Welcome to the For the Gospel podcast, where we're all about sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Kosti Hinn, and on today's episode, I want to talk to you about some characteristics that foster unity in the church. I've been thinking about this topic for several weeks now for a couple of reasons. Number one, I am preaching through the book of Ephesians at Shepherd's House, the church that I get the joy of pastoring at. And we have entered into chapter four, where Paul begins by saying, I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you or implore you in some translations to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called. And then he lists these characteristics with all humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. Then he says, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit, capital S, that's the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the bond of peace. And then he goes on to explain there's one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. And I started thinking a lot about unity as well when I was writing this book on the Holy Spirit, the book Knowing the Spirit comes out next year. My heart was stirred because the Holy Spirit tends to be a very divisive topic, because some people believe one thing, people believe another thing, and it seems as though the very person of the Trinity, who is supposed to be an agent for our unity, becomes not of his own doing, but of our own sinful doing, an agent or a means of disunity. Now, I am not downplaying the truth at all. It's so important to be unified in the truth. There is no unity where we do not have the truth. And so you cannot be unified with people who malign the gospel. You cannot be unified in with people who believe a false version of the Spirit of God. That's now a false spirit or a deceitful spirit. There are many false Christs, Jesus says, who have gone out into the world. So it's not unity for the sake of unity, this kumbaya idea where we're all just going to go along to get along and kind of sit around and it's okay to not believe the truth as long as we all just love each other. I'm not talking about that. We don't lay aside doctrine in the name of love and unity. Truth undergirds our unity, but when we believe the same gospel, when we have the same Lord, when we're filled with the same spirit, unity can still be hard to come by in the body of Christ. There's an old church joke. I've been telling it a lot lately. It goes like this a man once put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment to see if they could get along. They did. So he put a bird, a pig, and a goat inside, and they too eventually got along after a few adjustments. And then he decided, wow, this is going really great. I should really try something very novel. He stuck a Baptist, a Lutheran, and a Presbyterian and a Pentecostal inside, and after just several minutes, there wasn't a living thing left. The idea that once you put people with different denominational beliefs and different views in one space together, it is over. And that is humorous, but all too true that when you put Christians together, there will be conflict. Now, beyond denominational differences, in local congregations where most people will agree on doctrinal distinctives, there can still be personal preferences, opinions, and attitudes that break down unity rather than preserve it. And we can all be guilty of doing one of two things. Maybe we make a spiritual law where there is no biblical law. You know, we're legalists and we say, well, if you don't do it this way, or if you do this, oh, better watch out now. You're not doing it the right way. And we are very good at putting law where there is no biblical law. Or maybe on the other side, in an effort to embrace our Christian liberties, we can all be guilty at times of flaunting our Christian liberty and causing others to stumble at all turns. It seems as though the opportunity to divide presents itself and even sells itself as a deeper piety, a holiness, or a higher status with God, and we often are left in the rubble of division. Unity is hard to come by in the Christian faith, but it's vital to fulfilling our calling. And by the way, it should be the mark of our Christian living and a mark of evidence that we are in the body of Christ is unity because we have one Lord, one baptism, one faith, one spirit, one God and Father who is over all in all and through all. And unity, I believe, based on what Scripture teaches, is achievable no matter what secondary differences that we have. It is achievable so long as everyone in the household of God walks worthy of the manner in which they were called. And that's going to be easier said than done, but that should never change the standard that scripture presents. I think of a conversation that I was in recently with somebody who is in a different denomination, believes differently about certain things than I do. And in that conversation, where he's maybe more in that Pentecostal vein of thinking, there was much common ground with regards to the gospel. There wasn't even there was even shared concern over excesses. And in the middle of preaching through Ephesians and writing a book on the Holy Spirit, and I have very strong convictions about what I see in Scripture and the way that I approach certain spiritual gifts and the way they're to be used, I was able to find uh measures of unity and joy and appreciation with this brother and fellowship, knowing that we differ on tongues and we differ on certain applications of spiritual gifts. But overall, I believe he'll be in heaven, and I believe that he loves the Lord, and I know his evangelistic fervor, and I understand that he will approach the text differently than I do in some ways. And now beyond denominational differences, I think of in the church, where we have a difficult time unifying with people who we agree with on doctrine. It's not like, you know, if you don't believe that speaking in tongues is something that everybody should be doing today and somebody else agrees with you, and you believe that, you know, this, that, and the other about the end times, your eschatology is the same, and you believe all these other things that are the same. It is remarkable, isn't it, that we still find ways to divide because of our opinions and our preferences, our attitudes. We all want our way. And what Paul does in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 2 and 3 is he he lays out four characteristics that foster unity that we need in the local church. And it does not come necessarily because you have the same view on the end times. It doesn't come because you dress in the same clothes and have the same hobbies or the same interests. Unity is achieved or fostered when certain characteristics are present that should be present in every believer. The first one he says is with all humility. Walking worthy of our calling includes walking with all humility. Why? Well, humility is modest or lowly, it's an entirely Christian idea, and Christians should be humble because we remember that we were lost sinners, and Christ came in and he saved us. And so while the Greeks and the Romans in the time that Paul wrote this letter celebrated cockiness and arrogance and pride, and humility was sort of looked down upon as some weak attribute, Christians are called to be humble. We're to be the opposite of cocky and arrogant and