HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE MINISTERIAL DIFFERENCES

In our growing up in this vocation as Christians, being made wise to know by the Scriptures that we are joint heir with God through Christ, the Son of His love Col. 1:13, we are led to understand His word that says, "till we all come to the unity of faith" Eph 4:13a. 

For we know that it is our faith in the Son that led us from our pre-conversion state to the regeneration state which sanctified us to be joint heir with the Father by the Son through the Holy Ghost.

It is evidence that, there was a great unity in the Trinity in bringing us to their redemptive work of grace. When God's word says: till we all come to the unity of Faith, we can then relate until we all are baptised into the unity of faith, until we all learn of the unity of the Godhead in approaching our differences in the body of Christ, then it will be pretty clear that no lively stone (you and me) will stay aloof in the building up into the "Chief Man” -Christ.

Now in any given time, if you see any church experiencing Spirit outflow at her full strength, such is not far from the five-fold ministry (see 1Corinthians 12). Therefore, as you and I have received help from the Spirit to know the one entrusted to us, which is the gift of the Spirit or ministry gift, it is imperative to know that the body of Christ is made complete with the mutual ministry gift of others. God has appointed the entire ministry gift for the equipping of the Church.

We should be prompted to ask ourselves, that we need to discern more and more in other to respect other believers' grace in equipping the body of Christ with their ministry gift at large, Lest one who is an evangelist unnecessary question the prophetic teaching coming from other minister of the gospel or lest you who is a teacher should pour contempt on a believer who is entrusted with apostolic grace.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Romans 10:17. Undoubtedly, the different ministerial gifts are to birth the continuance of this faith work in the body. God instituted these different ministerial gifts as Godward gifts and not manward gift i.e. is not earthly but divine. Hence, if souls are to be saved and saved souls are to be fed, more solid matters must take a prominent place through all the gifts the Lord has instituted in our community of faith.

Unity in Christ also means setting aside secondary issues like denominational differences or cultural patterns. Agreement on basics is important but, the most important of all is our mutual sharing in the manifold grace of God which is premised on love. Finally, our attitudes should be a pure open heart to receive the God-given ministrations from others whom the Lord has established with us in the faith and to this end, we must all with one heart, one spirit, and one love lead the way to the unity of faith by this great will be the mystery of godliness among us.