May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The church at Rome, like most everywhere else, was composed of a variety of people. Jew and Gentile, wealthy and poor, strong and weak, slave and free; differences that all too often divide us. We also find differences in doctrine, practice, and politics dividing us. Like much of its history, today’s church is fractured in many ways. Rather than being a unified body that glorifies God, we fight among ourselves and bring disgrace to the cause of Christ.
But what we have in common is much greater than those things that separate us. We are a new creation, brothers and sisters in the family of God, one body in Christ. And we are to have the same attitude toward each other as Christ Jesus does.
Jesus loved me so much that he gave himself for me. And not just me, but also those who are unlike me. He loves us, regardless of what we look like, our doctrinal differences, or how we practice our faith.
And that is the attitude I am to have for each person within the body. To look at them and see, not the outward differences, but a dearly loved brother or sister that Jesus loves and died for. And to have the same attitude Jesus had, loving and being willing to give myself for them.
We can glorify God with one united voice and mind when we all do that. And the world will know that we genuinely are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35) and will be drawn to him.
