Scripture Text: Ephesians 4:4b
It has been clear, and still being made clear, that to strive for unity is our holy duty. The task and to be bound to maintain unity with the believers must be done with eagerness, for it is the Spirit who created it [unity], and peace is the bond that binds all believers together. That’s why the urge to do this must be done with all humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, for this is the kind of walk that fits, matches, and is worthy of the calling to which all Christians have been called. Previously, the same appeal that the apostle Paul gives to the believers in Ephesus (and to us as well) is further solidified by stating one (out of seven) the basis for maintaining unity with eagerness – there is one body. In continuation, it is noteworthy to observe the repetition of the word “one” seven times, as it serves as declaration of the oneness that all believers have ultimately, God Himself in the person of His Son – the Lord Jesus Christ.
Proceeding now to the second (out of seven) basis that we must know (which was first known to the believers in Ephesus), all believers are urged to aim, strive, and promote unity based on this truth: “one Spirit (v.4b)”. That one body which comprises all the genuine believers is worked by this one Spirit, which is the common blessing of the saints, as the fulfillment of Abrahamic covenant in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. The Holy Spirit, who gives life to this one body, is the common Spirit that works in the lives of the induvial parts of the body of Christ! For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Also in Him, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
So then, dear saint, the same Spirit which causes fruit in us, is the same fruit which all believers yield through the Spirit! As all believers bear the fruit of the Spirit, we commonly exercise in the fellowship that we participate with the same love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control! The enablement you receive from the Spirit is the same enablement that God’s children receive. The same comfort, life, strengthening, conviction, enlightenment, is the same that all believers are experiencing in the Spirit that Christ has granted to God’s chosen people in Himself! For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Again, dear saint, please keep in mind that to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. Strive for unity, therefore, dear saint! Promote it together with your companions in the new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, belonging to one body and one Spirit.
May your heart, dear saint, be truly captivated by this blessedness that you have in Him, and because of Him! May you find yourself, together with the psalmist, acclaiming, bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits! who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Ultimately, the enjoyment of God in Christ is the only joy and happiness with which our souls can be truly and magnificently satisfied.
Desire to know Him more, who has loved you unconditionally and eternally! Thirst and long for Him! Be in awe of Him—the darling of Heaven! He is all yours… He is all-perfect, all-holy, all-glorious!
Hear this then, dear saint: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Christ is all that we have! Christ is all that we need!
Take heart, dear saint!
Reflect
1. Are you living a life worthy of the calling with which you have been called to as a believer of the Lord?
2. Is your life marked by eagerness to maintain unity and peace with your brothers and sisters in the Lord?
3. Do you continue to grow in need of His grace?
4. Do you desire and long to love Him more, as you ought to be?
Remember
Every blessing from God and our Father are means to keep us back to our chief end—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! Live your life therefore for the praise of His glory, and continue to live out your blessedness in Him!
Pray
Father in heaven, I come before You in the name of Your Son, to thank You for the blessedness of being brought into the body of Your Son, having the Same Spirit together with my brothers. Father, I ask for Your blessing once more, that I may be enabled fully to match this blessedness that I have in Him, by walking in faithfulness in promoting peace and unity with my brothers in the Lord, through the same empowerment that I always have in the Spirit. May I find delight in my oneness with them in Your Son, as I continue to learn to bear with them in love, as Your Son has modeled to us. For His glory, Father, I ask, that I may truly learn to give importance to the fellowship in Your Son with my brothers, seeking to serve them and prioritize their interest to preserve and maintain peace and unity, with eagerness, love, and humility, help me accomplish these things, as I rely fully in the Spirit and His ministry in me. I ask this, Father, in the name of who was and is, and is to come – Your Son, my greatest and only need. Amen.
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