Unity

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
— Romans 12:18

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
— Psalm 34:14

A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
— Psalm 133:1

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
— Matthew 5:9

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
— Ephesians 4:3

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
— Ephesians 4:13

But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
— 2 Timothy 2:23-24

The Unity of Pastors & Members, by Andrew Fuller.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace
— Romans 14:19a

I am requested on the present occasion to give you a word of advice as respects your deportment to your pastor and to one another. All I shall attempt will be to explain and to enforce the exhortation contained in the text; and if peace be with you, prosperity will follow as a matter of course.

I. Explain the exhortation: In general, I may observe, we do not wish you to be so fond of peace as to sacrifice truth to preserve it. If your pastor deserts those grand essential truths that he has this day confessed, you ought to desert him, or rather to desire that he would leave you. Nor do we mean that you are to maintain peace at the expense of righteousness—a peace consisting in the neglect of discipline and the passing over of such evils as ought to be exposed and reproved. It is the glory of a man to pass over an injury done to himself, but not to be pliable in matters that relate to God’s glory. It is lamentable, however, to reflect that in general, men are less severe against sin towards God than against an injury done to themselves. The rule of Scripture is this: “First pure, then peaceable” (Jam 3:17). Let this be your rule…

First, endeavor by all means to preserve a good understanding with your pastor. His peace of mind is essential for his happiness and your edification (Heb 13:17).

1. Let your stated attendance on his ministry be constant and candid. If you are negligent or late, it will affect his peace of mind. He will think his labors are unacceptable. And if you should discover any mistakes in his preaching, consider human frailty. Do not talk of them to others, nor among yourselves; but to him with modesty and tenderness.

2. Let the vigilance you exercise over his conduct be characterized by the same tenderness and candor. Enemies will watch him with a desire for his halting; but do not you. Be not hasty in taking up or falling in with reports to his disadvantage.

3. Let your contributions for his support be distinguished, not only by their liberality, but also by the cheerfulness with which they are given. Let it be a tribute of love…Do not imagine that your contributions entitle you to scrutinize and dictate in his family arrangements. His being a minister does not destroy his privilege as a man. Ministers also have peculiar feelings in reference to such subjects. If one of you were to intermeddle with the domestic arrangements of another, you would be told to mind your own concerns and not to interfere with his, seeing he does not come to you for what he has. But your minister would feel a delicacy on this point and a difficulty, which it should be your study to render unnecessary. And, after all, you have no more right to inspect his concerns than he yours.

4. Let your exercise of discipline be prompt and such as shall preserve him from prejudice. Always unite with him, that he may not have to endure all the prejudice and odium consequent on strict discipline. In many cases, you may relieve him altogether from the painful duty, and thus prevent his ministrations from being rejected. Take as much of this from him as you can, that the gospel of Christ be not hindered (1Co 9:2). These are some of the things, an attention to which would greatly contribute to his peace of mind and to your edification.

Secondly, let me exhort you to endeavor, by all means, to preserve peace among one another.

1. Be careful to cultivate a spirit of love. There is nothing more conducive to peace than this. Provoke not one another to anger, but “to love and good works.” Be examples of love, striving who shall excel in acts of kindness and sympathy. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21).

2. Beware of sin. There is nothing more opposed to Christian peace than this. Where this is nourished, peace will be banished; for though it be private, it will work, and work mischief. It will be a wedge, gradually widening the breach between God and your souls and between one another.

3. Beware of a disputatious temper. Debates may be productive of good. But they too often originate in captiousness and pride. Think of the account of them in God’s Word. “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes” (Pro 18:6). “If any man…consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth…From such withdraw thyself” (1Ti 6:3-5).

4. Avoid a spirit of groundless jealousy. Godly jealousy is necessary when we consider what we all are and by what influences we are surrounded. But an ill opinion of others is the source of much mischief. From this suspicious disposition, words are misconstrued and actions imputed to wrong motives. If we indulge in this, we shall be unable to believe one another or to place confidence in the most explicit declarations. “Jealousy is cruel as the grave” (Song 8:6). It devours the happiness of those who cherish it. How opposed to true charity! Charity suspecteth no evil, hopeth the best, believeth the most favorable representations. In general, a spirit of jealousy would seem to indicate a dishonest heart. Its possessors seem to know themselves to be bad and therefore think no others can be good. This probably made Satan so suspicious of Job’s sincerity. Beware lest you imitate him and lest your suspicions should originate in the same cause!

