When I climb under my rock to focus again on reality, I stand amazed at my ingrained value system. I am constantly surprised at what I salute and what I dismiss.

Somewhere along the way, I determined what doctrine is and what it is not. What is starting to concern me are values of Jesus that are not on my doctrine list.

For over half my life I diagramed my worldview in three circles that never overlapped.

In circle one was the Lord’s Church. I identified with that circle.

In the second circle were located the denominations. I knew they claimed to believe in my God—but not really, or they would look exactly like the Lord’s Church—which was my church.

The third circle was easy to identify. Within it was the world. Those people lived without Jesus or the church, thought dancing was great, and could go fishing on Sundays. Okay—maybe an oversimplification.

The problem I experience with my former worldview is that it does not match the power of the cross nor does it pass the fruit test. An early teaching of Jesus was the fruit-bearing test. Jesus’ disciples bear fruit. You will know one is a disciple of Jesus by the fruit rooted in the Holy Spirit of a life.

My former worldview started to crumble as I encountered committed, fruit-bearing disciples of Jesus on the outside of my “Lord’s Church” circle. Now what?

Then I read Paul:

I appeal to you, brother and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. . . One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? [Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth]

Now, what do I do?

United perfectly in mind and thought upon Jesus is the starting place. The cross is one. From the cross comes one crucified Lord and one united baptism with Him to begin a non-divisive walk along the path He followed.

If I can grasp this foundational truth of perfect union with Jesus, without shame or fear I can unite with those of the same conclusion.

I want to be serious about my commitment to Jesus. Jesus does not divide well. He unites with the Father and the Spirit. My aim is to unite with Jesus and by so doing live in the Spirit in the presence of God.

Unity is a big deal to God.

I don’t know how to unite the church.

Jesus didn’t call upon me to unite His church.

He did, however, call me to obedience to His will. I must do my part to align my life with His. He called me to pursue peace and unity in the effort to be more like Him.

My worldview changed. I lost a circle.

I now see reality diagramed by only two circles.

Circle one is the Kingdom of Light, and circle two is the Kingdom of Darkness. The circles are no long disengaged, for the Kingdom of Light continues to invade the Kingdom of Darkness.

In the Kingdom of Light, we come together on the all sufficiency of Jesus and an act by God on a cross, from a tomb resurrection. That is a big deal.

Now, through love and looking to a church birthed from a cross I need to work on a closer unity with all of God’s family as I continue the process of log removal from my own eye.

Am I on target here?

Stay tuned. – Gary J. Sorrells – On Cross Church