Unity!

Psalm 133.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Years ago, my pastor shared with me the only reasons he felt leaving a church is justified.

One: Biblical heresy. Twisting God’s Word, or teaching it in a way that undermined the truth.

Two: Immorality that is not confronted; misconduct in the pastoral staff or the congregation.

Three: Illegal activity not confronted; wrongdoers not removed from the membership.

I think there was one more, but my memory fails me.

As we continued talking, I remember asking him about disputes between members. What if those disputes could not be resolved, and caused others in the church to take sides?

His response was Matthew 18: 15-20. God gave us a specific way to deal with such disagreements, beginning with privately addressing the issue; if it is not resolved, take one or two with you and try again; if it is still not resolved, take it to the church body. If the person who is clearly wrong refuses to repent or acknowledge his fault, the he is to be removed from the congregation; but always with the motive of reconciliation. This does not apply to silly disagreements over the color of the new carpeting or the paint in the new auditorium. If folks in the church persist in these relatively unimportant details, there isn’t much hope of ever getting it settled.

Dwelling together in unity is a blessing beyond measure. The oil mentioned in these verses is that which was scented with rare substances, and was used in anointing priests. It is likely the same kind of oil with which Jesus was anointed, dripping down over His head, His beard, and onto His clothing.

In my experience, a church split is NEVER a “back-door revival,” as some like to call it. Instead, it is hurtful, destructive; it breaks friendships and causes untold sadness, never mind the poor testimony it creates in the community outside the church.

If you feel you MUST leave a church, make sure it is for good, biblically sound reasons. Don’t try to take others with you. If you have followed Matt. 18:15-20 and have not found resolution, then leave prayerfully and quietly and refrain from trying to convince others to go with you.

What if it’s a family rift? Same process. Cover it in prayer. Always behave biblically. As much as possible, keep the problem within the family.

Be very thankful if you belong to a church in which there is unity among the members, the pastors, and the lay leadership. It is possible to disagree agreeably.