Ephesians 4:4-6
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 [c]you all.
The human body is a remarkable marvel of God’s creation. It has many parts, some big and some so small you need a microscope to see them, but they all work in unity to ensure that the body functions well. None of the parts of our bodies work in isolation from the others because that would be disastrous.
God’s design is for his church is to work as a body, meaning working in unity. The body is made up of many members, and they all do not have the same functions, but they work in unity towards one goal. This should be the case with the church. Unity is not uniformity. Unity does not mean that we all look the same and do the same thing, rather, it means working toward the same goal though we may be different.
This is what Psalms 133 says;
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forever more.
Divide and conquer, is the strategy the enemy uses to defeat us and, sadly, many times we help him to accomplish his goal. God’s desire is that we will love one another and in so doing stay united in the cause that he has given us. When we are united, we can achieve more and God is glorified. It was never Gods intention for us to be divided along denominational lines but that we would work together in unity as one body towards one goal. That goal is to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. If we walk in love, love for God and love for one another, then we will walk in unity and in God’s blessing.
Reflections
What does unity of the church look like to you?
Unity is not uniformity, what does that statement mean to you?
Do you struggle to embrace believers who are different from you? Why?