One of the greatest challenges the church- any church- faces is unity. Church history is littered with the corpses of churches killed by strife. Unity in the church is such a serious matter that God gives strong warning to those who would cause division between believers. Proverbs 6:16-19 says that God hates the one who sows discord among the brethren. The letter to Titus says the man who creates division in the church is to be rejected after 2 attempts to bring him to repentance. Jesus’ own words show the importance of unity. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)

Because of the danger of disunity the New Testament repeatedly exhorts the church to maintain it’s unity. “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) “Be at peace among yourselves.” (1 Thessalonians 5:13) Unity is of such paramount importance to the church Jesus prayed that Christians would be one, just as He was one with the Father. (John 17:22) However, disagreements and conflicts are unavoidable in any group of people. Handling disobedience in such a way that unity is maintained is of great importance. Consider the following Biblical principles the next time you find yourself disagreeing with another believer.

• Be humble in your mindset, thoughts, words and actions (Philippians 2:3-5)
• Prefer the other above yourself (Philippians 2:3)
• Pray for and with the other (Philippians 4:6)
• Focus on Christ, not your differences (Philippians 2:5-11)
• Make the glory of God the highest priority (Colossians 3:17)
• Seek to understand the other’s position and perspective (Ephesians 4::32)
• Love the other selflessly (John 15:12; 1 Corinthians 13)
• Seek to promote peace at all times (Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:18)
• Respond to evil with good (1 Peter 3:8-11; Romans 12:17, 20-21)
• Seek reconciliation (Matthew 5:23-24)
• Remember the common hope we share in Christ (Philippians 4:3)
• Seek help from the church and the pastor (Philippians 4:2-3)