5. Beware of a spirit of envy. The members of a church are like the stars. One excelleth another. Then beware of envy. Saul envied David for his superiority when David “behaved himself wisely” (1Sa 18:15). Some excel in gifts and graces and consequently obtain a greater degree of esteem. Beware of envy. Some [surpass] others in worldly property and consequently, though not always deservedly, receive greater respect. But beware of envy. Do not imagine that religion cancels the obligation to treat men according to their rank and station in society. Let not envy lead you to think much of every instance of respect shown to a superior and to reflect, “If I had been rich, he would have visited me!” Certainly, a minister should visit all his flock; but there may be reasons, apart from outward circumstances, why one shall be visited more than another. “Charity envieth not” (1Co 13:4).

6. Do not intermeddle with each other’s temporal affairs. What I just now said respecting your conduct towards your pastor, I would repeat concerning your conduct towards one another. Different people have different ways of managing their domestic affairs; and if your brethren do but act [honorably] in the world, what right have you to interfere? If indeed their deportment be inconsistent with their character as professed Christians, and in any sense involve the honor of God; if, for example, they are [lazy] and disgrace the cause—or extravagant and therefore become unable to pay their just debts—then, indeed, it will be right to interfere; but even then it is neither friendly nor wise to make their faults the topic of common conversation.

7. Guard against a touchy temper. Charity is not soon angry. “For every trifle scorn to take offence; It either shows great pride or little sense.”

8. Repeat no grievances, especially when acknowledged. “He that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” (Pro 17:9).

9. Strive to heal differences. It is a great honor to be a peacemaker. True, it is often very difficult; for “a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle” (Pro 18:19). But by how much the more difficulty there is, by so much the more honor will there be. Do not abandon the attempt for a few hard sayings. Those who interfere in an affray commonly receive a few blows from both sides. But do not be discouraged. Pray, and try again. And let the saying of our Lord, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Mat 5:9), weigh more with you than a little temporary difficulty and discouragement.

10. Encourage no talebearers. Persons that make it their business and feel it their delight to go about telling secrets to the disadvantage of their neighbors deserve the deepest marks of censure. Are you at variance with a brother? Mark the man who by his insinuations and innuendoes would make the breach wider and shun him. There are cases indeed, in which, in our own vindication, we are compelled to speak to the disadvantage of others; but to blacken the character of another unnecessarily and intentionally to widen a breach existing between friends or neighbors is infernal! If “blessed are the peacemakers,” cursed are these peace-breakers and peace-preventers! One cannot always shut one’s doors against such characters, but we can and ought to shut our ears against them; and if we do this, we shall deprive them of their excitement and their highest gratification. “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth” (Pro 26:20)…And if you would not encourage talebearing in others, be sure you are not guilty of it yourselves. If you hear one speak ill of another, do not go and tell him, unless indeed it affects his moral character and the cause of religion; and never assist in propagating evil reports.

11. Be ready to forgive. Without this heavenly temper we cannot expect to live long in peace. There is a very mistaken notion of honor existing among men as if it lay in not yielding but in resenting an injury, whereas it is very plain that true honor consists in the very opposite. “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Pro 19:11). Our own interest should lead us to this; for in some things we shall need the forgiveness of our brethren; and what is of greater consequence still, we all need divine forgiveness. But Christ assured His disciples, “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mat 6:15).

These, my brethren, are some of the dispositions, the cultivation of which will make for peace. Some of them may appear to you little; but great rivers flow from little springs. “How great a matter a little fire kindleth!” (Jam 3:5). These things you are to “follow after.” Sometimes you may be inclined to despair of obtaining peace by any means. But be not discouraged—“follow after.”

II. Having thus explained the exhortation of the apostle, I shall endeavor to enforce it.

1. Consider how invaluable a blessing peace is. It is closely connected with church prosperity; for the heavenly Dove “flies from the abodes of noise and strife.” And to soul prosperity. “Live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2Co 13:11). See the blessedness of peace in those churches which have been careful to cultivate it…and see the wretched state of those where peace has been infringed upon…“Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down” (Isa 33:20).

2. Consider what it cost our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain it. Peace between us and God—between us and all holy intelligences—was brought about by Christ; and all our peace with one another is the price of His blood. “It pleased the Father…having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Col 1:19-20).

3. Consider its influence on spectators…friends, enemies, other churches, young converts!

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The unity of the apostolic churches was grounded on the only thing they had in common—their common Christianity. Its bond was the common reception of the Holy Spirit, which exhibited itself in one calling, one faith, one baptism.—Benjamin B. Warfield

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