Romans 3:19-20

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” vs. 19

In recent years the church has been wracked by division as individuals and congregations have gotten fed up for one reason or another and gone their separate ways. In that context there might be some who long for the “good old days” when believers hung together and practiced the unity that Jesus recommended to his followers. Of course a careful reading of our scriptures will quickly disabuse us of that notion. Paul battled divisions in all the little congregations that he worked with, and had a particular struggle negotiating the differences between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Speaking as an expert in the law he addressed the issue in his letter to Rome. He tells that community that the Jews among them do not have an advantage because they have the law. Putting it simply (something Paul was seemingly unable to do), living under the law will always leave a person with guilt. Not living under the law did not absolve the Gentiles of responsibility. Everyone was accountable and all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Ultimately there is no point in dividing because no matter who we hook up with, we’ll still all be sinners. In other words, the basis for our unity in Christ is our common sinfulness. It’s as true for us as it was for the folks in Rome.

Thought for the Day: When are divisions in the church justified?