This month on SPARK the Podcast, we will be taking a deeper look at God's heart for unity! Paul’s heart is that, “there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united with the same understanding and the same conviction” (1 Cor. 1:10). This is something we Christians are still struggling with today. Fighting, disagreements… they are a lot more frequent than we’d like to admit.
When we take off our old self and become united with Christ, we are made in His likeness. We are made to be loving. That’s why the outcry is so strong when we hear of any violent act in our world – we know it goes against our very nature.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4 Paul explains:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
In the coming weeks, we are going to dive into these even further, but for now, we want to touch on this. In a world where anger rises quickly, pray and ask God that He will help you be slow to anger. In your interactions with others, those who agree with you, and those who don’t, be kind, be humble, quick to listen and slow to speak. Do not bring others down to bring yourself up. Forgive quickly. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Trust in God, have hope, do not delight in evil, but rejoice in the truth.
The truth is that without God, it is impossible to live in true unity. God has paid the debt for our sins. He has forgiven us, and he calls us to forgive our neighbor too.
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