Unity

Written for the Port Lavaca Wave

Bro. Bob Alderman

May 11, 1999

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat. I am not a gourmet by any stretch of the imagination, I mean, I am just as happy at a hamburger joint as in a fine sit down restaurant. One of my favorite foods is a good old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lots of creamy peanut butter topped with a thick layer of jelly smooshed between two pieces of bread. YUMMY. Any PB&J fanatic will tell you that it takes all three parts blended together just right by someone who really knows how to make it for it all to work together and make a perfect sandwich. Something sweet, something special and something that is much, much better than the sum of it's individual parts.

You know, our world is a lot like that. We are all different. We have different colors, cultures and backgrounds. Each of us with some special talent or gift, and able to do fairly well in our own right. But when we allow God to blend us all together we become more than we could ever be on our own.

In the Kingdom of God there are no colors or labels or walls of any kind. We are the ones who build things that divide us. Things like stereotypes, labels and other barriers to the true unity of God's people. In the Bible God teaches us that in His Kingdom there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28 NKJV) we are all equal in the sight of our Sovereign Lord.

 In the Bible the book of Colossians chapter 1, verses 13 through 20 God tells us that

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." (NKJV)

 Jesus is our Deliverer, our Creator, our redeemer and our Saviour. Jesus is the "super glue" that holds us all together. When our focus is on Him and not on our differences we can all be molded into true unity. A unity based on love and humility, a unity based on Jesus.

 Jesus is the only one who is able to blend us together, all of us being separate and different parts, and create something sweet, something special and something that is much, much better than the sum of our individual parts.

 Will you give Him the chance today? Let's turn all of our colors, cultures and backgrounds over to Him and allow Jesus to mold us into the people He wants us to be.

 God Bless and remember, Jesus loves you - and so do I.