Heaven, that doesn’t mean we don’t try to live in harmony with one another here on earth. Harmony in music is not “sameness” or “unison,” it is a whole different set of notes that compliment the melody. They “fit” together in perfect harmony. They blend.
We are called to bend and blend and reflect the image of God as we “live in harmony” (which is slightly different than unity). It doesn’t mean we always agree, it means together we trust God’s plan for humanity.
For more great resources on BIBLICAL UNITY, check out these ministries:
And other blog posts on the subject: