THE CHURCHES UNITY FROM THEOLOGY TO PRACTICALITY FROM
FROM TALK TO WALK
Lord God, I thank you for this opportunity to share your word with your people. I Thank you, for Lord Your Son Jesus Christ, Lord, we ask you to forgive us for our sins so that we can continue in a close relationship with you, So that there will be no obstruction barring our ability to hear you, lord or our ability to communicate with you. I ask you, lord, to bless all.
I pray that all who hear or read this message with understanding. Finally, Lord, I ask that you fill me with your spirit so I can deliver your message in a way that pleases you. In the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
Live Worthy of the Calling
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. (Eph 4:1-3). This is a shift from the text’s theology to practicality, from Doctrine to duty, from indicative to the imperative. Because of the rich and unique theological realities of Chapters 1-3, Paul calls on the Ephesians to live a life that is worthy of the calling they have received. You have had a great calling placed upon your life, a blessing that is so great it cannot be contained; it overflows. The way you live your life should be of equal weight. Christ has done so much for you that it should reflect your life. I recently read a story about a man who set his armchair on fire. He said I set my armchair on fire because I was alone. I was afraid, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get attention so someone would come and get me out of there; the fire department gave him a ticket for misdemeanor arson. They said he would now know the seriousness of what he had done and discourage him from doing it again. The fire captain said that the man knew how serious it was. Alienation and neglect are like death. One good example of groups claiming to be united under one name or another breaks down because their doctrine is weak. So, they fall apart and fight one another. God’s doctrine is powerful and trustworthy. Jesus said the world will pass, but my word will never pass away.
The unity Paul urges on us begins with Character: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in Love (vs. 2). The people who bring unity are humble and gentle. Humility was despised in the ancient world. It was associated with one being in a slave-like quality. What was admired was a great, mighty soul man, a macho man. A man who was utterly self-sufficient, in control, self-assured, needing nothing.
The humility and gentleness Paul is talking about is not weakness but strength under control. There is nothing spineless or timid about it. Jesus describes himself in two ways: 1. I am gentle and meek and humble in heart (Math 11:29). We see his steel-like meekness in two ways concerning himself: his power not to retaliate, his ability to forgive and his fierce defense of others or of the truth. This strength in humility and gentleness empowers us to be like Christ.
My pastor died, and Satan stepped in; people who I loved and respected rose up, spewing evil and hatred. For years, people who set up under My pastor did not display anything resembling the character Jesus Christ showed. Most of the members left the church because they didn’t want to be bothered by the nonsense that was going on. Most of the people left were new Christians who didn’t know God’s word, were swept away by people seeking power, and no one exhibited humility and meekness to arrive at peace. And both sides took the matter to court, which the word of God said not to do. Do not let the world judge the Church. It took years for the people to see that the devil showed His face. He could only hold his disguise for a bit of a while. We are to be patient, not short-tempered, literally long tempered. Bearing with one another in love. Show respect to everyone. Live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, compassionate, and humble, and above all, love each other because love covers a multitude of sins. Christian unity doesn’t begin with any external structure but with the attitude of the heart. There may be huge differences between us, but when the spirit fruits of humility and patience reign, there is unity.
The origin of our unity
Ephesians 4:4–6 (NIV)
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called.
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
We need to see that it teaches us
our unity is rooted in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and God. Each of the seven great unities is connected to one of the persons of the Godhead.
First, it is the Holy Spirit and His work bringing unity. There is one Body, One Spirit. The Holy Spirit creates the Body of Christ, of which we are members, for we are all baptized into one spirit. And into one body of Christ. Whether Jew or Greek, Slave or Free, we are all given one spirit to drink. The Holy Spirit creates, fills, coordinates orchestrate and empowers the Body of Christ. This accounts for the fate we all experience when meeting other believers, such as an Uber driver, a cook at the bakers, or a bank president.
Second, there is the person of Christ and His work in the ministry of uniting. Just as you were called to one Hope when you were called to one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism. There is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. As our one Lord, He creates one faith because he is the object of our faith. We all have participated in one baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Sharing one Lord, one Faith, and one baptism brings one hope: the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the hope of sharing Glory with Him.
Lastly, there is the person Of the Father and His work in Unity, One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all and in all, My Brothers and Sister are all different; we all have other interests, we have differences, but despite our differences, we all have the same father.
We are brothers and sisters and have a deep, underlying love for one another. After all is done, we are family. The same is true for those of us who are brothers and sisters in Christ. After all is said, we have the same father. We are Family. Our unity comes from seven grand unities rooted in the Holy Trinity: one body, One Spirit, one hope, one Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God, and the Father of All.
The implication of our unity in the Holy Trinity is that our unity is eternal; it cannot be broken, and the unity of the church is indestructible. It is no more possible to split the Church than it is to split the Holy Trinity. Our unity can never be separated. Our unity is more solid than that of the Himalayas.
Are you a part of such beautiful Blessings? You can be. Jesus said that GOD loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son, so whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting Life (John 3:16). Do You Believe?
