Is Christian Unity Possible with So Much Disagreement?
JOHN STONESTREET
Last week, a listener who follows a lot of Christian podcasts, including BreakPoint, wrote us with the following question, troubled by the conflicting opinions among Christians. Here’s how she put it:
“In most cases the Christian proponents seem to have a genuine love for Jesus and are trying to live out their belief faithfully. Yet their conclusions and interpretation of the Scriptures are often diametrically opposed…If intelligent, well educated, sincere Christians can come to such different interpretations of Scripture, how can I possibly hope to come to a correct understanding of the Truth?”
Given the hurt, anger, and even violence on streets across America right now, not to mention all of our social media news feeds, I imagine this person isn’t the only one wondering about the unity that Christ prayed for in the Garden, as recorded in John 17. “All mine are yours,” Jesus prayed, “and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
CONTINUED AT: SOURCE
Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach 
I have read the full article at its source. Answer: Yes, unity is possible–and, in fact, already exists–in spite of our political and doctrinal disagreements. Jesus wasn’t praying to us in John 17, asking us to show unity. He was praying to his Father, asking God to make us one. Without any doubt, God granted, is granting, and will continue to grant Jesus’ prayer. The key to this is that we are one body with one head. Anyone who is following the right head–Jesus–will in fact be one with anyone else who is following Jesus, despite the differences in doctrine and politics our individual environments, past choices and life histories have given us. We only need to keep following Him. This is one of the main topics of my own blog.
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The article and your reply refers only to John 17, where Christ prays for unity among His followers to the Fathers and while it is true there maybe a unity in that “Christians” from different denomination unify under the banner of Christ as Savior that is where in many cases it stops. I think this is what the article was also pointing out, how true that in my youth (although not a believer) historically differences were in “theological positions or denominational points of emphasis”. Today however it is quite a different story, again as the article says: “Today the context has more to do with politics and culture. This is not to say that the stakes are higher now than then or vice versa. Because Christianity is, at heart, a worldview centered on the incarnation of the Son of God, both what you believe and how you live matter. There’s a substance and an application to our biblical and theological understanding. One feature of today’s discourse, however, is how quickly conflict can escalate, and not just in tone but also in assuming bad character of others…”
You are correct Christ is the head of the church, and Ephesians 4 clearly lays that all out along with how the “church” should have unity of Spirit. Unfortunately for many they have forgotten the whole counsel of God, that is the rest of Ephesians 4 and the remainder of the Bible while selectively picking and choosing that which makes their doctrine fit. So man, the church, “Christians” remain in conflict.
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