Three Challenges to Harmony, and one remedy
God has called us to live in harmony with one another. But what does that mean? And what threatens the unity of Jesus' Church? In Romans, Paul writes, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus" (Romans 15:5). Why is divine endurance and encouragement necessary for harmony?
Well, as you can imagine, there are many reasons harmony does not come easy. Money seeks to create disunity. Our disagreements on secondary issues cause tension. Pride divides us. Control and power nurture dissonance. But in Romans Paul has highlighted three primary challenges to harmony with the family of God.
Religion challenges harmony.
This is what Paul has dealt with considerably throughout Romans. When we center doctrine, religious rules, and our spiritual preferences, we cause division and disunity. Specifically, because it leads to judgmentalism and a void of mercy and grace. Paul said back in Romans 2, "For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things" (Romans 2:2). Legalism and judgmentalism are void of love. And we can't have harmony without love.
Tolerance challenges harmony.
We looked at this a couple of weeks ago, but it's the modern remedy to religion or moralism. While secular tolerance may seem unifying at first blush, it doesn't unify us to anything true because, in order for tolerance to be embraced, we have to let go of the idea of universal truth. So, it actually causes disunity. Remember, back in Romans 1. Paul explained "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" (Romans 1:18). Tolerance misses truth. And we can't have harmony without truth.
Individualism challenges harmony.
When we fail to see ourselves as part of a family or community, we learn to think about ourselves in isolation. Even as Christians. We think life with God is simply about me and God, rather than us. Sometimes we do this out of protection; the church has used power and theology to hurt and harm and so we isolate. Other times we do this out of pride. While we enjoy our friendships within church community, they are not part of our identity. Yet Romans 12 tells us, "so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (Romans 12:5). Individualism fails to see the beauty of wholeness and family. And we can't have harmony without each other.
In Christ, all three challenges are met with divine endurance and encouragement. In his death, Christ overcomes the void of love (separation from his Father), the disregard of truth (sinful rejection of humanity), and the violence of isolation (dying alone on the cross). Therefore in him, we find lasting harmony.
