Unity

EPHESIANS 4:1-6

MAINTAINING THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH

Part 1 - THE PLEA FOR UNITY

Intro: In verse 1 Paul calls the church to remember where we came from and all that the Lord has done for us in Christ. He uses the word “therefore” to call to our minds all that He has taught us thus far in the book of Ephesians. He has been writing about doctrine, precept, and belief. Now, he turns his attention to duty, practice and behavior. The phrase at the end of verse 1 that reads, “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” is worth another quick glance.

The word “vocation” refers to “a calling; or a career.” It refers to “a person’s life’s work.” The calling we received from God to come to Christ by faith was not a call for a weekend getaway. It was a call to live a radically changed life for the glory of God. We are called on to live differently because we now know Jesus. We are live lives that are “worthy” of what we have been given in Christ. The word “worthy” means, “to balance the scales.” We are to live lives that prove we belong to the Lord. We are to live lives that glorify Him in the world. We are to live such weighty lives that we “balance the scales” with God.

Having told us what God expects of us, Paul now moves to tell us how to bring this to pass in our lives. He teaches us in these verses how to walk the worthy walk. One of the clearest ways the church can prove the reality of what it teaches is by living out the essence of what Paul talks about throughout the book of Ephesians.

He mentions it in verse 3, and again in verse 13. It is the idea of “unity.” The word means “agreement.” It simply means that we are to walk together as one in the Lord. Let me just pause here and say that unity is God’s goal for His church.

The book of Ephesians is about God’s grace that reveals itself in our salvation. As a part of that process is the idea of unity.

Consider the following truths.

God’s grace unites the Trinity in bringing us to God.

* The Father chose us unto salvation, Eph. 1:4.

* The Son redeemed us with His Own blood on the cross, Eph. 1:7

* The Spirit seals us for all eternity, Eph. 1:13

God’s grace unites Jews and Gentiles together in one body, the church, Eph. 2:11-15.

God’s grace in salvation reconciles us, or unites us to Him, Eph. 2:16-22.

Notice these verses that speak about the issue of unity:

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” Phil. 1:27.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment,” 1 Cor. 1:10.

“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits,” Rom. 12:16.

“1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others,” Phil. 2:1-4.

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 2 Cor. 13:11.

If the Lord is that interested in the unity of the church, then we should be interested in it as well. In verse 3 of our text, we are called to “keep” or “maintain” the unity of the church. I want to spend some time looking into the teaching in these verses. The fact is, we are not always unified. We are not always on the same page. We are not always pulling together for the glory of God. Too often we each have our own agendas that compete against the good of the church. This text is a plea for unity.

I want to take these verses and share some challenges I see in them. I want to preach about Maintaining The Unity Of The Church. These verses teach us how to walk together as a redeemed family, the way God intended. Let’s talk about Maintaining The Unity Of The Church. We will begin today by looking at verse 3, which talks about The Plea For Unity In The Church.

I. THE WORDS OF THIS PLEA

Paul says “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Several words in that verse merit our attention.

“Endeavoring” - This word means, “hasty, or zealous.” It suggests that we allow nothing to hinder us from speedily striving to secure the unity of the church. It speaks of a holy zeal that demands constant attention.

“Keep” - This word means, “to guard.” Notice that it does not say “create.” We cannot manufacture unity within the church. We cannot fake unity. We can only protect, or guard the unity we already have.

Paul calls it “the unity of the Spirit.” This phrase reminds us that “the unity, the agreement, the common ground” within the church is not the product of our efforts to make unity. This agreement, this common ground, is that which is produced within us by the Spirit of God.

We are to maintain this unity in “the bond of peace.” The word “bond” refers to “a band, or that which binds together.” “Peace” speaks of “tranquility, harmony, concord.” The belt that binds the church together in unity is peace. When we are at peace with one another, we are able to “keep the unity of the Spirit.”

I. The Words Of This Plea

II. THE WITNESS OF THIS PLEA

The church as no greater testimony than when we are united in Jesus in spite of our differences. By the same rule, there is no greater slander against the cause of Christ than a church family in which the members are at odds with one another.

Listen to what Jesus said:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” John 13:35.

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are,” John 17:11.

“20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me,” John 17:20-23.

We are a diverse bunch of people. We are different one from another in every way you can imagine. Physical differences, intellectual differences, economic differences and spiritual differences all compete against the unity we are expected to have.

Yet, with all our differences there is common ground. When we came to Jesus, the Holy Spirit took up residence in our hearts.

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit,” 1 Cor. 12:13.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” Rom. 8:9.

When He is in you and He is in me, He can cause us to move passed our differences to walk together in unity for the glory of God.

When we are at war one with another, we have lost our testimony with the world. When we walk out of unity, we are telling them that we are no different that they are. Down through the ages the world has formulated treaties, agreements, held conferences and signed accords all in an effort to bring peace. Every single treaty signed by men since the dawn of recorded time has failed. Why? “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked,” Isa. 48:22.

The world cannot find peace because they have no ground for peace. We are to be different! The Spirit of God dwells inside every true believer to guide, direct and cause us to produce the “fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. 5:22-23, which always leads to peace within the church. When we walk in the peace we have been given through the Spirit, we magnify the Lord Jesus and show the world that there is something different about us.

In verse 2 Paul speaks about humility, gentleness, patience and loving tolerance. Everyone of these spiritual characteristics flows out of genuine love one for another. Every one of them comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit within our hearts. We will flesh those thoughts out in greater detail over the next few weeks. For now, we need to know that God’s will for His people is that we walk in unity, all pulling the same way, for the glory of the same God.

I. The Words of This Plea

II. The Witness Of This Plea

III. THE WISDOM IN THIS PLEA

Walking in unity does not mean that we always have the same ideas about the same issues. We may have differences of opinion from time to time. That is both healthy and good. There needs to be a diversity of thought and not an intellectual or spiritual totalitarianism that dictates what every single person is allowed to think and believe.

Walking in unity does not means that we will always believe exactly the same about every single issue where doctrine is concerned.

It does not means that we lose our individualism when we are saved.

It does mean that we are marked by a common purpose and led by a common Savior.

It does mean that when the Lord gives us His clear direction, we put aside our personal opinions and walk together for the glory of God and the good of the Gospel.

It does mean that the unity of the church is more important than me getting my way or yours.

It does mean that the unity of the church always comes ahead of my personal agenda.

It does mean that the unity of the church comes before my feelings.

Nothing shows the world that we are different from them in our walk anymore than our being different in this specific area. When they see us at odds, we can forget the Gospel, because we will not reach them for Jesus. But, when they see us walking in unity, as it is manifested in true humility, gentleness toward one another, patient endurance of one another and loving tolerance for our differences, it will do more to reach the world than any outreach program ever devised by man. Our unity says that we are real! They may reject our truth, but they will not be able to get passed our unity.

Chuck Colson, in his book The Body, says this about John Calvin: “Calvin, who saw that the Devil's chief device was disunity and division and who preached that there should be friendly fellowship for all ministers of Christ, made a similar point in a letter to a trusted colleague: “Among Christians there ought to be so great a dislike of schism, as that they may always avoid it so fast as lies in their power. That there ought to prevail among them such a reverence for the ministry of the word and the sacraments that wherever they perceive these things to be, there they must consider

the church to exist...nor need it be of any hindrance that some points of doctrine are not quite so pure, seeing that there is scarcely any church which has not retained some remnants of former ignorance.”

Calvin was simply reminding us that we are all wrong at some point in our living and in our theology. If we are right about Jesus Christ and the Gospel, that is common ground from which we can operate together.

It’s wrong for there to be a division between you and me just because we disagree about some point of doctrine. It is wrong for us to allow our personal opinions and preferences to drive wedges between us. It is wrong for me to hold so sternly to my views, and my rights that I damage the church of the living God. We must never sacrifice truth for the sake of unity. I am not preaching unity at all costs. I am preaching that we are to allow the love of God, placed in us by the Holy Spirit, to reign supreme in our lives and in our church, Ill.Rom. 5:5.

In the 17th Century an Archbishop by the name of Marco Antonio de Dominis wrote this: “In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas.” This Latin phrase roughly translates to, “in necessary things unity; in uncertain things liberty; in everything charity.” That little saying speaks volumes! There are some truths that must be defended to the death, even at the cost of unity. There are some things that are open to interpretation. We are to give liberty to others in those areas and not judge them for their actions or beliefs. In everything, whether we can stand together, or whether we must separate over our difference, every action is to be motivated by the love of Christ in us for the other person!

