E Pluribus Unum and Jesus: Really?

 "E Pluribus Unum" was the motto proposed for the first Great Seal of the United States by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. A latin phrase meaning "One from many,"

Even though this was a phrase created to help the USA find and establish a sense of unity. The truth behind it speaks to what Jesus wanted for the body of Christ, the church universal. 

“so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” - Romans 12:5

We see a glorious picture of this reality in the Book of Revelation:

“And they sang a new song:

‘You are worthy to take the scroll 

and to open its seals, 

because you were slain, 

and with your blood you purchased men for God 

from EVERY TRIBE and LANGUAGE and PEOPLE and NATION.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, 

and they will reign on the earth.’” - Revelation 5:9-10

The Bible teaches us that our Creator created us in His image therefore all of humanity are image bearers of God. With this truth claim it is revealed to us that when God sees us He doesn’t see us as the world see us. He doesn’t divide us as the world wants to divide us. The world tries and create animosity towards one another by pointing out and emphasizing differences like the color of our skin, our social classes or economic status. 

The sad part of this divisiveness is that it has crept into the body of Christ where it doesn’t belong. It’s a form of yeast that infects the whole batch of dough. You can recognize it with phrases like: black American Christian or white evangelicals and so on. These terms and phrase usually spring forth from worldly political ideologies that have nothing to do with the mind of God. They seek to divide believers against one another.

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,” - Titus 3:10 

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:26-28

“and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” - Colossians 3:10-11

The enemy of Jesus and His body has made inroads into the minds of sincere believers through political movements, through those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing. You can be sincere about something but sincerity is not a measure of the truthfulness of a thing. You can be sincerely wrong. 

The Bible warns those in positions of leadership within the body of Christ to be careful not to cause unnecessary unbiblical divisions amongst those that are His chosen people.

 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD.” - Jeremiah 23:1 

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” - Romans 16:17 

The doctrine that tells us to put on the mind of Christ. Where Jesus doesn’t see people, whether saved or not, according the the color of their skin, whether they are male or female, their socio economic position, their nationality. Instead He searches the heart of the individual, He looks at the unseen, as to whether they believe or reject Him. 

As believers, to take a view that is any different, to use words and phrases that segregated fellow believers into unbiblical categories is to go against God’s will and play right into the hands of Satan’s will.