Pastor’s Corner: “One (Jesus) for all and all for One (Jesus)!”
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT) – Unity in the Body – 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. Galatians 3:28 (NLT) – 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
The church of Jesus Christ is truly unique: It is composed of people from countless backgrounds, who have a variety of opinions on many different topics—yet they are one in Christ. As believers filled with Holy Spirit, we all belong to God’s family and have a special relationship with one another. We are spiritual brothers and sisters who are called by our heavenly Father to live in harmony.
Unity in the church occurs when God’s children live in submission to Holy Spirit and let Him control our attitudes, emotions, words, and actions. When the Spirit rules each one, the goal becomes to please Him in our interactions with others instead of demanding our own way.
Some Christians try to function independently because that’s easier than living in humility, gentleness, and patience with fellow believers. But we need each other. The fellowship of believers is an important part of God’s design for our spiritual growth.
Even satan knows a kingdom must be unified to succeed, which is why one of his greatest attacks will be to cause as much division in our homes, churches, and communities as possible. His scheme will be to trick us into believing that the attacks aren’t coming from him but from those closest to us, from those we are called to love and serve, and from those who were never our real enemy in the first place. He doesn’t care if we fight, as long as we fight the wrong enemy. He wants us to stay isolated, closed off, and especially away from church, because he knows that what Matthew 16:18(ESV) says is true: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.
It’s okay to have opinions, but we should never sow disunity. What a horrible witness it is to a lost world when Christians are divided and bickering. And what a powerful witness it is when people see Christians loving one another. There’s a great statement attributed to Augustine that says, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity [love].”
Unity in the church requires a willingness to yield to each other for the sake of our spiritual family. This kind of self-sacrifice is fueled by genuine love, which unselfishly acts for the good of another (agape in Greek). It’s the glue that keeps the body of Christ together and enables us to live in harmony (Col. 3:14). When we hold tightly to God’s words and are knitted together in love, we honor Jesus Christ and have a strong defense against divisions and factions.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton