As Christian leaders, we’re very adamant about preaching the gospel. And rightly so. Christ came to reconcile us back to the Father. It is an absolute truth that His atoning sacrifice puts us in right relationship with our Creator.
But what about the other piece of that puzzle?
Jesus also came to reconcile us to one another. John 11:52 tells us that Jesus died “to gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” Ephesians 2 says that Jesus’ death and resurrection takes people who are total opposites and creates “one new man in place of the two” and reconciles “both to God in one body through the cross.”
If we recognize our reconciliation to God but ignore our reconciliation to one another, we’re missing part of the gospel message. That’s why Jesus prayed for His people to be unified.
To that end, we are bringing together Jefferson County pastors and leaders who hold a biblical worldview, one that recognizes Jesus as the one and only Son of God and that He was God incarnate. Certainly, Jesus came to teach us, but, more importantly, to reconcile us to the Father and to each other.
So, we’re not pushing for some sort of unity where people from various religions can be united. Nor are we encouraging Christians to spiritually collaborate with those who say they are Christians—Mormons, for example—but hold beliefs that are clearly contrary to the Bible.
And it should be noted that there are even those who declare themselves to be Christians, but refuse to acknowledge things that the Bible calls sin. For example, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the Apostle Paul names specific sins like sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, stealing, being greedy and more. If we pretend that the things that Scripture says are sin are not actually sin—and that those things don’t ultimately separate us from God—then we have undermined the whole point of the gospel message. It is only because of the cross— the saving work of Jesus’ blood because of our sins—that we can have hope for eternity and an honest basis for any unity here and now.
Having said all that, the Holy Spirit is breathing His life into His Church today. And that would include many various segments of the Body of Christ. From mainline denominations, to truly evangelical (Bible believing) churches, to Pentecostal and nondenominational congregations, the Lord is sovereignly drawing His Body into a greater dimension of unity.
So, in reality, we here in Jefferson County, Missouri, are simply jumping on board with what the Holy Spirit is already doing.
Will you join us?
So What’s Different About This?
In the summer of 2019, a few pastors from across the county began gathering to pray together. Since then, more than forty others have joined us. We believe the hand of God is in this.
And some have asked, “What’s the difference between this and the ministerial alliance that I’m already a part of?” Two things come immediately to mind.
First, our initial focus with Jeffco Christians United is a spiritual one. We started with prayer. Our initial gatherings are primarily about praying, not doing. We pray for each other, pray for one another’s churches, pray for Jefferson County. For us, the Lord is primary. We know that apart from Him, we can’t do anything. So prayer isn’t an add-on. It’s the foundation.
Second, as a county-wide organization, we can have a broader impact than a local ministerial alliance. We’ll be able to address issues that are too large to handle at the level of a single municipality. Dozens of churches from across the county can have a greater impact, spiritually and temporally.