Agreed???

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" [Amos 3:3]

For many of us this verse has taken on a life of its own--which should never happen. No portion of scripture should be taken without context. At first glance, and according to a whole lot of people, if we don't agree on issues, then we must (or, at least we have a right to) separate. In context, however, that is not what this verse speaks to--this prophecy is in regard to the disagreement between God and Israel, as a result of Israel's extreme (and constant) backsliding. There is no loophole here for us to separate because we disagree with one another. Sin is the great separator, but our disagreements and differences must not separate us.

Paul taught us how to disagree--and to have differences, yet without being disagreeable; or creating schisms where none should exist. Perhaps, it was during this time that God was dealing with him regarding his own separation from Peter, because there was a warm reception with no dissension between them at the Council of Jerusalem (following their dispute) in Acts 15:4-26 . We see that God dealt with Peter too, because we read in 2 Peter 3, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." Peter clearly affirmed Paul, calling him "beloved" and testifying to the truth of the Gospel that he preached, in spite of Paul's sharp rebuke of him in Galatians 2:11-21. And, perhaps Peter examined his own legalistic actions at Galatia, in retrospect, as well. At any rate, they did not remain at odds, so we cannot use Paul and Peter's separation as an excuse or rationalization to remain divided on issues, but if God can do such great things with us divided, can you imagine what He will do with us united? Unity is a powerful weapon against the forces of hell--our spiritual armor is designed for unity, not for us to be separate on the front line. The battle is too fierce for disunity.

Imagine, if you can, what might have been accomplished if Peter and Paul had not been divided for that short period--many like to think that greater works occurred because they separated, but that would go against Scripture--even against what they themselves preached and taught. God used them, in spite of the separation and allowed the Gospel to spread mightily, but it would always be better in an atmosphere of unity, because that is the desire and plan of God, for us. That was, and continues to be the prayer of Jesus Christ concerning us, "...that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me." [John 17:21-23, NKJV].

Paul writes of the spiritual armor of our warfare in Ephesians 6:14-18. One key piece of armor unites us in battle--the shield of faith. Some time ago, I read a description of the armor written by Warren Weirsbe. He explained that Paul wrote comparing spiritual armor to the natural armor that he was most familiar with--that of the Roman soldiers of his era. In that day, their shields were made with beveled edges so that when the battle became most heated, they could lock all of their shields together, and form one long impenetrable wall. As long as they stood together on the front line, they were all protected. Those shields were large enough so that the soldier could crouch behind them and have his entire body--every vital part--and organ covered. The shields were also covered with animal skins which they dipped in water before the battle so that when the enemy shot fiery darts at them, they were immediately extinguished. Together, these arrows can't escape past the shield and do harm, but separately we become extremely vulnerable to attack from the side and the back. Can you see the importance of being united?

The prophet Amos was not writing to Israel suggesting that if they did not agree with one another then they should separate, his prophecy from God was a strong urge to separate themselves from the idolatrous ways that kept them from wholly serving God in truth. Sin separates us from God.

The issues and differences that separate us, today, simply put, should not. Paul taught us in the 14th chapter of Romans to respect the differences of our brothers and sisters--and to love and cherish them, even if we do not agree. We have One Judge.

^"For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God. For it is written:

As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to Me,
and every tongue will give praise to God.

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way. (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.) For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat. Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.
So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. Do you have a conviction? Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin. [Romans 14:7-23, HCSB]