Conc: As a church we have seen our share of disunity over the past few years. With a few exceptions, most of that has gone away. However, the scars of that turmoil are still visible. Some people who used to be here are no longer with us. The church has suffered financially. We have also suffered spiritually and emotionally. Yet, I am still saved. How about you?

If we are saved, the Holy Spirit lives within both you and me. If we allow Him to fill us with His presence and power, He will bring us to a place of absolute unity of purpose for the glory of God. When He does, we will see the Lord work around here is ways we could never imagine.

As need to gather as a church and ask the Lord to forgive us for our part in the disunity of the past.

If we have offended a fellow believer, and we are aware of that, we need to make it right.

“23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift,” Matt. 5:23-24.

If we have been offended by other, we need to let it go and forgive those who have offended us.

“21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven,” Matt. 18:21-22.

“1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith,” Luke 17:1-5.

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you,” Eph. 4:32.

Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Native American warriors on horses, dressed for battle.

The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, “What are we going to do?”

Tonto replied, "What you mean ‘we,’ Whiteman?”

That’s the way some in the church think, but it ought never be that way. We are in this thing together and all we have is the Lord and one another. There must be love. There must be peace. There must be unity! Will you come and pray that God will help us to work together to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?”

Ephesians 4:1-6

MAINTAINING THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH - PART 2

Intro: In our last study of this chapter, we talked about the unity of the church. We spoke specifically about the plea for unity issued by Paul in verse 3. In that verse, Paul challenges the church to work toward the goal of “unity”, or “agreement”, within the church. He goes on to tell us that this is only possible when we allow the Spirit of God within us to cause us to walk together as one.

By the way, some listened to that sermon from Eph. 4:3, and came away thinking that I was implying that there were problems in our congregation. If I gave that impression, that was not my intention. My goal was to deal with the next text in the book we are passing through, and to use that text to instruct our church concerning one of the most important truths in the life of the church. The fact is, we do not have to walk in absolute lockstep, but unless there is unity within the church, there will be no power within the church! So, consider this teaching as preventive maintenance and nothing more!

At the end of the day, unity in the church comes down to two great essentials. First, we must love one for another like God commands us to, Matt. 22:39; John 13:35. Second, we must yield to the control of the Holy Spirit Who dwells within every child of God. When we submit to His control, He will cause us to live out the “Fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. 5:22-23, which will cause us to walk together in love, peace and unity.

With that in mind, I want to probe deeper into this passage. I want to continue to talk to you about Maintaining The Unity Of The Church. Having considered The Plea For Unity, let’s look next at The Problem Of Unity.

II. THE PROBLEM OF UNITY

I will just touch on this thought, because it is not explicitly mentioned in this text. It is, however, clearly implied. In verse 3, Paul commands us to be about the business of “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” If we have to work to guard the unity of the church, then it seems to me that this unity must be a fragile thing. The unity of the church must be something that is easily forfeited.

Since we are commanded to work to guard the unity of the church, it stands to reason that we are the ones who can cause the unity of the church to become fractured. The problem with unity in the church is this: the church is made up of people. I have heard it said, and have said it myself, “if it weren’t for the people, the church would be a great place.” That is said in jest, because without the people, there is no church. To put it plainly, the people are the church.

While the we the people are the church, we the people are also the problem. We, the people who make up the local church, are the guardians of the unity produced within us by the Holy Spirit, but we are also the greatest danger to that unity. Why is that? Many reasons could be listed, but I will mention just a few for the sake of time.

We are all sinners who posses a fallen nature. We are sometimes selfish, self-centered, and want our own way. We are jealous when we see others succeed, get blessed or be promoted. We get angry when we think we have been wronged.

We act out of spite hoping to hurt those we think have hurt us. We fail to forgive the wrongs done to us by other. We fail to love the Lord like we should, this we cannot love others like we

should. By the way, when you fail to give love, you are not in a position to receive love either!

We allow our sinful natures to be manifested in all our human interactions. We are brought together from different backgrounds, with different views

about right and wrong, and with different opinions about how things ought to be done.

We have different agendas in life. That is, we have different opinions about what the church should be, should do, and how it should operate.

To sum it up in a sentence, we are different one from another, and that is the greatest threat to the unity of the church. That is always the problem in a nutshell.

I. The Plea For Unity

II. The Problem Of Unity

III. V. 2 THE PATH TO UNITY

Let’s back up to verse 2 and talk about The Path To Unity. In this verse, Paul mentions several characteristics that should be true of each of us. These characteristics, if they are true in your life and mine, will go a long way to helping us “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

The only way we will ever fulfill the challenge of verse 1, which says, “I…beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” is to be sure that the following characteristics are true in our lives. It is the only was we can ever hope to “balance the scales,” which is what the word “worthy” means.

If we really want to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord, and that help the church walk in unity, we must be sure that our lives are marked by the characteristics Paul lists in verse 2. Since they are so vital, we will take the time to consider each of them and what they teach us about the kind of people we should be for the glory of God.

Lowliness - This word means “to think or judge with lowliness; to possess lowliness of mind.” It speaks of “humility.” This word, in its Greek form, was never found in secular writing. It was a word coined by Christians. Roman and Greek society had no concept of humility. The person who placed others ahead of self was considered weak, a coward, and unnatural. They looked at anyone who was humble as being weak. So, when Paul wanted a word to describe the humble person, he had to invent the word. The Greeks and Romans believed that people should be proud and self-satisfied. They believed that anyone who took a low view of themselves was warped. This word was later picked up by some secular writers, and it was always used in a derogatory fashion to describe Christians as weak.

The world might look upon humility as a weakness, but it is the most fundamental of Christian virtues. Without humility we can never please the Lord. Without humility, we can never be like Christ, Phil. 2:5-8.

Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is defined as, “a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.”

Pride is essentially thinking more of yourself than you have a right to. Ill. Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Our world is filled with pride. People talk all the time about being proud of their jobs, their possessions, their families, their job, their children, etc. The world is all about boasting and bragging and posturing. That attitude has even infiltrated the church. We give awards, plaques, degrees and applause to one another, and it’s all done in a way that makes pride acceptable to us.

Pride was at the heart of the first sin, Isa. 14:12-23. Pride was at the heart of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:6-

7. Pride is soundly condemned in the Word of God, Pro. 11:2; 16:18; 21:4. Pride will be judged by the Lord, Isa. 2:11; 3:16-26; Jer. 50:31-32. Pride is at the heart of every temptation that comes our way from Satan,

because pride is at the center of his very nature. As long as we are in this flesh we will battle pride. Satan will ever be seeking ways to cause us to rob God of His glory by exalting ourselves.

Pride is the sin of competing with God, Gen. 3:5-6. When we are proud of our talents, our abilities, our education, our knowledge, our possessions, our appearance, our skills, our wealth, etc, we are guilty of pride. We are guilty of self-exaltation. We are guilty of sin!

Pride will cause you to dominate every conversation. Pride will cause you to talk about yourself. One of your favorite words will be “I”. Pride will cause you to be rude, thinking you are more important than everyone else.

Let me share with you some of the characteristics of pride. When any of these are true in our lives, there is an issue with pride.

Being blind, unable to see pride. Pride envelops itself in smoke unless you’re in the mirror of God’s word and God, by His grace, allows you to see your sin and its magnitude. Many people see the logs in other people’s eyes and maybe the speck in their own. They may even say “I’m proud” and then move right on as if it were insignificant.

Being unthankful. Proud people think they deserve only what is good. The result is, why should they be thankful? As a matter of fact, they may even complain because they think they deserve better. They tend to be critical and complainers. They may grumble, be discontent, see the downside of everything, be quarrelsome and divisive.

Outbursts of anger, withdrawing, pouting, being moody or impatient because one’s perceived rights or schedules aren’t being met.

Perfectionistic-type persons who want to be the best at everything are also proud. Why? Because it’s self-serving. They brag and talk about themselves all the time. It reminds me of a cartoon of Garfield talking to Odie, the dog. He says, “Odie, I’m tired of talking about me. You talk about me for awhile.” Some folk simply have an inflated view of their own importance, abilities, and talents.

Seeking independence. Some proud people find it extremely difficult to work under someone else, to submit. They have to be their own boss. They say, “I don’t need anyone. I don’t need accountability for my faith and doctrine.” Others cut themselves down with comments, but inwardly they crave self-sufficiency.

Monopolizing conversations, being rigid, stubborn, headstrong, and intimidating.

Being consumed with what others might think. Pride can cause you to become a man-pleaser or a man-fearer.

