Unity through Diversity - Part 1 (The motivations for Unity)

For the month of October and November we are looking at the subject of Unity in the church. This Sunday I shared on the motivations for unity and the text was taken from:

 

Philippians 2:1 - Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 

 

Due to the rigidity of translation, I also suggested that the proper way of reading the texted should be:

 

“Therefore because there is encouragement in Christ, because there is consolation of love, because there is fellowship with the Spirit, because there is affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind.” 

So these are the motives. The motives are, “Because” – simply stated – “of what the Lord has done for us.”

So in verse 1 Paus give 4 motivations that are more than sufficient for the unity in the church

1.         Union with Christ

2.         Undeserved love of God 

3.         Uninterrupted fellowship of the Holy Spirit

4.         Unremitting tenderness and compassion of the Trinity 

And then answer this question: “Therefore because there is encouragement in Christ, because there is consolation of love, because there is fellowship with the Spirit, because there is affection and compassion, 

How can I still live without being in unity with the Body of Christ?

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