If we are going to be a church that is united by a common faith in Jesus Christ there are two matters to which we must give our attention.

Firstly, we must be concerned for right worship. Submission to Christ means a rejection of all other gods, and so in the preaching and teaching it must be the Word of Christ that holds sway and not the opinions of men. This is one of the reasons why we must make use of confessions, catechisms, and a church order. They guard our unity in the gospel and are an attempt to ensure that Christ rules in his church.

Being sinful men and women, however, there will nevertheless be times where confrontation is necessary. Times where council decisions must be challenged. Times where we must speak to a brother or sister who seems to be wandering from God’s truth. Maybe they are continually absent from worship or you know about a sin that needs to be repented of. If our unity is in submission to Christ then we must help each other in that regard. Of course, being in the new covenant we do not take up the sword but we speak in private. Gently and kindly, we follow the way given to us by Christ in Matthew 18:15–20.

A second matter when it comes to unity concerns our relationships with one another. It is our duty and obligation to treat every church member with respect and consider them family. There are no second class Christians—the same Spirit dwells in everyone who confesses Christ as Lord. He has brought us together and now we must love and care for one another. Remember what Christ said to his disciples (John 13:34): A new command I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Yes, that love involves confrontation where necessary, but it also involves speaking to one another after the service, committing to be present at times of fellowship, finding out what we can pray about, giving to provide for members in need, sharing news of joy and sadness. If we are going to make sure that all of God’s people feel welcome in his church, that there are no whispers of east and west division, we need strong relationships. Spending time with each other is a Christian duty.