The reality of church disunity, division, schism is unmistakable and can be a blight on the Name and cause of Christ.  A legitimate question we must consider is “what degree of unity among churches should we strive for in this world?”  The puritan, Richard Baxter, addresses this question in the following quotations from a book on Christian Unity.

Some men understand not the nature of the union and concord of the church, nor how much is to be expected in this life, and therefore looking for more than is to be looked for, they think we have no unity because we have not that which they ignorantly expect…

There is no perfect concord to be expected upon earth: this is the glory that is proper to the life to come.

That in all the essential matters of Christianity there is as truth a union among all the differing sorts of Christians.

This is not meant to justify the division that exists or discourage mighty, prayerful, self-sacrificing efforts to promote Christian concord.  It is to ensure that we have our efforts guided by the truth and directed to the ultimate end of the eternal glory of Christ and His church dwelling together.  The conclusion that Baxter reaches in this section is so true and yet leaves so much to be longed for by true believers,

Well! remember this advice: expect not a heavenly perfection of unity and concord till you come to heaven.

May we long for Christ’s return, the glorifying of the saints, and the full manifestation of the unity of the body of Christ!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!