Concerning unity in the church, one of my favorit commentators and Christian authors, A.W. Tozer, the great evangelist and Christian theologian from 60 years ago, commented: Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same tuning fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.[1]
Think about it, If we are all individually looking to Jesus for all our thoughts, words and actions, we would have peace and harmony with one another. But what happens when one or more takes their eyes off Jesus? Petty squabbles happen, then it becomes us versus them.
Paul was dealing with a church full of Jews and Gentiles – two groups that in that time and culture, never mixed. Our passage today deals with unity in the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:1–6 (NKJV) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
A visitor to a mental hospital was astonished to note that there were only three guards watching over a hundred dangerous inmates. He asked his guide, “Don’t you fear that these people will overpower the guards and escape?” “No,” was the reply. “Lunatics never unite.”[2]
Unfortunately there are many churches that resemble mental ward, everyone doing their own thing, to the exclusion of everyone else. Remember how we talked about how the church, the local body of Christ is Jesus physical presence in this world? We at Rosemont, are not merely part of the body Christ, but we are the very physical manifestation of Christ in this community. How did Jesus say that the world will know that we are His disciples?
John 13:35 (NKJV) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is not the first time I have used this verse and it won’t be the last. We must continually remind ourselves of this fact. As the local body of Christ, we have a great responsibility to our church and to the community around us. Dis-unity will destroy that witness and mar the very imagine of Jesus we share.
But unity is not a simple matter of simply loving one another. Many people today attempt to unite Christians in a way that is not biblical. For example, they will say: “We are not interested in doctrines, but in love. Now, let’s forget our doctrines and just love one another!” But Paul did not discuss spiritual unity in the first three chapters; he waited until he had laid the doctrinal foundation. [3]
Chapter 4 of Ephesians is the turning point in this epistle. The first three chapters, Paul laid down the foundation, the doctrine of salvation, how we relate to God and to each other. Now Paul turns to the practical: how this works out in everyday life. Remember Paul is dealing with Jews and Gentile who did not culturally mix.
Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
Numerous places in the letters of Paul, in his prison epistles, he refers to himself as a “prisoner of the Lord.” In chapter 3:1 he said he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles.” Paul was in prison in Rome because of his desire to serve Christ, regardless of the cost. Paul gave up his freedom to follow Jesus, and he expected others to do the same.
“I, therefore” - using himself as the example in light of all the doctrine he covered in the first 3 chapters, “beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” We were called by the Creator of the universe, His righteousness placed on us, so that we can stand confidently before God, that was the call. We are to walk worthy of that call. For Paul, to do otherwise was unthinkable. Many think they filled the square of walking the aisle, shaking the preacher's hand, saying a prayer, and being dunked in the baptismal pool, then back to life as before:
Romans 6:1–2 (NKJV) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Not only should our walk avoid sin, but our walk ought to be together. We were never called to walk alone. The very word “walk” is used 7 times in Ephesians and each time it is used to denote a lifestyle. How is our walk, individually and together? So how should we walk, in reference to unity in the body? Paul list number of things in the next two verses:
Ephesians 4:2–3 (NKJV) with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Allow me briefly to go over these traits we need to do.
“lowliness” – Other translation have humility, which is the opposite of pride. This trait was considered a vice in Greek culture. Humility was only for slaves and servants. But here, part of unity is regarding others before yourself.
“gentleness” or meekness. This is not a lack or strength but rather the opposite. Meekness means strength under control. In the Greek the word has its roots with breaking a horse, to bring it under control.
We need to remember that these traits are the very traits of Jesus:
Matthew 11:29 (NKJV) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus was humble and meek, yet this is the same Jesus who threw out the money changers from the temple.
“longsuffering” or to be patient. Means to not be swayed with emotions, but to endure with having the end in view.
“bearing with one another in love” is perhaps one the tougher traits. We need to actively love those in the church who irritate us the most. The NASB translate this saying “showing tolerance.”
