Harmony In Church

Everybody loves a harmonious church fellowship, but very few churches are able to achieve it. Even the disciples of Jesus were arguing who is the greatest the night before Jesus was crucified.

Satan hates the harmony among the believers and therefore he tries to destroy it any possible way. The best way to destroy the harmony is to turn one member against the other in the church.

“My heart is often almost broken with sadness and grief as I see the little real harmony cultivated among believers. We have a solemn work before us. Ye are labourers together with God, and may we work intelligently, heartily, with decision and positiveness, that we may be blessed and may bless others.” Manuscript Releases 18, p. 328.

A desire for position breaks the harmony in the church. A member who did not get the position he wanted often turns a critical eye towards the one who was elected. His smallest neglect or mistake is magnified and passed on to others. Solomon writes, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” Prov. 14:30.

Favouritism can cause much trouble in the church. The leaders often favour one member above the other, this way causing resentment in the one that is neglected.

‘”And in those days, when the number of the disciples multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.’ These Grecians were residents of other countries, where the Greek language was spoken. By far the larger number of converts were Jews who spoke Hebrew; but these had lived in the Roman Empire, and spoke only Greek. Murmurings began to rise among them that the Grecian widows were not so liberally supplied as the needy among the Hebrews. Any partiality of this kind would have been grievous to God; and prompt measures were taken to restore peace and harmony to the believers.” The Story of Redemption, p. 259.

Doctrinal questions can divide the believers. Often different interpretations are presented and this can turn one member against the other who believes differently.

“When dissension arose in a local church, as later it did arise in Antioch and elsewhere, and the believers were unable to come to an agreement among themselves, such matters were not permitted to create a division in the church, but were referred to a general council of the entire body of believers, made up of appointed delegates from the various local churches, with the apostles and elders in positions of leading responsibility. Thus the efforts of Satan to attack the church in isolated places were met by concerted action on the part of all; and the plans of the enemy to disrupt and destroy were thwarted.” AA p. 96.

Among the followers of Martin Luther the discussions about the doctrines became so heated that physical fights broke out.

This is the reason we have a General Conference where delegates from different countries come together to study and to pray to find answers to problem questions. When they have found the answer then it will be passed on to all the churches, so that everyone will come to the unity of faith.

Different nationalities with different backgrounds and cultures have often difficulty in blending together in unity. To avoid this kind of problem Sister White sometimes recommended different meeting places even. Yet with patience and tolerance these difficulties can be overcome. God does not have a different heaven for different nationalities.

Often members have different standards of holiness. What is very important to one member, may not be looked on the same way by another. This can be in the diet, health reform, Sabbath keeping, in dress reform, and many other practices of the church. The Jews condemned Jesus and His disciples for healing on the Sabbath, eating without washing their hands, visiting Publicans in their homes and other practices. I have seen some eating only raw food and that strictly natural. This is not sin but to condemn others who do not practice the same becomes sin and can break the harmony in the church.

Simply being a member in the church and yet unconverted can create problems constantly. Without patience we can hurt others. Selfishness, covetousness, envy and pride if permitted to continue can break up friendships.
The greatest problem in the churches that causes most of the difficulties is the lack of love. When love to God and to fellow beings is lacking in the church then the best efforts by the leaders will not bring harmony into it.

“A decided reformation must take place in the spirit that prevails in the church in Hobart. Brother must be turned to brother and sister to sister before God can work as He longs to work for His people. There must be practice of the prayer of Christ when He prayed that His disciples might be one as He was one with the Father. Earnest efforts must be put forth in order that we shall prevail against Satan and secure harmony among the believers. Who in the church is working in persevering faith for the oneness for which Christ prayed? There is need of earnest work to overcome the selfish, overbearing spirit that has been working in the church and has been deadening its influence. Some have had a spirit to bruise, to hurt the souls of others, and why have they done this? It is because those they have criticized have not met their ideas of what Christian life should be, and they have judged their neighbours, spoken harsh things, and have made manifest the fact that they themselves were severe, harsh, and denunciatory.” Manuscript Releases, book 2, p. 272.

“It is not the opposition of the world that most endangers the church of Christ. It is the evil cherished in the hearts of believers that works their most grievous disaster, and most surely retards the progress of God’s cause. There is no surer way of weakening spirituality than by cherishing envy, suspicion, fault-finding, and evil-surmising. On the other hand, the strongest witness that God has sent His Son into the world is the existence of harmony and union among men of varied dispositions who form His church. This witness it is the privilege of the followers of Christ to bear. But in order to do this, they must place themselves under Christ’s command. Their characters must be conformed to His character, and their wills to His will.” AA p. 549.

“John, realizing that brotherly love was waning in the church, urged upon believers the constant need of this love. His letters to the church are full of this thought. ‘Beloved, let us love one another,’ he writes; ‘for love is of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to. love one another.'” AA p. 548.

‘”A new commandment 1 give unto you,’ Christ said, ‘That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ What a wonderful statement; but O, how poorly practiced! In the church of God today, brotherly love is sadly lacking. Many who profess to love the Saviour do not love one another.” AA p. 550.

How wonderful it is to go to a church where everyone loves one another. The fellowship alone makes us happy; that we can be among friends. David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Ps. 133:1

This kind of church fellowship is possible. When we realize that every person is more valuable in the sight of God, than all the world’s riches together, then we treat one another with respect and with tender care.

May the Lord help us all to work on our churches to bring about the perfect harmony that existed in the early church. We need peacemakers more than troublemakers. Sometimes the Lord has to bring a shaking into the church in order to restore the harmony, when all other means have failed. When difficulty arises let us ask of ourselves, as did the disciples, “Is it I?”, and if so then let us humble ourselves and ask forgiveness of each other. When this is done then the latter rain will fall upon us and the work of God can be finished.
AMEN.