Ephesians 4:1-6 (NKJV) 1 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.
No one is ever going to be perfect here on earth, so we must accept and love other Christians in spite of their faults. When we see faults in fellow believers, we should be patient and gentle. Is there someone whose actions or personality really annoys you? Rather than dwelling on that person’s weaknesses or looking for faults, pray for him or her. Then do even more – spend time together and see if you can learn to like him or her.
The Oneness of All Believers
- Believers are one in – Our unity is experienced in
- Body – The fellowship of believers—the church
- Spirit – The Holy Spirit who activates the fellowship
- Hope – That glorious future to which we are all called
- Lord – Christ, to whom we all belong
- Faith – Our singular commitment to Christ
- Baptism – the sign of entry into the church
- God – God, who is our Father who keeps us for eternity
Too often believers are separated because of minor differences in doctrine. But Paul here shows those areas where Christians must agree to attain true unity. When believers have this unity of spirit, petty differences should never be allowed to dissolve that unity.