Being devastated by criticism. Not listening very well. They compose what they are going to say while you’re

speaking. Being unteachable. They know it all. They’re superior. They can’t learn

anything. Being sarcastic, hurtful, jesting. Saying things like, “That’s just the way I am.

That’s my personality. I’m A-type. I’m dominant, lion, beaver, mule.” whatever else you want to call them!

Wanting to be praised or to be coaxed to serve. Unwillingness to initiate or commit to the right thing simply to please God. Such people are just consumed with themselves, jealous, envious, not glad for others’ successes, deceitful, covering up faults, rarely seeking help, fake, and hypocritical.

Being defensive. “It can’t be my fault!” Then they attack one another. Revenge, trivializing their sin, rationalizing it, justifying it, judging others by their own self-made standards. Often proud people rarely admit their sin or ask for forgiveness.

Lacking in biblical prayer, in service to other people, and in sacrificial deeds of love. Thomas Watson said, “We should pray without ceasing because beggars beg.” Instead, proud people are touchy, irritable, or ultra-sensitive.

Resisting authority, and being disrespectful toward others. We say he or she has a submission problem. No, they have a pride problem. It’s merely displaying itself that way. This person is rarely concerned about the welfare of others. They view and judge others in terms of how others support them and their concerns. They voice their preferences at times, even when not asked. When they do voice them, it’s without compassion or consideration for others.

They convey an unapproachableness. Even when someone points out a flaw, there’s always a quick retort, minimizing it and moving on.

I confess that I have, or have had, a problem with several items on that list. Pride is a problem we will deal with unto we are delivered from these bodies, Rom. 7:25.

Pride is something that is easy to see in the lives of others, but nearly impossible to see in self. Pride is at the heart of all our sin, and all our problems in human relationships. It is the reason disunity arises within the body of Christ. It is the reason our services are cold. It is the reason people don’t pray, read their Bibles and attend church like they should. It lies at the heart of every sin.

This passage is not about pride; it is about its polar opposite humility. What is humility. The dictionary defines it as, “the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.”

The word used here for “lowliness” literally means, “a deep sense of ones littleness.”

Let’s talk for a moment about humility. Humility is elusive. When you reach the place where you think you are humble, you just lost it.

Did you hear about the pastor who was voted the most humble pastor in America? His congregation gave him a medal that said, “To the most humble pastor in America.” Then they took it away from him on Sunday because he wore it.

Humility is something that we will never see in ourselves, yet it is something that others see in our lives when it is there. When they mention it, the truly humble person will not see it, because they are incapable of acknowledging it. If they acknowledged

the fact that they were humble, that would be pride and humility would be instantly forfeited.

True humility involves two essential components.

First, it involves a proper view of oneself.

The truly humble person sees himself as he really is. Our human nature is to exaggerate our own good qualities while we minimize the good in others. Our nature is to make ourselves look better than we truly are.

The genuinely humble person knows and confesses that he is a sinner, 1 John 1:8-9.

The genuinely humble person does not compare himself to others, 2 Cor. 10:12.

The genuinely humble person realizes that he lacks the ability to do anything by himself, but that everything he has and is has been given to him by the Lord, 2 Cor. 3:5; John 15:5.

The first step in achieving humility is learning to see yourself as you really are. Most of us are a long way from that goal today.

There is nothing more humbling than to see yourself as you truly are.

Second, it involves a proper view of God.

The truly humble person sees God as the source of salvation, The truly humble person sees God as the source of all righteousness, The truly humble person sees God as the source of all blessing, all success and

all ability, The truly humble person sees God as He is, and that awareness of God causes

the humble person to respond in ways that demonstrate that humility.

Isaiah saw God and he was humbled in His presence - Isa. 6:1-5. Paul saw God as He was and was forced to see himself as he was, 1 Tim. 1:15. Peter saw God as he was and recognized his own sin, Luke 5:8. Job saw God as He was and he was forced to see himself as he was, Job 42:6.

The truly humble person understands that God accepts us in spite of our faults. He loves us like we are, and that is a humbling truth.

We must all come to the place where we understand that God is not impressed with our education, our fame, our abilities, our skill, our achievements, what we have done or where we have been. All of that means exactly nothing to God. When we rely on those things, instead of relying on God, we erect an impenetrable barrier between ourselves and Him.

We must be honest about who we are. We are nothing, and there is nothing about us that commends to God on any level. There is nothing in us that causes Him to be pleased with us, to bless us or to save us. We can only be saved when we lay aside all the pretense of our pride and become like a little child, humble before Him, Matt. 18:3. We will only be accepted by Him when we realize that He accepts us by grace through fait, apart from any human effort, Ill. Luke 18:9-14. The truth of Luke 18:14 needs to be driven home in each of our hearts today, “for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

We are talking about humility and pride because they affect our ability to live like Christ. Pride will cause me to live as if my ways are right. When I walk in pride, I do what I please, when I please, with whom I please. When I am humble, I walk like Jesus, 1 John 2:6.

Pride and humility also affect the way we function together as a church. When I walk in pride, I will demand my own way. I will be offended when I do not get my way. I will wear my feelings on my shoulders and get my feelings hurt easily. I will seek to exalt myself, walkways talking about me, what I think, who I am, and what I have done. All these things, and many more, certainly undermine the unity of the church.

However, when I walk in humility, I will realize that nothing in life is really about me, about what I want, or about how I feel. I will realize that everything is about the glory of God. So, I will not be offended when someone else acts in pride. I will not demand my rights and my way. I will not trumpet my own accomplishments or talk about myself all the time. I will not seek to dominate every conversation and turn it to myself. I will put the good of others ahead of my own good. I will look for ways to

honor God with my words and my walk. I will yield myself to the Spirit of God and trust Him to lead me in the right ways.

While God stands against pride, He has promised to bless the humble, Matt. 5:3, James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:6. When we lose ourselves in Him, we will be used by Him and blessed by Him. But, as long as we continue to walk in pride, we are doomed to failure, and we condemn the church to continuing struggles with unity.

Conc: William Temple said this about humility, “Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all.”

So, true humility is not thinking little of yourself and much of others. True humility is not thinking of yourself at all! When we become truly humble, we cease to matter to ourselves.

Andrew Murray described humility like this: “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.

The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself, he simply does not think of himself at all.”

Pride and the lack of humility are devastating to the unity in the church because we all have this tendency within us to promote self. When Jesus spoke of the second commandment, He said, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy

neighbour as thyself,” Matt. 22:39. He knew that we had no problem loving self; He knew the real test of our character was loving others to that same level.

Most of the time we do not love to that level. As a result, we are often guilty of putting ourselves and our agenda ahead of what is best for the body of Christ. We must ask the Lord to help us develop true humility of heart so that nothing matters to each of us but the will of God and His glory. When that alone is the desire of every heart, the church will walk in perfect unity to the glory of God.

We will come back next time and consider the rest of these characteristics. I have spent all this time on the issues of pride and humility because they are root of either all our problems or all our successes. When we walk in pride, problems, turmoil and trouble will rule the day. When we walk in humility, God will be glorified and the church will be united. When we walk in humility, meekness, long-suffering and loving forbearance will all be in abundant evidence.

Ephesians 4:1-3


Intro: We have spent a considerable amount of time in these verses. Because they are so important to the correct functioning of the church, they are of unimaginable value to us. I would like to continue today to preach under the title Maintaining The Unity Of The Church. As I do so, please allow me to refresh our minds briefly about the truths we have already encountered here.

In verse 1, we are challenged to walk worthy of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Every redeemed child of God has been placed by grace into the body of Christ. We are in Him by faith, and we are to walk like Him as we move through this world. We are to live in a manner that “balances the scales” with what Christ did for us when He died for us on the cross. That simply means that we are to give ourselves to Him as completely as He gave Himself for us, Rom. 12:1-2. Verse 1 is Paul’s Challenge To The Church.

In verses 3, we are commanded to walk in unity as a body. In these human bodies we inhabit, there is wonderful unity. If you don’t believe me, take a hammer and strike your thumb. You will be amazed at the unity your body can summon in a moment of crisis like that. Paul illustrates this great truth in 1 Cor. 12:12-26. Verse 3 is The Plea For Unity.

These verses do not state the next truth, but it is implied here nonetheless. If we must do as verse 3 says and “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit” it must mean that the unity we are supposed to keep can be broken. Sadly, it can, and quite easily at that. The greatest challenge to the unity of the body of Christ are the very people who are the members of that body. The real problem with our unity is in our diversity. We are a different and diverse people with differing opinions, ideas, wants, and methods, which are unique to each individual in the body. The greatest threat to the unity of the church is not the devil or the world, it is the very people who make up the body. Thus, we have The Problem Of Unity.

