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. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:4-8, ESV. There is only one church, filled by the one Spirit of God, called to share one hope of eternal joy in God’s presence, serving one Lord and Master, and believing one gospel. There is only one true God who is the Creator and giver of all life. There is a great unity involved in being the church! One God. One gospel. One hope. While the world around us, even many professing believers, focuses on things that tend to divide us, God’s Word is at work reminding us that we are best described as “one.” Of course, the individuals who make up this unified body are not clones. That was never God’s plan. Instead, He gathers the saints and gifts each of them with gifts for the benefit of the church. However, even these gifts flow from a singular source as part of the overflowing grace of the gospel from the throne of Christ. And they flow from this singular source to the members of a united body. Even as Paul addresses the very practical matter of the gifts given to individual saints, he emphasizes the gospel that unites them. Paul’s stress here is fundamental for our understanding of life in the church. The gifting of individual saints to fulfill God’s call on their lives is a gospel gift given in the context of gospel unity. We are gifted individually that we might be better at being one. I pray that God will bless you today with reminders of the gospel unity of the church. Pastor Don Comments are closed.
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From Pastor DonWriting about the Bible and praying that it will be of some good for someone. Archives
June 2021
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