Ephesians 4:1-6

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."
                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 4:1-6

In reading Ephesians Chapter 4, I am struck not just with the theme of unity in the Body of Christ, but also how that unity is attained.

We so often hear how The Body of Christ, the Church, is supposed to be unified.  In Ephesians 4, Paul shows us how true unity of believers can be obtained.

First and foremost, we should always remember what unites us as followers of Christ.  "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body  So it is with the body of Christ.  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.  But we have all been baptized into one body by one spirit, and we all share the same spirit."  (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)  No matter our differences - race, culture, political views, social status, church association - we who are in Christ are ONE BODY...ONE SPIRIT...ALL sharing the same Spirit - HIS HOLY SPIRIT!   God created a diverse world full of diverse peoples.  Diversity also exists in His Body of Believers.  My Bible commentary offers further insight into diversity within the body, "Learn to enjoy the way we members of Christ's body complement one another."  God doesn't want cookie cutter Christians.  He wants diversity!  We all have different jobs to do and differing gifts to offer.  If we were all the same I cannot help but to think not much Kingdom work would get done.  God uses this diversity within His Church to further His Kingdom!

Secondly, with diversity can come disagreements.  And, because we are human, each and every one of us are prone to mistakes and subject to sin.  Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:2 that we in Christ need to be humble, gentle, and patient with each other.  Therefore, when we see faults in others we are to first be humble - because we are not perfect either.  We are to show patience and gentleness in dealing with them rather than focusing soley on their shortcomings.  That is how God has dealt with us - allowing His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sins.  God loves and offers us forgiveness so we are to do the same for others!  Instead of responding to others in a critical spirit, our love response should be taking positive steps to help strengthen those who are weak or at fault.  We have to be gentle because we are not privy to all of the facts -  we do not know what kind of pain or troubles someone is struggling with.  Furthermore, we are more effective in helping others overcome if we have established a genuine relationship with them. Instead of judging others because of their differences and faults, get to know the person. Pray for them.  But do not just stop there. Spend quality time with them.  Be a true friend.  Help them out of genuine concern and offer correction (if necessary) out of love.  Some of my closest friends over the years have been people who were not necessarily cut from the same cloth as me.  But after spending time with them and getting to know them, these are friendships I value and cherish!  It does not matter if we see eye to eye, we are friends.  We understand each other.  We value each other's opinions and we are patient with each other's faults. And we let each other know when we see things in them that causes concern - because of our love and genuine interest in each other's well being. 

And here is where verse 3 comes in.  Not only must we be patient with one another's faults, we must do all that we can to live peaceably with one another.  Without love and patience for one another, peace cannot exist.  That is why remaining humble and dealing with fellow believers gently and patiently is so important.  Infighting and arguments hinder unity within the Body.  In order to attain that peace, we must willing to allow the Spirit of God to lead us instead of our human nature.  Those who focus on God instead of themselves can achieve this spirit of peace both within and without.  In response, our words and actions should bring this peace to the Body - building up all members and making us all fit for His Service.

For we who are in Christ belong to one body, united under one head - Jesus Christ!  And this body serves a God who is active in our lives... He is OVER ALL, IN ALL, and LIVES THROUGH ALL! 

Praying for the Holy Spirit to give me a heart that loves the members of the Body as God loves us...for a peaceful spirit that offers mercy and forgiveness - a spirit of humility, gentleness, and patience.

In His Love, Cathy