Truth and Unity

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. – John 17:17 –

Soon after Solomon died, Israel divided into a northern kingdom ruled by Jeroboam and a southern kingdom ruled by Rehoboam. Fearing he would lose his people’s allegiance if they kept returning to the temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam made two gold idols for his subjects to worship and instituted a new priesthood to keep them at home. In response, the Levites living in the north moved to Judah and Jerusalem, “and after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 11:16). Idolatry separated the faithful from the unfaithful and united God’s true followers around His revealed truth.

The Puritan peacemaker Jeremiah Burroughs uses this incident to illustrate the principle that error divides but truth unites. “If you are divided from the truth, what can hold you together? Truth is a single, simple, plain thing, but error is various and entangles itself with infinite contradictions.” Understood and applied rightly, doctrine should be not the cause but the cure of Christian divisions, and the only unity that will please God is that which is in accordance with His truth as revealed in His Word. This is why Jesus prayed,  “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). When idols are offered, God’s true followers should gather where the Lord resides to worship Him as He demands. We will all come together if we rally round His truth.

From Jeremiah Burroughs, Peace and Healing, pp. 18–19