The greatness of unity (Ephesians 4:1-6)
[Ephesians 4:1-6]
[1] ♠ I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called [2] ♠ with all humility and gentleness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love [3] ♠ the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace [4] ♠ There is one body and one Spirit, and in the same way you were called in one hope of your calling [5] ♠ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism [6] ♠ God is also God, the Father of all, who is above all, who unites all, and is in all.
"Oneness" is one of many topics we talk about often. But it's also one of the worst. Why is it so difficult for the church to become one? I'm sure it's because of Satan's interference. It is Satan who hindered the unity between God and man in Genesis.
Why does Satan hinder unity as in the words of the text? And let's find out why unity is great.
First, unity is our calling.
“Therefore, I, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (v. section)
Many saints serve with a vision according to their calling. However, I have never seen a saint who has “oneness” as his vocation. A church should be good at missionary work, worship well, and pray and praise well, but all this should be based on “unity”. However, although we diligently do missionary work, prayer, and worship, there are many cases where we cannot become one. They often hurt each other. But, as we see in verse 3, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The unity is already a gift given to us by the Holy Spirit.
Second, unity is the character of Jesus.
“With all humility and gentleness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (verse 2) “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (verse 3).
Humility, gentleness, long-suffering, love, forbearance, and the unity of the Holy Spirit” in the text are all the characteristics of Jesus. In order for us to become one, we must imitate the character of Jesus Christ. have to change
Third, unity is God's desire.
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (verse 5) “There is one God, the Father of all, who is above all, who unites all, and is in all” (verse 6).
To fulfill his wish, God sent his son to die on the cross. Through this, we became one. We must become those who do God's wishes. I should not satisfy my greed, but please God.
What we can learn from the text is that our unity is the basis of everything. On that foundation, missions, worship, and prayer must be built. Let's strive for unity. Satan will always hinder the unity of the church. But let's love each other and strive to keep our unity.