Colossians 3:12–13 (NKJV) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
That’s a tall order but this is how we show love for one another.
“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit” the CSB translate "endeavor" as "make every effort." Keeping the “unity of the Spirit” is an ongoing effort. It is those times when everything seem to be going well that something happens, a disagreement, some feelings are hurt, and unity breaks down. This is how the devil works. He is waiting for us to relax. To drop our efforts.
In the Geek, endeavoring is a present active participle, meaning we must keep on endeavoring to keep the unity. The spiritual unity of the home, the Sunday School class, the church is the responsibility to each person involved.
“in the bond of peace.” Keep peace in the fellowship, be at peace with one another. But first God’s peace must rule in your hearts before you can have peace with one another.
Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Now Paul list seven things that make up our unity in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:4–6 (NKJV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Take a look at the big picture in this list: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, on God and Father. God the Father, God the son, and God the holy Spirit is throughout this list. We are one body in Christ. We all are indwelled with the same Holy Spirit. Our one hope is the same, looking to the return of Jesus. We serve the same Lord, Jesus Christ, and our Our faith is one in Him. One Baptism- which is our public confession of identifying in Jesus’ death and resurrection. And One God, who is “Our Father” is in us all. The Trinity is throughout our unity in the Body. It is these things that unite us all. No matter our differences in our skin color, cultural background, social economic standing, our position in life, we are one in all these things.
Let’s look briefly at each:
One body. 1 Corinthians 12 deals with the body. We have unity but unity is not uniformity.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
We are not the same. But God has worked us into the body for a purpose. We work together in our different parts and functions.
One Spirit: We are the dwelling place for the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 2:22 (NKJV) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Whether it seems like it or not God’s Spirit is here. We live together in the the one Spirit and dis-unity will grieve the Spirit. I pray we do not unduly grieve the Spirit.
One Hope of our calling. We were called just for this hope. What is our hope: Our hope is things that will come, our heavenly inheritance
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
One Lord: This is the one thing we have been emphasizing in this sermon series. Jesus is our Lord. He is the Head of the body, he is owed all that we have:
Ephesians 1:22–23 (NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
And because of Jesus, we have One Faith: There is only one settled body of truth deposited by Jesus in His church. Jude reminds us to contend for this faith:
Jude 3b (NKJV) exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
This faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. There is only one faith, and that faith is in Jesus.
One Baptism: Whether this means the baptism of the Holy Spirit of which all believers had at the moment of conversion, or the baptism which is our public confession of faith matters little. but since Paul is here discussing the one body, this “one baptism” is probably the baptism of the Spirit, that act of the Spirit when He places the believing sinner into the body of Christ at moment of conversion.[4]
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
One God and Father of all: This is not saying God is Father of everyone, but the Father of all the redeemed. Notice in the Lord’s prayer we were taught to say our Father, not my Father. We are children in the same family, loving and serving the same Father, so we ought to be able to walk together in unity. Just as in an earthly family, the various members have to give and take in order to keep a loving unity in the home, so God’s heavenly family must do the same.[5]
God is who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Above all – above all of creation, He is the absolute sovereign of the universe and He is in all things. We cannot escape from God. But rather we are in Him, all of us who are redeemed. Considering all this, we are called to unity.
Our unity as the people of God is crucial to our witness in our community. Someone asked Ghandi, the spiritual leader of India, “What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in India?” He replied, “Christians.” Acknowledging the lordship of Christ is a giant step toward spiritual unity among His people.[6]
Are we following Jesus? Does the world see Jesus when they view this local body of Christ? We have a wonderful fellowship here and we must all work hard, “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirt” in this place.
Perhaps you feel out of place here because you do not know Jesus. You may be with the Body of Christ but you are not a member, or part of the body of Christ. To be part of the Body of Christ you must first belong to Him and have his Spirit in you.
The more we are like Jesus the more we will be united in Him.
1 A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2006), 90.
2 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 65.
3 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 36.
4 Ibid..
5 Ibid.
6 ibid.
