Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Oct 18, 2024 - The Unity of the Spirit”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsThe Unity of the Spirit
Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6
This section marks a transition in the letter. Paul urges the Ephesians to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”(Eph 4:1), taking the great blessing of grace into practical living. Walking worthy involves “all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”(Eph 4:2-3). Paul has spoken at length about the unity God has created by bringing Jews and Gentiles together into one body (Eph 2:14-16, 3:6). Now our duty is to maintain the unity of that body by being humble, patient, and forgiving. We must work to overcome the difficulties we have with one another, lest they fracture the body and ruin what God has built. What sounds like lofty theology is actually quite practical: my stubbornness, anger, and selfishness can ruin God’s eternal project.
The unity of the body is just one aspect of the unique oneness of the gospel. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”(Eph 4:4-6). The emphasis on oneness here is about how God has done things in an exclusive way. There are not many bodies, spirits, lords, or faiths because God wants us to subscribe to his one way. The unity of the one body is a priority because this is the way God has chosen to call people to himself. The fact that this is the unity of the Spirit (Eph 4:3) emphasizes that God is its author—and that when we break it, we undo his work.
Behind Paul’s words is the implication that our pride, harshness, and implacability will lead to division in the one body. Will I allow my stubbornness to tear down what Christ has built? Will my frustrations with other Christians boil over? Will I grow jaded because others are imperfect? Will Christ’s body be plagued by my bitterness and hatred? In my eagerness to do right, I must be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
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One Thing to Think About: Is my inability to get along with others a threat to Christ’s one body?
One Thing to Pray For: Humility, gentleness, and patience
