Unleashing the Potential of Unity | Daily Devotional

Paul Dziepak

Essential Beliefs and Working Together

Scripture: Romans 9:30-33 (NIV)
“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.'”

While there may be differences in non-essential beliefs and interpretations, it is crucial to focus on the core truths of the Gospel.

Practical Insights:

Unity in Essential Beliefs: There are core beliefs that unite all Christians: the infallibility of the Bible, the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation through His atonement, and the triune nature of God. These essential beliefs form the foundation of our faith and should be upheld and shared with conviction.
Non-Essential Differences: While there may be disagreements on non-essential matters such as communion practices, baptism methods, or worship styles, it is important not to let these differences divide us. Instead, we should prioritize unity and focus on the essential truths that bind us together as followers of Christ.
Collaborative Impact: The speaker encourages believers to work together, leveraging the collective resources and strengths of the Church to make a significant impact in the world. By setting aside minor disagreements and focusing on the shared mission of spreading the Gospel, we can bring about transformative change and turn the world upside down for Christ.

Action Steps:

Reflect on Essential Beliefs: Take time to study and reaffirm the core beliefs of the Christian faith. Dive into Scripture to deepen your understanding of the infallible Word of God, the deity of Jesus, and the significance of His sacrifice for our salvation.
Embrace Unity: Seek opportunities to build bridges with fellow believers, even those with different non-essential beliefs. Engage in respectful conversations, focusing on what unites us rather than what divides us. Let love and unity be the defining characteristics of your interactions with other Christians.
Collaborate for Impact: Look for ways to partner with other believers and churches in your community or beyond. Together, pool your resources, talents, and passions to make a greater impact for the Kingdom of God. Support and encourage one another in spreading the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the essential truths of the Gospel that unite us as believers. Help us to prioritize unity and love, setting aside non-essential differences that can divide us. Grant us wisdom and discernment to focus on what truly matters and to work together for Your Kingdom’s advancement. May our collaboration bring about transformative change in our communities and beyond. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Podcast Transcript: Living a Life of Unity

Introduction

We are in Romans chapter 9 today, but before I even get into that, I just want to thank you for listening. This has gone on, it’s just kind of turned into something more than I expected, and I’m excited about it and to see where this podcast goes. And hopefully it’s just an encouragement for people to come. And I can even see this as being sort of a legacy I can leave to my kids or even grandkids if Christ hasn’t returned yet. I mean, this could be great, great Grandpa Paul’s podcast, right? So, thankful for those who are listening, who are encouraging. I’m on social media, on Facebook and Instagram. I know there’s been some encouragement thrown at me that way. What a blessing that is. So, thank you so much.

Name Change

You may have noticed I switched the name of the podcast from the name For What It’s Worth to the name Daily Christian Podcast. When I started this, I had to have a name and I had no clue what to call it. So I just, I just named it something, but now it’s a little bit more strategic. I’d like to just be easily found. Okay. If you’re Googling it, just something for easy for people to remember. I have told a few people about it and they tend to forget. Because, for what it’s worth, it’s kind of a harder phrase to remember, right? So, Daily Christian Podcast is much easier to remember. So, thank you so much, and hopefully this has been good for you, as it’s been good for me.

Key Themes in Romans Chapter 9

In Romans chapter 9, I mean, it says a lot in here, a lot of the same things that he’s been saying throughout Romans, that it’s, you know, salvation’s not just for the Jew, but it’s for the Gentile, and it’s through faith, it’s not through I mean, that is a common theme through Romans. But I think what stands out to me today, because I get to talk about whatever I want on my podcast, is that it’s the several different scripture verses that he’s quoting. I mean, I was thinking about, man, this guy knows the Word. He knows the Bible. and he understands it, and he’s sharing that with these guys.

Interpretation of Scripture and Denominational Differences

But also, I got to thinking about how we’ve interpreted scripture and how that has kind of split up the church along the way. And there’s so many denominations that are out there, but I feel like there’s the essential beliefs and then there’s beliefs that are really non-essential, right? So if me and you interpret the way you take communion different, or the way baptism is different, Well, sure, I think you’re going to be wrong, but I think that’s more of a non-essential, or especially like worship, or the day that you worship, or the color of the carpet. I mean, come on, none of that stuff, that’s pretty non-essential to me.

Core Beliefs

When the essential things are really simple, that the Bible is the Word of God, and it is infallible. It is true, it does not contradict itself, that Jesus was God’s Son, and the only way to get back to God after our rebellion is through the forgiveness of Him, through the atonement of our sins, which was through Jesus alone. There is no other way. And we serve a triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I mean, those are the core beliefs, right? So anything other than that, we may disagree on. But I don’t want to focus on what we disagree on. If we got together and worked together, I feel like we could make a huge impact on this world. And we got a lot of resources as a church as a whole. And if we are followers of Christ, and you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and that’s the only way, and I believe the same thing, essentially we’re going to be in heaven together. because that is the most important thing. So let’s work together and let’s get the word out there. Let’s encourage one another. I mean, if we were to do that, that would just be amazing what the church could accomplish. I mean, we would flip this world upside down.