This devotion will address the church or body of believers. Also, known as the followers of Christ. It will share why Unity in Christ is so important for today’s church. It will also address the departure from unity that is
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6
Paul spoke to the church at Ephesus in person and through his letter or epistle to them. In this passage he is specifically addressing the need for unity in the church. Or in other words, Unity in Christ. Just as a reminder – the church is not a building. The church is the entire body of believers. Those that believe that Jesus is their personal Lord and Savior. This is the primary reason that Paul refers to himself as “a prisoner of the Lord.” He is proclaiming himself to be willingly led by the Lord – bending to His will.
Righteousness
In the same sentence Paul urges the followers of Christ (the Church) to live “a life worthy of the calling.” They received Christ and now Paul is asking them to live up to their calling, in other words, to live righteously. Then he goes on to describe exactly what righteous living looks like within a body of believers. God through Paul asked the church to be humble, gentle, patient, and supportive. He asked them to keep unity within the body of believers – the Church. A unity that would bind each of us together in service and in love to each other and our Lord.
Unity in Christ is in Trouble
This Unity in Christ is almost lost on this generation. There are pockets of unity, but not a universal unity. The evolutionists battle with the creationists, the pre-millennial rapture believers battle with the post-millennial believers, the orthodox battle with the new age. I’m guilty of this too. Consequently, I sometimes express my opinion in a “Matter of Fact” way that can sometimes be harsh. Please know that I love every believer. Even if their doctrine strays from the Bible, I still love and appreciate them, I just don’t agree with them. My personal belief is that the Bible is the only source material for our faith. If it doesn’t reconcile with Biblical scripture, it’s not true. It, whatever “it” is, doesn’t have to be in scripture, it just has to agree with scripture.
Reconciling with Scripture
An example of reconciling with scripture is: at sea level distilled water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an operational science fact. This is not mentioned in the Bible, but nothing in the Bible disagrees with the science. Therefore, the science of water’s freezing point reconciles with Biblical scripture. On the other hand, the concept or theory of evolution, which is historical science, fails to reconcile with the Bible. The Bible clearly states that in the beginning God created. Therefore, evolution fails to reconcile with Bible scripture. There are bunches of reasons why evolution fails as a theory, but read my posts on evolution for more information about that.
Unity in Christ Realized
Paul continues that to have Unity in Christ we are to cherish each other as one body and in one spirit. Called together with one hope and with one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all, “who is over all and through all and in all.” We need to cherish our Lord Jesus first and then cherish each member of the Church, the body of believers, the followers of Christ. Only then can we have the unity that God spoke of through Paul. This message is not only for the Ephesians of 2,000 years ago, but to all that believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior today and forever.
