To Reconcile Us Both to God in One Body Through the Cross

It is extremely difficult to get people to agree even on essential points—on the most basic issues. If people succeed at this, they think it is a tremendous accomplishment. Yet in Christ Jesus we are called to become completely and perfectly one, just as the limbs on the same body are one—one with one another—and one with God.

People are, so to speak, impossible. They quarrel and fight with each other and disagree over big things and petty things as long as they live! Yes, “as long as they live” is the crux of the whole matter. Therefore, Christ took all of us with Him—in and by the one body which He took upon Himself—onto the cross.

We can say, spiritually speaking, that the nails of the cross go through us all according to the flesh and hold us together. If we can see this by faith and continue to hold on to itfirmly, then real unity is the result—lasting and ever-increasing unity.

Just as our crucifixion with Christ is the union of the individual with God, it is also, in truth, the union of individuals with one another.

How wonderful the word of the cross is, and how marvelous are its power and its results!