GRACE GREATER THAN OUR DIFFERENCES
It is a wonderful day when a man discovers that God loves him in spite of himself. Many of us have spent years trying to prove ourselves worthy of His acceptance. We measured ourselves by rules and judged others by the same fragile yardstick. Yet one day, the truth of grace broke through our narrow thinking, and we saw that God’s love is not earned by the perfection of our performance, but received through the perfection of Christ.
The church was never meant to be a gallery of flawless saints, but a fellowship of forgiven sinners. Each of us comes to the table of the Lord with our scars and stories, our strengths and our stumblings. The blood of Christ makes room for all who come in humble faith. When we understand that, we cease to divide His family over matters of opinion, and we begin to see one another as brothers and sisters redeemed by the same mercy. It is only pride that builds walls where Christ died to build bridges.
The unity of the Spirit is not created by us; it is kept by us (Ephesians 4:3). We do not manufacture the body of Christ; we merely recognize it. If Christ has received a man, who am I to reject him? If Christ has forgiven a soul, who am I to hold his past against him? Love compels us to see beyond the surface and to honor the work of God in every heart that calls upon His name in sincerity and truth.
True fellowship grows not from uniformity but from shared humility. The closer we draw to Christ, the nearer we come to each other. It is in His presence that our differences fade and our hearts soften. The man who kneels before the cross has no time to look down upon his brother. The ground is level there. All are debtors to grace, and none have room to boast.
So let us walk together as those who have been forgiven much. Let us love with patience, listen with gentleness, and labor for peace within the household of faith. The world will know we are His not by our arguments but by our love. And in that love, imperfect though we are, the glory of Christ will shine through.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
