God and His people are scandalized by unnecessary division. The gospel of Christ is, indeed, an instrument of division, separating the sincere from the insincere (see John 6). But the gospel is also intended to be the great unifier of those who believe, overcoming all obstacles as Christians submit to the will of God (see Eph. 2:11-22). Saints should be characterized by a spirit of oneness.
Jesus recognized the obvious link between unity and its apologetic value upon unbelievers when he prayed, “that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me” (Jn. 17: 21, ASV). The world was greatly impressed by the unity of Christ’s followers in the first century; it suggested the mutual recognition of a single authority. Hardly anyone is impressed these days as “Christendom” has been splintered into countless sects. And even among New Testament Christians, division and mistrust continue to weaken the gospel’s appeal to people who are searching for authoritative answers. “Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in …

by Mark White

Hardly anyone speaks of the conscience anymore. As a society, our conscience hardly even bothers us any longer. We have become so accustomed to all kinds of wrong and all types of filthiness that we don’t even now how to blush. A Christian, however, is a man who lives by a properly ordered, well-trained conscience. In fact, violation of one’s conscience is sinful (Rom. 14:23), even if no inherent wrong is involved. Meat-eating was not sinful, per se, but if one had scruples against it, Paul said he should not eat meat. The lesson: do not violate your conscience. If careful study of God’s word and earnest prayer causes you to change your scruples and allows you to begin eating meat, that’s perfectly fine. But if your conscience cries out in anguish at the very sight of a hamburger—leave it alone. It would be sinful for you to go contrary to this inner sense of right and wrong.
Why is scripture so insistent that the conscience not be violated? Paul always worked “to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16). He paid attention to his …

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Vacation Bible School
June 18 – 22, 2012
The “I AMs” of Jesus

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