Jesus Unites. Jesus Divides.

Jesus unites. The "high priestly prayer" of John 17 is all about unity.

“Now I am coming to you. I will not stay in the world, but these followers of mine are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name—the name you gave me. Then they will be one, just as you and I are one. (John 17:11) 

 Jesus divides. Sometimes (as many of us have experienced) along family lines.

²⁵ Many people were traveling with Jesus. He said to them, ²⁶ “If you come to me but will not leave your family, you cannot be my follower. You must love me more than your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—even more than your own life! (Luke 14:25-27) 

The church unites and the church divides. But often the church gets it wrong. It unites what shouldn't be united, and divides what shouldn't be divided.

When the church unites improperly, it leads to a dilution of sound doctrine. This can be an ill-advised accommodation with a false religion. Often well-meaning, syncretism is a prime example of unity gone bad. If the intersection of two sets of beliefs does not fully contain the Gospel, then it is a unity of the dangerous sort.

The church is even better at dividing improperly. Creating lines in the sand over worship styles and secondary and even tertiary doctrine. Sometimes there is a nasty sort of division that sacrifices  friendships and even family at the alter of church vision and theologian idolatry.

The church vision found in scripture is clean and simple. It is: The word of God and the Gospel of Christ are preached, the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and Baptism are administered, corporate prayer is practiced, those in need receive care and nurture, and worship glorifies God, not the worshipper.

Any other component of your "church vision" is man-made and therefore immediately suspect. And if you divide over it, you are spitting in the face of Jesus' prayer recorded in John 17.