In the middle verse of this section, verse 2, Paul speaks about The Path To Unity. In this verse, Paul mentions five qualities that each member of the body must possess if there is to be true, lasting unity in the church. The first of those qualities we have already considered. It is the word “lowliness.” This word means, “to think or judge with lowliness; to possess lowliness of mind.” It speaks of “humility.” Humility, as we learned last time, is “the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.” The word used here for “lowliness” literally means, “a deep sense of ones littleness.” It is not thinking little of oneself, it is not thinking of oneself at all! Genuine humility, or lowliness, is the absolute antithesis of pride, which is thinking only of yourself.

The other qualities that Paul mentions in this verse flow from a humble spirit. When we come to the place where we are truly humble, these other qualities will naturally be a part of our lives. Unfortunately, we seem to be in a constant search for humility, thus these other qualities were lacking as well. As elusive as humility and these other qualities are, they are essential if there is to be true unity in the church. When these qualities are a part of each of our lives, unity will be the result. When they are not part of each of our lives, it is an evidence that there is pride within our hearts. When there is pride within us, the very unity of the church is threatened.

I would like to spend our time today in the remainder of verse 2. I want to talk about the four qualities that remain. We have talked about “lowliness.” Now, let’s consider “meekness,” “longsuffering,” “forbearance,” and “love.” Let’s study these qualities together as we consider The Path To Unity - Part 2.

I. The Plea For Unity

II. The Problem Of Unity

III. The Path To Unity - Part 1

IV. V. 2 THE PATH TO UNITY - PART 2

A. MEEKNESS

When we hear the word “meekness,” we often think of someone who is weak. We think of someone who is a 90 pound weakling. This word does not refer to some namby-pamby, milquetoast, tree-hugging, crybaby. Weakness has nothing at all to do with biblical “meekness.”

This word carries the idea of “gentleness or mildness.” It does not speak of weakness, but of power under control of a master. It brings to mind a wild horse that has been broken. The horse, though it has been broken, still retains all the power and wildness that it ever had. Now, that power is brought under control of its master. If you have seen the lions and tigers at the circus, you have seen this kind of “meekness” in action. Those big cats have the ability to easily destroy the lion tamer, but they don’t. They have yielded control of that power to the lion tamer.

“Meekness” is a direct result of true humility. The meek person has the power to revenge hurts, but they yield that power to their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, when they are wronged, they react like Christ would react. There is no anger or retaliation, there is simply forgiveness and love. “Meekness” is the Spirit of Christ in

action. Ill. Luke 23:33-34, “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Even when they came to arrest Jesus and Peter drew his sword to defend the Lord, Jesus responded in meekness, not anger, Matt. 26:49-54.

That is not to suggest that Jesus never became angry. He was angry when He cleansed the Temple, John 2:14-16. He was angry when he confronted the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, Mark 3:4-6. The difference between us and the Lord Jesus is the He was sinless. Thus, He was always angry about the right things, at the right times, in the right manner and to the right degree. When we get angry it is because we feel that we have been slighted; our rights have been stepped on; somebody hurt us. Our anger is usually centered on self.

So, “meekness” speaks of spiritual and moral strength that is not self-assertive, pushy or heavy-handed. We have several biblical examples of this kind of meekness.

David was a warrior, but he was praised by Saul for his meekness, because David did not kill Saul when he had the opportunity, 1 Sam. 24:1-17.

Moses was a passionate leader. He stood up to Pharaoh, Ex. 5-12. He confronted Israel over their rebellion and idolatry, Ex. 32:19-29. He even confronted the Lord and challenged Him to forgive the sins of Israel, Ex. 32:11-13; 30-32. Yet, he was hailed as the meekest of men, Num. 12:3.

People who are angered by every nuisance and every inconvenience know nothing at all about “meekness.” Ill. Pro. 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” The strongest person in the world is not that man or that woman who can put others in their place. The strongest person in the world is that man or woman who control their reactions to all the events of life.

Let me make a few closing observations about “meekness.”

Biblical meekness is simply the ability to exercise restraint. Meekness is a part of the “fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. 5:23, and should be a part

of every believer’s life. Meekness is the opposite of vengeance and vindictiveness. Meekness is seen in a willingness to yield to the Word of God, regardless of

what it says or teaches. Meekness is seen in a willingness to forgive and restore those who have fallen

into sin, Gal. 6:1. Meekness is seen in a willingness to pray for and seek the salvation of the lost.

Whereas the proud person looks down on the unconverted and feels mortally superior to them.

The meek person is not weak; they are Christ-like!

B. LONGSUFFERING

This word literally means, “to be long tempered.” It speaks of “patient endurance of trials, afflictions and others.” It is the opposite to that person who has a short fuse; and of that person who flies off the handle with the slightest provocation.

The person who exhibits “longsuffering” knows what it is like to be hurt by others. They know what is to be wronged, mistreated, and attacked by others. Yet, this person also knows how to control their reactions to the actions of other people. They endure the hurtful people around them without a desire to retaliate and attack back. Paul, in 1 Thes. 5:14-15 said, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” That is to be our manner of life.

“Longsuffering” patiently endures those people who get under our skin; who aggravate us; who hassle us. An great preacher in the early church named Chrysostom said, “It is the spirit which has the power to take revenge, but never does.” “Longsuffering” has the power to attack back, but it doesn’t! “Longsuffering” understands the spirit of Romans 12:15-21.

True “longsuffering” manifests itself through a life that humbly accepts the bumps in the road without complaint, anger or vengeance. “Longsuffering” never quits! It patiently serves the Lord in spite of the hardships of the way. Biblical humility causes you to be “longsuffering” with other people, but it also causes you to be “longsuffering” to the will of the Lord. This truth is seen in the lives of many of the greatest characters in the Bible. Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Jeremiah, and Paul are all examples of “longsuffering” in action.

C. FORBEARANCE

This word means “to put up with,” and it speaks of our ability to be tolerant of others. “Forbearance” is the ability to accept people just as they are, without wanting them to change in order to be worthy of your love. That is a hard command, because people are weird! People are odd! It’s not always easy to put up with people. The hard thing for us to acknowledge is that it may be just as hard for them to put up with us!

The Bible is clear, we are to give people the room to be who they are, Ill. Rom. 14:1-15:7. When we walk in pride, we will judge others if they don’t meet our standards. We will judge them if they aren’t just like us. We will judge them when they are the least bit different. You show me someone who stands in judgment of the actions and lives of others, and I will show you someone who walks in pride!

If we are going to have genuine unity in the church tolerance of others is an absolute essential. If we expect people to conform before we accept them, we have missed the whole point of grace. The Lord did not expect you to change before He loved you, called you and saved you. He knew you couldn’t change. He took in just like you were. He saved you while you were yet in your sins. He didn’t ask you to change a thing before you could come to Him. He just took you like you were and changed your life.

He expects that same attitude to display itself in our lives. True humility will manifest itself in “forbearance,” and “forbearance” allows us to love people just like they are!

Genuine tolerance is not a facade. That is, we don’t pretend to accept and love others outwardly, while inwardly we resent them for who and what they are and do. Genuine tolerance makes allowances for the faults and failures of others, for different personalities, abilities, and temperaments. Genuine tolerance speaks of positive love even to those who irritate us, disturb us, or embarrass us.

D. LOVE

This word is really tied to “forbearance.” We are to “tolerate one another in love.” This word speaks of our passion one for another. The only way we will ever walk in true “lowliness, meekness, longsuffering and forbearance” is if we truly love one another like Christ loves us. If I love you like He loves you, then I will accept you like you are, without expecting you to change and to become more like me.

This kind of love, His kind of love, always seeks God’s best for the one who is the object of that love. Thus, when we love someone, we will automatically place them ahead of self, exhibiting true humility, restraint, patience, and loving tolerance.

This kind of love is commanded, Matt. 22:37-39, and it is clearly detailed in 1 Cor. 13:1-8a. A quick refresher from those verses is in order right now.

V. 4 Suffereth Long - This word means “patient endurance under provocation.” The literal meaning of the word is “long-tempered”. This characteristic of love reveals the truth that love does not retaliate!

V. 4 Is Kind - This word refers to active goodness that goes forth in behalf of others. Genuine love is never hateful or mean, but it respects others and reaches out to them.

V. 4 Envieth Not - True love is not jealous over the abilities or possessions of another. Instead of being jealous when others prosper or excel, love is pleased when they do well.

