This is one of many critical errors that we hope to help the church correct. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). Even in telling us to try to get along with everyone, Paul qualifies his instruction in two ways. First, it is not always possible, and second, it does not always depend on us. Elsewhere he cautions that peace is not always permissible if it means uniting with unbelievers, the openly immoral, or those who reject God’s truth (2 Corinthians 6:14). So, Christians love all people, even their enemies, and they do their best to be at peace with all people, but they realize that this is not always possible or permissible, nor is it always up to them. Even our Lord did not get along with everyone, though this was not due to any lack of love or hint of unrighteousness. Light and dark, holiness and sin, justice and injustice, love and hate, truth and falsehood—some things are simply incompatible, which is as it should be.
In our resources, you’ll find everything you need to understand what unity is according to the Bible, the kind of unity Christ prayed for in John 17:20–26. To begin, we recommend that you start learning with our John 17 Exegetical Guide or Christian Unity and You, which provides a focused look at how you can live in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You can also check out God’s Will for Christian Unity, a comprehensive study of 30 Bible passages revealing God’s expectations for Christian unity.