“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

What does it mean to be “In Christ?”

For one, it means that we are born anew. Not only are we each individually a new creation, we are reborn into a new family as the Lord’s adopted children.

“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:12-13

The Apostle Paul elaborates on the implications of this truth:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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.”

Galatians 3:26-28

What precisely does Paul mean by “you are all one in Christ Jesus?” The assessment of Pastor John R.W. Stott (2007) is, in my estimation, an accurate one:

“To be in Christ brings brotherly unity. The expression ‘in Christ’ has a collective as well as an individual implication. It means to be related not only to the Messiah personally, the Christ, but also to the Messianic community he came to build. Indeed, it is not possible to belong to him without simultaneously belonging to it. In this new community Jesus has abolished the barriers of race, nationality, class and sex, which normally divide mankind. In its place he has created what the Apostle Paul calls a ‘single New Humanity.’”

This is how each of us should see our Christianity – as a child of God and a sibling of those who share our faith. And we must not only recognize our “New Humanity,” but walk as Paul encourages those in Christ to walk.

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

Ephesians 4:1-5

There is ONE – one Spirit, one Lord, one Father. One faith, one hope, ONE BODY. If we are In Christ, we are united in that body – the Body of Christ Jesus, the Church of Christ Jesus.

Paul reminds us that unity is sown with humility, gentleness, patience and love. Conversely, nothing sows disunity like pride. Certainly, there are those who, in their lack of humility or tenderness, have brought dishonor not only to themselves, but to the Church. Such dishonor may cause impermanent marring of one’s integrity, but indelible damage to that of the Church and its role in the Great Commission.

And while the impairment of Church outreach is indeed tragic, so too is another casualty of pride or rancor – that of Church unity.

Unity is vital to Christ – and to His Church. So vital, in fact, that He prayed desperately for it:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

John 17:20-23

Just as unity at home, in business or on the field is essential to optimizing performance and, thus, achievement, so too is unity in the Church body. And just as discord at home, in business or at play undermines accomplishment, the same is true in the work of the Church.

Unfortunately, unity is not a given. Obstacles to unity are routinely set in front of us. They take the form of political conflicts, disagreements over church administration, etc. – taking focus away from the cross and putting it on ourselves instead.

When the unity of the Church is threatened, Paul entreats us to become peacemakers – to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Thus, while we may need to live with respectful disagreement, this does not mean that we set aside correction. Instead, correction must be delivered in such a manner that demonstrates our love for the object of it – and our own openness to being corrected when appropriate.

In summary, we embrace our faith and the family with whom we share it. We not only preach unity, we model it.

Stott puts a nice bow on this discussion:

“Although every follower of Jesus should blush with shame over the fightings and factions that have disgraced the history of the Church, yet those who are truly ‘in Christ’ enjoy a unity with one another which transcends nation and denomination, race and rank, class and culture.”