V. 4 Vaunteth Not Itself - Literally, this phrase means “does not make a parade”. Love does not brag! It does not draw attention to itself or to what it is doing. A person who must be the center of attention and is hurt when he is not is not walking in love!

V. 4 Is Not Puffed Up - Love is not arrogant or proud, but it realizes that all it has and all that it is has been given to it by God. No matter how great our

talents or how spectacular our gifts, everything we are is the result of divine grace.

V. 5 Does Not Behave Itself Unseemly - Love is never rude, but it always treats others with compassion, consideration and respect! Love controls the emotions. It is not friendly one day and rude the next. Genuine love always makes Jesus look good!

V. 5 Seeketh Not Her Own - True love is never selfish and self-centered, but it is actively interested in what will profit others. It never looks at itself first, but it always considers another ahead of itself.

V. 5 Is Not Easily Provoked - True loves keeps no record of evils done to it, but it willingly endures all slights and injuries. This characteristic of love reminds us that love does not demand its own rights! It is willing to yield to the will of another. True love only responds in anger to that which angers God! All other things are handled through forgiveness - Eph. 4:26-32.

V. 5 Thinketh No Evil - Ill. Literally, this phrase means “takes no worthless inventory”. Two thoughts are in mind here.

First, genuine love does not attribute evil motives to people. That is, every action is not seen in its most negative light. It thinks the best of others.

Second, genuine love does not keep a record of evils done to it. In other words, it does not dwell what others may have done.

V. 6 Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity - Love does not rejoice in sin; whether it is its own sins, or the sin of others. Love hates sin! Love does not rejoice when another falls into sin! Whether we will admit it or not, there is a part of us that is glad when another believer falls because we think it makes us look better. That is why we just have to tell someone else about it. True love does not gossip or rejoice when another believer falls, but it hurts with the injured member! (Ill. Pro. 10:12; 1 Pet. 4:8)

V. 6 Rejoiceth In The Truth - While love hates all forms of evil, it loves the truth! It rejoices when truth is proclaimed and when truth wins the victory. Love is glad for the truth, even when the truth hurts. Love is glad when truth wins the day!

V. 7 Beareth All Things - Love patiently endures and overlooks the faults in others. The word “beareth” literally means “to cover”. Instead of parading the failures and faults of others before all the world, love covers them over and continues to love in spite of those things!

V. 7 Believeth All Things - Love always places the best possible interpretation on everything that happens. It does not always seek the most negative answer, but it believes that good will triumph in any situation. Basically, love trusts, love believes and love has confidence in the one loved.

V. 7 Hopeth All things - Love always expects the best possible outcome. Love refuses to accept failure. Love always holds out hope that things will work out right in the end.

V. 7 Endureth All Things - This is a military term and means that love does not give up the fort! It stands its ground and continues in spite of everything that can be thrown against it. It continues in spite of persecution and ill treatment. Love bears the unbearable, believes the impossible, holds on the incredible and never gives up. The word stop does not exist in the vocabulary of love!

V. 8-12 Charity Never Faileth - When everything else in this world has passed away. When everything that is held us such high esteem is gone. When knowledge and gifts no longer matter, love will still exist. It is the great constant throughout eternity. There are times when love may lose a battle. In that the object of one's love may never return that love. Yet, while it may lose a battle here and there, love has already won the war. The idea here is not on success. The idea is one of endurance. When other things have been removed from view, there will still be love! It does not give in, give up or give out. Love that is real is love that lasts!

Conc: If we were honest, we would all admit that this is a hard verse for us. The reason is, none of these qualities are automatic. They require constant work. They require constant effort.

If we would walk in unity as a body of believers in Christ, every one of these qualities is essential to that unity. The only way we will ever achieve the high calling of this verse is for each of us to be filled with the Spirit of God. When we are yielded to the Lord, and filled with His Spirit, we are brought to a place where we cease to matter. When we get there, and nothing matters to us but Him and His will, we will have no problems walking in “lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and love.”

Until we get there, true unity within the body of Christ will always elude us.

Maybe the Lord has touched a tender spot in your heart and you would like to talk to Him about your need. You can do that right now.

Ephesians 4:1-6


THE PLACE OF OUR UNITY

Intro: It has been a while since we looked into the fourth chapter of Ephesians. I want to remind you that Paul is writing about the theme of unity in the church. Specifically, Paul has been teaching us how to Maintain The Unity Of The Church.

Achieving unity within a group can sometimes be a difficult endeavor. We come from so many different backgrounds. We have differing ideas about many different subjects. We were all raised different. We possess differing goals, ambitions and agendas in life. Unity in an atmosphere can be hard to come by.

I would say that unity in the church would be an absolute impossibility if it were solely up to us. Thank God it isn’t up to us alone. We play a great part in the unity of the church, as we see in verses 1-3. However, The Place Of Our Unity in the church is not in our ability to produce it all by ourselves. The unity of the church, like everything else we have as the people of God, rests on His grace alone.

Paul has been teaching us in Ephesians that God, by His grace, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has brought together people from every imaginable background, and has made them one in Jesus Christ. Jews who were born under the Law and who are subject to the Law, and Gentiles who were given over to dumb idols, have been brought together in one body.

The ground of our unity does not rest in our ability to get along with one another. Our unity in the body of Christ rests upon the common elements that we share as members of His body.

All of the elements Paul mentions in these verses are freely given to us by the grace of God. They are the fruit of our relationship with Him. It is these elements that make unity within the church a real possibility.

Paul mentions seven common elements that all believers share in Christ. He groups these elements into three areas. These areas serve to teach us that unity in the church comes from our relationship with the Godhead. Every member of the trinity is involved making unity possible within the church. Let’s examine these areas and the elements together today as we consider The Place Of Our Unity.

I. V. 4 WE FIND OUR UNITY IN GOD THE SPIRIT

The Spirit of God is greatly involved in the unity of the church. Notice what He gives us that enables us to enjoy unity in the Lord.

A. There Is One Body - This refers to the universal church made up of all believers, from all ages, around the world. When a sinner is regenerated and given salvation, that sinner is placed into the body of Christ. Paul describes this process in 1 Cor. 12:12-27.

We interact with the world around us using the vehicle of our physical bodies. In the same way, God interacts with the world through His spiritual body, the body of Christ. He uses the members of the Body of Christ to serve Him, the spread the Gospel, the live out the truths of His Word and so on.

We are placed in the universal body of Christ when we are saved, then we find our place within a local body where we can use the spiritual gifts we have been given to the glory of God. Regardless of what place you occupy within the body, you are united together with all believers in Christ.

B. There Is One Spirit - Romans 8:9b says, “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” When we were saved, the Spirit of God came to live within our hearts, Eph. 2:19-22. We have literally become the “temple of God,” 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

This same Spirit, the Holy Spirit, placed us in the Body of Christ, and He took up residence in our hearts. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit within us that gives us the ultimate assurance of our salvation. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,” Rom. 8:15–16.

This means that we have an even deeper connection that just being part of the same body. The same Spirit of God that lives within you lives within me, and within every other believer. Regardless of the color of our skin, our background, or any other difference we would like to name, if we are saved, the same Holy Spirit dwells within each of us and unites us as one in the Lord.

There are not many spirits bringing people out of death into life, there is only One Spirit doing that work in the World. His name is the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that drew you, drew me. The same Spirit that saved you, saved me. The same Spirit that dwells within you, dwells within me. The same Spirit that quickened you and caused you to come alive to the things of God, is the same Spirit that quickened me and caused me to come alive to the things of God. We are made one at the deepest level of our beings through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God.

C. There Is One Hope - The words “called and calling” refer to the effectual call to salvation. It refers to that time when God drew us to Himself through the wooing of the Spirit and saved us by His grace, John 6:44. When He called us with the common call all the redeemed have experienced, He called us to one hope. Just as you and I occupy one body and are occupied by one Spirit, we also share a common hope.

The word “hope” does not refer to a wish or a desire. The word “hope” in the Bible refers to “a deep settled confidence based on a clear word from God.” In other words, when the Lord called us to Himself and saved us by His grace, He gave us all a common “hope.”

What is this hope? It is the fulfillment of all the promises that belong to the redeemed in Jesus Christ.

It speaks of the blessings of this life found in promises such as, Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20; Jer. 33:3; Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:25-34; Rom. 8:17.

It speaks of the blessings of the life to come found in promises such as, Titus 2:13-14; 1 Thes. 4:16-18; Rev. 21:4; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; John 14:1-3; 1 Pet. 3:15.

All this, and much, much more, became yours when you were called to Christ and made a believer.

It is this common hope that binds us together in purpose and service to our Lord.

