In Christ: Know It, Live It - 45 (Focusing on our Oneness)

We are able to maintain the unity of the church by treating one another with humility, patience, gentleness, etc. JUST LIKE JESUS WOULD. But the Apostle Paul also gives another great means to unity in Ephesians 4 in vv.4-6. In these verses he mentions a 7-fold oneness (a PERFECT oneness!) that we all share as believers:

"There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

We do indeed have many differences. But what we have in common in Christ is FAR GREATER. What differs about us is primarily TEMPORARY and will end when this age ends. But the foundation of oneness we share is ETERNAL and INFINITE: the Trinity of God; Father, Son, Spirit. WHICH will we focus on as we fellowship and serve together and work through difficulties together? To focus on our different tastes in worship music is to run the danger of destroying unity. To focus on the fact that our worship is to glorify our ONE GOD: Father, Son, and Spirit...that maintains unity.

You and I have the same LORD. He is Lord of all...period. We share ONE FAITH that focuses on HIM and on His truth. We are baptized in the name of the Trinity as followers of this one Lord.

We are indwelt by ONE SPIRIT. He is our life. He is HOLY and fills us to love one another. He has made us all members of this ONE BODY.

Our Father is the ONE TRUE GOD. He has called us to ONE HOPE: sharing all eternity with Him in His house. Man, oh man, oh man, oh man! This ONE FATHER is OVER ALL as Sovereign Lord. He is THROUGH ALL as the One working in all things. He is IN ALL as the sustaining life of all.

How many times have you heard a parent say (or have YOU said) to their children, "Come on, get along, you are in the same family!" Come on, brothers and sisters! We share the same Father, Lord, and life-giving Spirit. The INFINITE GOD lives in us and has chosen us to be part of His glorious forever-family. Let's get along!

This triune God who has called us to walk as fellow members of this family also ENABLES us to live towards one another as Christ would and to live and love based on the great oneness we share in Himself. We CAN walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called.

Let's focus on our INFINITE foundation of oneness and let this oneness move us through difficulties with one another to maintain the oneness of the body of Christ.