Ephesians 4:1-6
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.
Are you walking worthy in the name of Jesus? Do you love others as Jesus loves you? A believer’s life should match the excellency of Jesus’ calling. We are to be gentle and demonstrate the same attitudes that Jesus did while on earth. These attitudes do not come naturally but instead are cultivated by the determination to place others above oneself. Only the Holy Spirit can empower us to treat people this way consistently. We must be patient with the shortcomings of others in the same way we ask God to be patient with us.
To keep the unity of the Spirit means as believers we are one in the Spirit. It is our duty to keep that unity, recognize it and act upon it without a sectarian spirit. We must make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit. This humble, forgiving attitude towards each other naturally fulfills this gift of the unity of the Spirit.
Sectarianism is a form of prejudice, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching relations of inferiority and superiority to differences between subdivisions within a group. Common examples are denominations of a religion, ethnic identity, class, or region for citizens of a state and factions of a political movement.
We must remember that we are of ONE Spirit and that not one of us is inferior to the other: not by religion, race, class or otherwise.
We must endeavor to keep this unity that we did not create. This is a unity that God created by His Spirit, and it is our duty is to recognize it and keep it. God didn’t ask us to endeavor to maintain the unity of evil or spiritual tyranny, but unity in faith, love, and obedience to the one Lord, one God and Father of all. When we really understand how much God did for us, we will naturally want to serve and obey Him. A worthy walk before God will be with lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, meaning to not be in control or advancing our own agenda.
Longsuffering: having or showing patience despite troubles, especially those caused by other people.
Again, as believer we must keep this unity by showing patience and love toward others as Jesus did. How many times did Jesus show us longsuffering during His time on Earth? How many times have you shown gentleness and kindness by longsuffering? We must “walk the walk” worthy of the calling in which we were called in His Spirit. We, as believers, have unity because of what we share. In Jesus we share one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one Father. Each of these common areas is greater than any potential difference.
Matthew 3:11
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Paul speaks of one baptism; baptism by water, which is the visible act believers can do to show their unity with God. However, we know there is also a baptism in the Holy Spirit. As seen in Matthew 3:11, Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. We can receive this gift when we commit to Jesus and proclaim that He is our Savior. He will fill you with the Holy Spirit, a gift God continues throughout a believer’s Christian walk.
If you do not believe you are filled with the Holy Spirit or do not know what that means, I encourage you today to find time to spend with Jesus and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit, The Holy Spirit. We are to UNITE and endure to keep the unity of the Spirit through one Lord, one God and Father of all! Amen!!
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