It is this hope that causes us to keep walking for the Lord. It is this hope that causes us to stay faithful when others fall away. It is this hope that puts a spring into our step, a song in our heart, and a shout

on our lips.

We have a common hope in Christ.

By the way, the end of our calling, and the hope connected with it, is eternal perfection in the presence of God in Heaven. That is made clear in Rom. 8:28-29, Eph. 1:4, and 1 John 3:2. Our calling is a calling to perfect Christlikeness and our hope is the sure confidence that God will accomplish this in and for us for His Own glory.

I. We Find Our Unity In God The Spirit

II. V. 5 WE FIND OUR UNITY IN GOD THE SON

The Holy Spirit is involved in our unity as believer, but so is the Son. Notice the elements that He brings to the table.

A. There Is One Lord - The word “Lord” means “Lord or Master.” It refers to “one Who exercises headship.” This world reminds is that there is one head of the church, and His name is Jesus. Paul has already exalted the Lord’s position in Eph. 1:18-23. He also mentions it in Col. 1:18.

Whether we know it or not, we all serve the same Master. The Pastor, the Deacons, some influential family or person, is not the head of the church. There is a structure of leadership in the local assembly that we would do well to follow. However, the sole Lord over the body of Christ is the Head of that body, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as your head determines that direction your body goes, Jesus Christ directs the church. He is our Head, Eph. 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18. It is the Lord Jesus that we follow. It is His will that we seek. It is His Gospel that we share. It is His praises we sing. We serve a common Lord and that gives us a basis for unity.

By the way, this one Lord is the only way into the one body, John 14:6; Acts 4:12. Once we are in Him, we are brought under His Lordship over our lives, and He is a gracious, wonderful Lord, Who is worthy to be served. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him,” Rom. 10:12.

B. There Is One Faith - The word “faith” can be interpreted a couple of different ways. It can refer to the act of faith that saves the soul and causes a sinner to become a child of God. It can refer to the acts of faith that mark the believer’s life after he or she is saved. In other words, it can refers to the ongoing life of faithful service to and confidence in the Lord. Or it can refer to the body of doctrine and all believers hold to be true.

I would like to suggest that it is the last two options I mentioned that are in view here. There is one “faith.” There is one set of doctrine, contained in and revealed by the Bible, the Word of God. This body of doctrine forms the basis of our faith. It teaches us about God, about sin, and about salvation. It teaches us what we should believe and how we should behave based on what we believe.

So, there is one “faith.” There is one set of doctrinal truth that binds all believers together in the Lord. This does not mean that we must all believe the same thing about every issue. It does mean that there are some unalterable truths that must be believed if one is to truly be called a believer. Let me mention just a few of the non-negotiable truths of the Christian faith.

There is one God, and He is Creator and Sovereign over all His creation. There is one Savior, and He is the Son of God. He was born of a virgin. He was

born without sin. He lived without sin. He died on the cross for sin and for sinners. He was buried and He rose again the third day. He ascended back to Heaven, where He sits at His Father’s right hand, awaiting the day when He will return to claim His bride and rule the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will save all who will come to Him confessing their sins and believed His Gospel.

There is one Holy Spirit. He draws the sinner to Christ. He gives them faith to believe in Christ. He baptizes them into the body of Christ. He indwells them to enable them to live for God in this world.

There is one true church. The body of Christ, which is made up of believers from every nation, tribe, race, kindred, people and tongue. This church is the bride of Christ and one day it will be caught up with Christ to spend eternity with her Lord and Savior.

The Bible is the Word of God. It is inspired by God. It is without error and it is infallible. It is to be believed in its entirety, and it is the sole standard of our faith and practice. It is God’s word to man and it is the final authority for the church.

There are many other doctrines that are true, and should be believed. Those listed above are simply some of the essential truths that must be nailed down in your heart. To miss these doctrines is to miss God’s salvation.

Just a reminder, but what you believe determines how you behave. The “one faith” Paul mentions here is something we take in from the Word of God and live out in our lives.

This means that we must have a strong relationship with the Word of God. We must read it, believe it and live it. That is God’s will for His church!

C. There Is One Baptism - The word “baptism” refers to our union with Christ, or our baptism into Him when we are saved. It does not refer exclusively to water baptism. There are many modes of water baptism. Some traditions pour, some sprinkle, we immerse. While immersion is the method taught in the word of God, all modes of baptism share one common shortcoming: none can save the soul.

Baptism is a means of identification. When we are saved, we are commanded to follow the Lord in water baptism. This is a public, outward statement by the believer that he is identifying himself with Christ. He is telling all who witness his baptist that he has died to the old life of sin and has been resurrected to a new life in Christ. It is a moment of public identification. Water baptism is an outward symbol of what happened inwardly when we believed the Gospel and were saved.

Some believers never carry out the Lord’s command. That is, they come to Jesus and are saved, but they never follow Him in water baptism. They are in disobedience, but they are no less saved. Others submit to unbiblical methods of baptism. They are saved, but they have failed to participate in a method of baptism that pictures the death, burial and resurrection accosted with the new birth. Others follow the Lord in water baptism and are immersed as the Bible teaches.

Regardless of the differences in the methods used in water baptism, every genuine believer in Christ experiences the common baptism of the Spirit. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit,” 1 Cor. 12:13.

So, water baptism allows us to identify publicly with the Lord Jesus Christ. The baptism of the Spirit, which we all share in common, allows Him to identity Himself with us. This baptism of the Spirit, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Col. 1:27, enables us to experience His presence, His power and His help to live out our “one faith” for our “one Lord.”

I. We Find Our Unity In God The Spirit

II. We Find Our Unity In God The Son

III. V. 6 WE FIND OUR UNITY IN GOD THE FATHER

It isn’t just the Spirit and the Son that contribute to the unity of the Church. The Father is also involved. Notice what Paul teaches us about Him, and His involvement.

A. His Position - He is the “one God.” This truth, that there is but one God is the foundational truth of both ancient Judaism and biblical Christianity. The ancient Jews said it this way, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD,” Deut. 6:4. The early church affirmed the oneness of God as well, 1 Cor. 8:4-6; James 2:19.

Since He is God, He is to be feared, loved, believed, worshiped, served, obeyed, honored, glorified and magnified by all His creation. This idea of “one God” is the central hub of all we are, and of all we believe. We find the basis of our unity in the person of the “one God” we acknowledge and worship.

B. His Person - He is “Father.” This reminds us that this “one God” is also the “Father” of all those who are in Christ. As our “Father” He loves us, He cares for us, He protects us, He provides for us, He hears our prayers, and He secures us in His love and His salvation. As our “Father,” He has taken full responsibility for us, for our lives here, and for our ultimate journey to Heaven.

One of the greatest truths in the Bible is this: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is,” 1 John 3:1–2.

We are members of the same body. We have the same Father. We share a unity that transcends every human relationships, every human problem or every human struggle. He share the same Father, and that makes us family. The fatherhood of God is the basis for our unity as believers.

C. His Power - He is “above all, and through all, and in you all.” In this last statement, Paul makes it clear that the Father is active in all our lives. This means that God is the One Who is in control of all of life. He is over every circumstance. He is involved in every situation. He dwells in all His children. It is a picture of supreme Lordship and sovereignty.

Our God is “over all” things. No power can overcome Him. No government can stop Him. No one can thwart His power. He is God “over all” things from the very heights of Heaven, the scorched floors of Hell. Every star follows the course He gave it. Every molecule in the universe does as it was programmed to do. He rules it all.

Our God is “through all.” This means that God is working in all things to accomplish His eternal purposes. He knows what He is doing. He knows where He is going. He has a plan that will culminate in His eternal purposes being perfectly fulfilled.

Our God is “in you all.” We know the Spirit dwells within us, but we are informed here that the transcendent God Who creates and controls the universe also dwells within His children. He unites us in His power, His purposes and in His presence.

Dr. John MacArthur sums this passage up this way: “That comprehensive statement points to the glorious, divine, eternal unity that the Father gives believers by His Spirit and through the Son. We are God created, God loved, God saved, God Fathered, God controlled, God sustained, God filled, and God blessed. We are one people under one sovereign (over all), omnipotent (through all), and omnipresent (in all) God.”

Conc: If any people in the history of the world had any basis for unity, it is the church of Jesus Christ. One Father has created one family. One Son has given us one faith, one hope and one baptism. One Spirit has created one body.

God has created a unity within His church that can never be broken. It is as shatterproof as the godhead itself. As John Stott once said, “It is no more possible to split the church than it is possible to split the Godhead.”

