How can unity be a sin? Isn’t unity the holy grail of Christianity. Ah yes! But the kind of unity is very important. Because the coin of division has two sides. One is the sin of sectarianism. The other is the sin of unity. They are both division and they are both wrong.
It is not always right to be in unity with the people around you. It depends on — the motivation and goal of that unity — what you are doing and why you are doing it.
- 10 differences between team Jesus Christ and team Antichrist – The difference between team Jesus Christ and team Antichrist depends on the motives of your heart attitude
The sin of unity in building the Tower of Babel
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:4-6 KJV)
The sin of unity in a brotherhood of criminals
- My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! (Proverbs 1:10-19 NLT)
- A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. (Proverbs 16:29 KJV)
- And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (Ephesians 5:11 KJV)
- For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. (John 3:20 NASB)
The sin of unity by following the crowd
- “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice; neither shall you favor a poor man in his cause. (Exodus 23:1-3 WEB)
- It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe. (Proverbs 29:25 GNT)
The sin of “unity” in division
If your “unity” is causing division between you and other Christians, it isn’t unity at all, but just another kind of sectarianism. If you are walking in “unity” with a band of divisive believers who are standing against God’s work and desire of gathering sinners to himself, you are in danger of committing the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I put this “unity” in quotes because it is a fake-unity in a division, which is the opposite of the unity of God. Consider the following excerpt from Jesus’ response to the scribes and Pharisees who rebuked him for healing on the sabbath.
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come. (Matthew 12:30-32 WEB)
- We told him to stop because he isn’t in our group – The disciples saw someone who wasn’t in their group casting out demons. They told him to stop. But, Jesus said, “Don’t stop him!”
- Spiritual adultery against a jealous God – Christians can take something from the Bible and make a copy for themselves. it becomes an idol that draws hearts away from God in spiritual adultery.
- Balaam (a wicked way with a sinful error that leads to false doctrine) – This important warning to God’s people comes from Balaam, a mysterious soothsayer who was hired to curse Israel, and caused them to sin
The blessing of unity in godliness
- The perfect unity of love – Jesus Christ said the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on the perfect unity of love. What is that unity? What is that love?
- Christlike doctrine promotes Christlike behavior – The Christlike attitude is to have a gracious attitude and a humble heart that allows the Lord Jesus Christ to work in both of you.
- A Modern-Day Parable of Romans 14 (How to avoid conflicts in the church) – Here is a modern parable, based on Romans 14, that will help prevent and work through conflicts in your fellowship.
For deeper study:
- How does sectarian opinion become a doctrine of sectarianism? – Sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived sectarian differences between subdivisions within a group
- The sin of sectarianism – Paul criticizes the sin of schisma (cleft, rent, division of opinion, dissension) and appeals for them to katartízō (repair, mend, restore) fellowship
- Gnosticism and the altar of special knowledge in the church today – Gnosticism is literally “the cult based on special, personal knowledge.” Gnosticism worships special personal knowledge, and causes division.