We know that local churches have trouble and they experience what we call splits. However, the universal church, the Body of Christ, can never split. It stands complete and united in the power of God.

We are different, but we serve the same God. We are members of the same family. We are indwelled by the same Spirit. We are headed to the same Heaven. We believe the same things.

Thus, we must do everything in our power to live in the unity we have been given in Christ. It is not automatic, but it is possible as we live out the commands of Eph. 4:1-3.

We can preach all we want to, but it is our love for one another and our unity in the Spirit of God that proclaims our uniqueness to the world around us. Our love and unity demonstrate the truth that we are real, and that God is working in us.

I invite you to come pray for the unity of this local body of believers. I invite you to come and thank God for the ties that bind. I invite you to come to Jesus Christ if you are lost. I invite you to look into your heart ask yourself this question: “Am I doing all

that I can to help the church walk in unity?”

[Illustration: There was a man who was ship wrecked on a desert Island. He was there all by himself for many years. Over the years he had built himself a wonderful house, and then a magnificent Church complete with a steeple. Then he built himself another great building. ]

[When some rescuers arrived they ask him, “What is that big building?”] [He answered, “That is my house. That is where I live.”] [Then they asked, “What is that magnificent building?”] [He said, “That is a Church.”] [Then they finally asked, “Well, what is that other building?”] [He Replied, “That is another Church. I had an argument in the first Church and moved

my membership.”] [What about Unity?]

[Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.]

[Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ]

[Proverbs 6:16,19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: . . . and he that soweth discord among brethren]

[Unity in the Church is produced by the Holy Spirit. It is produced and provided because it is God’s desire for the Church. The Church cannot produce unity, the Holy Spirit produces, and we are commanded to preserve it.]

Three Concepts of our Unity:

A. The Ground of our Unity (Eph 4.3-6) [- Truth. There are seven basic truths that are the ground of our unity. No one can call himself a Bible believing Christian who does not believe these basic seven truths. These are the foundation of our unity. The Ground of our unity is Doctrinal and Spiritual.] The Seven Truths of Unity:

1. There is One Body (vs 4) [– This body is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.]

a. [Not one congregation, but one body.] b. [Not one denomination. Not all Baptists are going to make it to heaven. But if you

are twice born, then you are a part of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.] c. [Not an organization, but a living organism, a body. Now a living organism has

organization, but this body also has life.] d. [There is a local expression of this universal Church Body. Every New Testament

Christian ought to be a member of a local New Testament Congregation.]

1) [Illustration: A man once approached a church choir director and said, “I want to sing in the choir.” The Choir director asked, “Are you a member of this Church?”The man responded, “I am a member of a Church, just not this Church.”The Choir director asked, “What Church are you a member of?”The man responded, “Of the invisible Church.”The Choir Director responded, “I have a suggestion for you. You go and sing in the invisible Church Choir.”]

2) [A local Church is the expression of the functioning body of Christ. It has Pastors, Deacons, Ministry Teams, and performs the work of the body of Christ in our world.]

3) [If you are a disunified member of the Church, if you sow discord among the brethren in the Church, you dishonor the head of the body, which is Christ, you harm and damage the other members of the body, and you harm yourself as a member of the body.]

2. There is one Spirit (vs 4) [– The Holy Spirit who is the substance of our life, the secret of our strength, and the source of our unity.]

a. [It is the Holy Spirit that knows each and every other member of the Church of our Lord. You may not know the name of every other Christian, but the Holy Spirit knows us all.]

b. [Dr. Vance Havner said, we are not to be wired together by organization, frozen together by formalism, rusted together by tradition, but melted together by one Spirit.]

3. There is One Hope (vs 4; Titus 2.13) [– This hope is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ]

[Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ]

a. [You cannot call yourself a New Testament, Bible Believing Christian if you do not hold to this blessed hope.]

b. [Now there are many different positions concerning the second coming of Christ (A millennial, Pre millennial, and Post millennial). Some don’t understand the differences in these positions. That’s okay, so long as we are all looking forward to His future coming.]

c. [We are living in the closing shadows of this age. The labor pains and contractions are getting especially sever and close together. We must all be looking for and expecting the second physical coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.]

4. There is One Lord (vs 5; Philip 2.10-11) [- This one Lord is Jesus Christ.]

a. [The early Church did not call Him Jesus nearly as much as they called Him the Lord Jesus.]

b. [The idea of a Lord is foreign to contemporary Christianity in America. We recognize Jesus as Savior, but we rarely want Him as Lord. ]

c. [The Church has a head, who is Lord, who arranges the body as He sees fit, and we must learn to get under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord!]

[Philippians 2:10-11 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And thatevery tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ]

5. There Is One Faith (vs 5; Jude 1.3; 2 Tim 4.7) [– The unified body of truth we call the Bible.]

[Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. ]

a. [This one faith is the Bible. There is one Bible and it is the inspired revealed Word of God.]

b. [When Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Tim 4.7) he is talking about keeping the Word of God.]

c. [We must all hold to the same Word of God, the Bible. There is no other book that reveals the will and way of God. There is not other book that is the written Word of God. Divinely inspired, divinely given, divinely preserved.]

6. There is One Baptism (vs 5; 1 Cor 12.13) [– This is not immersion or sprinkling. This is talking about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that grafts us into the Body of Christ.]

[1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ]

a. [We believe in water baptism, but water baptism only symbolizes the greater truth of what God has done for us and through us.]

7. There is One God and Father or all (vs 6; Eph 4.6) [– This is the one and only living God of all.]

[Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ]

a. [This is not Allah, this is Jehovah God. The one and only God. He is not one of many God’s on the horizon of polytheism, He is the one and only living God.]

b. [You can not know Him apart from Jesus Christ.]

B. The Glory of our Diversity (vs 7; Rom 16.17)

1. What is Unity?

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Eph+4%3A7

a. Unity is not Unison. [We can sing in harmony without singing same thing at the same time. If everyone in the choir is singing the same note, that would be boring. In harmony sometimes we sing different things, but they all compliment the same piece of music, they all work toward the same goal. We can hold the same basic truth while presenting it in many different lights.]

b. Unity is not Uniformity. [We don’t all have to look the same. We are not to be an army of clones. We don’t always have to dress the same. Uniformity comes from without, Unity comes from within.]

c. Unity is not Union . [You can be in the same Church and not be in unity.]

1) [Someone has said, you can take two tom cats, tie their tails together and hang them over a clothes line. You have union, but you don’t have unity.]

d. Unity is Doctrinal and it is Spiritual .

2. [We have Unity in Diversity - God made us one, but He also made us different.]

[Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. ]

a. [This is not different kinds of beliefs, we all hold to the same seven beliefs that are the ground of our unity.]

b. [This is a reference to different kinds of gifts. God gave us all different empowerments and abilities.]

c. [What would happen if every member of our Church were to discover and use their spiritual gifts? Spiritual gifts are not for your ecstasy, it is not a toy it is a tool.]

d. [Sameness is not unity. Unity comes from diversity. When we recognize that others have gifts we need and don’t have we will find unity based on our need.]

e. [In unity we have different tastes. Not everyone likes liver, some people love it, some people hate it, that’s fine. Not everyone likes the same kind of music, that’s fine, but we can still have unity.]

C. The Goal of our Maturity (vs 13) [– “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”]

1. Stature comes with Maturity [– When you grow up you develop stature, you become fit for use. Stature is the measure of who you are. Who do you measure yourself against?]

a. [Peace comes with unity, diversity, and maturity - “. . . the unity of the faith . . .” Children squabble and fight, adults learn to live together. Bickering comes from immaturity.]

b. [Who are we o measure our maturity against? - “. . . unto the measure of the stature of the ullness of Christ:” – We are not to measure ourselves against some other Christian but against Jesus Christ.]

c. [If you want to know whether or not you are spiritually mature, then compare yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ.]

2. Stability comes with maturity (vs 14) [– “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” ]

a. [Get your feet on the rock. Know what you believe, stand on the Word of God.]

3. Speech comes with Maturity (vs 15) [– “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”]

a. [We are not to speak truthless love, or loveless truth.]

1) [Truth without love is brutality. The Bible is a wonderful sword, but a poor club. Don’t be a Bible bully. Speak the truth in love.]

2) [Love without truth is hypocrisy. Don’t ever jettison the truth for the sake of love.]

4. Service comes with maturity (vs 16) [– “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” ]

a. [This is one Christian helping other Christians in harmony.] b. [We have joints. The Greek word for joint is the word we get our English word

harmony. The joints in our body allow the parts of our body to work together.] c. [If my service in the Lord makes your service difficult them something is wrong. We

will then be a handicapped body. We need to work together in harmony.]

“THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH” (EXPOSITON OF PHILIPPIANS 1:27-2:4)IN MY FIRST FEW WEEKS AT FARMDALE BAPTIST CHURCH I HAVE BEEN PREACHING ON WHAT I BELIEVE THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE CHURCH. YESTERDAY MORNING I PREACHED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED UP ON SUNDAY EVENING WITH A MESSAGE ON HOW TO DEAL WITH DISUNITY IN THE CHURCH (OUTLINE WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW).

Do we live like citizens of heaven or as citizens of this world?

The city of Philippi became a Roman colony through a series of events which included a war between Octavian and

Anthony. After the war, a number of soldiers who had been favorable toward Anthony settled in Philippi; for that

reason, it was declared a Roman colony, a miniature Rome. As such, it was given special privileges; although it was

800 miles from Rome, Philippi was considered Italian soil and the citizens of the city had their names on the rolls in

Rome and considered themselves Romans. The Philippians were very proud of their Roman citizenship. They

believed that they were Rome’s representatives to a culture that was predominantly Greek.

In verse 27, Paul writes “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ”. The phrase “manner of

life” comes from the Greek word πολιτευεσθε which has the idea of citizenship, the phrase “be worthy of” means to

weigh the same (c.f. Eph. 4:1). See 3:20 for noun form. Paul is urging the Philippian Christians to conduct

themselves in a manner that reflects their status as citizens of the Kingdom of God. So when Paul wrote to the

Philippians that he wished them to conduct themselves as good citizens, he was using an aspect of their own culture

to encourage them to be good citizens of another kingdom to which they also now belonged.

Now, as he wrote to them about their heavenly citizenship, he exhorted them to allow their allegiance to control their

conduct. Just as they were to live by the laws of Rome though they lived in Philippi, so they were now expected to

live by heaven’s laws and extend heaven’s influence into their pagan culture.

A church leader in the second century described the way early Christians followed these instructions:

While they dwell in Greek or barbarian cities according as each man’s lot has been cast, and follow the customs of

the land in clothing and food, and other matters of daily life, yet the condition of citizenship which they exhibit is

wonderful and admittedly strange. They live in countries of their own, but simply as sojourners . . . enduring the lot

of foreigners…. They exist in the flesh, but they live not after the flesh. They spend their existence upon earth, but

their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, and in their own lives they surpass the laws. They love

all men, and are persecuted by all. The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, chapter V.

As Caesar may have instructed the citizens of Philippi to live up to their Roman citizenship, Paul also instructs the

Philippian Christians to live up to their heavenly citizenship. This is a call to every believer.

How were the Philippians to fulfil this awesome responsibility? In a word, through Unity!

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and

see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one

mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (28) and not frightened in anything by

your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and

that from God. (29) For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not

only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (30) engaged in the same conflict that you

saw I had and now hear that I still have. (1) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any

comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (2) complete

my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one

mind. (3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant

than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the

interests of others. Philippians 1:27-2:4 (ESV)

I. A Unified Stand, vv. 27-30

Paul desires the Philippians to be “Standing firm in one spirit”

“standing firm” one word, perfect tense “stand and keep standing”

This is a military term conveying the idea of firmness, steadfastness, or unflinching courage like that possessed by

soldiers who refuse to leave their posts no matter how severely the battle rages.

A. Stand With Cooperation, v. 27

“in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side”

“striving” not just to struggle, but to struggle along with someone

Paul moves from the image of soldiers at battle stations to athletes working as a team, side by side, playing the game

not as several individuals but together as one person with one mind for one goal: “the faith of the gospel.”

Every year professional sport teams spend big money to lure superstar free agents in hopes of winning a

championship. But it is often the team with lesser known players who work as a team who actually win the

championship.

B. Stand With Courage, vv. 28-30

“frightened” In classical Gk. referred to timid horses that shy upon being startled by some unexpected object.Paul

is saying “Don’t jump back from your adversaries.”

Sometimes our courage is like the man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket

knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: “Someone had already done that.” No, instead

we are to be courageous in our stand for the gospel. Our courage is not just measured by our stand when everyone

else is in agreement, but when we are willing to stand for the truth when it is under attack!

“This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation,”

“This” refers not to our not being frightened, but to our striving together for the faith of the gospel. When we stand

firm and strive for the gospel, two things happen:

First, the world is convinced of their own destruction. Secondly, the world is convinced of the reality of

oursalvation by our willingness to suffer.

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer

for his sake,” v. 29

Paul’s Example v. 30

“conflict” agon

Imprisonment? Paul uses his own courage under persecution as a model for the Philippians.

Not only does Paul tell the Philippians that in order to conduct themselves as citizens of the heavenly kingdom, they

must have a unified stand, they also need . . .

II. A Unified Mindset, vv. 1-4.

But before we get to Paul’s call for a unified mind. In the middle of this tremendous appeal by the Apostle Paul for

Christian unity, Paul gives four reasons for this unity in verse 1.

“If” not something that may not be true, more certain, since you have . . .

1. Encouragement in Christ received encouragement from Christ

2. Comfort from Love experienced Christ’s love

3. Participation in the Spirit have the common presence of the Holy Spirit

4. Affection and Sympathy inward and outward compassion

A. With Harmony, v. 2

Thinking the same way, i.e., the same beliefs. There is no spiritual unity without doctrinal harmony. As Baptists we

are united, not in spite of what we believe, but because of what we believe.

same mind, same love, in full accord, and of one mind

B. With Humility, v. 3

No attitude or action should be done out of pride.

Count others more significant than yourselves. If we do this, we will not have much conflict or disunity. Our love

for one another is one of the key evidences of our salvation.

But, not only is this an evidence for us (assurance), it is an evidence to the world (testimony). John 13:35 “By this

shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Someone has paraphrased Jesus’ words

as:

From this time forward, this mutual and disinterested love shall become the essential and distinctive mark of all my

disciples. When they love one another with pure hearts, fervently, even unto death, then shall it fully appear that

they are disciples of that person who laid down his life for his sheep.

This was the testimony of the early church: Tertullian wrote in the second century that in the early days the report

about the Christians was, “See how these Christians love one another.”

G. Campbell Morgan wrote these very convicting words:

The measure in which Christian people fail in love to each other is the measure in which the world does not believe

them, or their Christianity. It is the final test of discipleship according to Jesus.

You may say, “I can’t love so and so. We don’t get along, etc.”

The love that Jesus talks about – the love which the Bible calls agape or unconditional love- is a love that is rooted

in the will, not in our emotions. We are to have a mindset with humility.

C. With Helpfulness, v. 4

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Instead of “What’s in this for me?” we should ask, “What are the needs of others?” God has placed us together in

this body for a reason.

For the Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ,

who said to the disciples “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” can truly say to every group of Christian

friends, “You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another!” The friendship is not a reward

for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each

the beauties of all the others. C. S. Lewis

Is this your mindset? “To live above with the saints I love; oh that will be glory. But to live below with the saints I

know, now that’s another story.” Most of us like to sing about how happy and united we will be when we all get to

heaven, but we are called as citizens of the kingdom of God to act now as we think that we will act when we all get

to heaven. Dennis Johnson points us to having a heavenly perspective on the church in his commentary on the book

of Revelation.

Do you love the church of which Christ has called you to be a member? For all its flaws and frictions, do you have

hope that you and your brothers and sisters will one day shine brightly in the beauty of holiness? When your

congregation or denomination seems to suffer one spiritual setback after another–‘by schisms rent asunder, by

heresies distress’–are you tempted to give up on the organizational church and go it on your own? Do the so-called

saints you rub elbows with on Sunday seem to be obstacles rather than aids to your friendship with Christ and your

growth in his grace? Then look again at the church through Jesus’ eyes, and in the bright light of her final

destination. Jesus’ eyes see all the churches’ blemishes and bruises, yet our defects do not diminish his love for us

or dim his eager expectation for the day when he will present the church to himself ‘in all her glory, having no spot

or wrinkle or any such thing’ but rather being ‘holy and blameless’ (Eph. 5:27). When we glimpse the bride through

the eyes of her Groom, it lifts our head in hope and calms our frustrated hearts for persevering love for one

another. Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation, 343.

I’m not called to be a babysitter of adult Christians, or a referee for fighting Baptists. I’m a preacher of the Word of

God and I expect that as Christians we will seek to live in unity in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. By

having a unified stand and mindset we will demonstrate that we are not citizens of this world, but of the kingdom of

God

Unity

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