prideful. There were some linguists, even as I studied through this, who proposed there was no word for humility in the Greek language because the idea was so foreign and so distant from their thinking that it's even likely that Paul had to make up a word or create a word for this. And so the idea of Christian humility really began to spread because Christians were using this type of language and this uh exhibiting this type of attitude. Jesus himself exhibiting that attitude that Paul writes about. In Philippians 2, 3 through 8, I won't read the whole thing, but it just starts out saying, Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves, and don't merely look out for your own interests, merely, but also for the interests of others, and have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ. The simple truth is Jesus had the glory of heaven. He was above all of us, he was truly, fully God. He comes to earth, he never ceases to be God, and yet lowers himself and becomes a man, taking on humanity. There's theologians like R. C. Sprohl, I love the way he says it. He says it was subtraction by addition, it was a demeaning, it was a lowering by adding humanity. That was that was like a demotion for Jesus because he was the majesty of heaven, the king of all kings, God, the Son. And then he takes on human form. He then veils his glory, he limits himself to the degree that he could have destroyed all his enemies, he could have taken vengeance at every turn, he could have vaporized every single person who opposed him and settled every score by fighting his holy war right then and there as an equal deity to God the Father. Instead, he doesn't exercise any of those divine rights. He submits to the Father so that he could finish the work on the cross and redeem you and I. Because of his example, we do well to run every ambition and fight or flight response, every decision, word, all of it, every thought through one filter, we ask ourselves, does this look like my Lord? If you ask yourself that question in the local church, and if I do that in the local church, there is a very good chance that you and I we're gonna foster unity in the body. Is the way I'm operating, the way I'm talking, the way I'm thinking, the way I'm strategizing, the way I'm worshiping, the way I'm even speaking about my preferences or my opinions or what I think and feel, does it look and sound like my Lord? That approach will foster unity. And then he says, and gentleness in Ephesians 4, 2. With gentleness. Well, gentleness is gonna breed a spirit of unity and foster unity in our church because the the word has a close correlation to meekness. It's the idea of being considerate of others, and it's a very important Christian quality because if we're not gentle, we end up acting like a wrecking ball in the church. We destroy and tear down rather than build up. And gentleness is a strength under control. I've done an episode in the past called Meekness Isn't Weakness. It goes into a deep dive and just this whole concept on its own in one episode. But the idea here is having a steel spine and still a stock and yet still a soft heart. That meekness isn't weakness. The meek person can still be a mover and a shaker, but they're wise and gracious, they're Christ-like all the same. They aren't a bull in a china shop, so to speak. And when we're gentle with people, they can approach us. They can trust us. Galatians 6 1, very important passage when it comes to gentleness, says if anyone is caught in any trespass, that's a sin, you who are spiritual, restore such one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Gentleness is so key because people are going to confess sin in the church. We're a messy bunch. We make mistakes, and we need to be gentle, restoring people, not crushing them and destroying people when they sin. A Christian should not be a thorn or a knife that stabs, but a soothing bomb that heals, even if the truth stings, we should still speak hard truth, and that can hurt people's feelings at time or not feel great to hear. But the result is always purity. Now, sometimes that purity is going to mean church discipline. People are disciplined outside of the church. They're uh now excommunicated is a word that some people have heard or would use. Uh basically, in Matthew 18, we're told that when someone absolutely refuses to listen to the pleadings of the church and to the discipline process, that they are to be treated like a tax gatherer or a gentile. Basically, they're not of the faith, and so they're to be evangelized still, but they're out. Even that can be done with a spirit of gentleness and through tears. Gentleness is attached to the appeal that Christ offers sinners who are seeking to find peace in all the wrong places, only to end up weighed down all the more by destructive sins. He says, Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn from me. I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. That's Matthew 11, 28 and 29. Jesus was gentle. Are you known for being gentle? Do people in the body want to come to you and admit weakness? Do they ever confess sin around you? Do they ask for your wisdom? And do they find encouragement when they talk to you? Well, it's very likely if you answer yes to those questions that you have a gentle spirit about you. Even when you are right, I love what Chuck Swindah once said, we can be right, but we don't need to be ugly about it. That's gentleness. Even when you're right, you're still a gentle person, a gracious person. You want the best for people. A gentle church makes the devil tremble because we then are strong and yet we're disciplined and very difficult to lure in by his divisive traps and his schemes. He wants you and I to be destructive and divisive, but a gentle heart, even in the midst of speaking hard truth, will preserve unity. A couple more. Third, patience. He says, with patience. It's the Greek word macrothemia, and it is this a state of remaining tranquil when waiting for an outcome. Patience is basically slowness to react. It's endurance, it's being long-tempered in the midst of challenges. And oh my, if we have that attitude, isn't that going to foster unity in the church? Because then we're less reactive towards other people. We become more difficult to offend. Patience is often as well linked to faith and trust in the Lord. That's why many of the heroes of the faith were patient. They were enduring challenges, they were being sinned against, but uh they all the while trusted the Lord. Noah, who built an ark for some hundred and twenty years while everybody made fun of him and not a drop of rain came down. Joseph ends up in decades of hardship after being sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of rape by Potiphar's wife. David is anointed long before becoming king, and then he's attacked all the way to the throne, basically, by his predecessor Saul. And then you think of God being patient with us, sinners who are deserving of his wrath, and yet he pours out grace and love upon us. Patience is modeled in Scripture by heroes of the faith. Patience is a trust in the Lord. It is endurance and it is not being fast to react. Patience fosters unity in the church. Are you patient with people? Could you be more patient with people? I think we would all say yes, and we need the Spirit's help to do that. Finally, Paul says showing tolerance in love, or in some translations, if you're reading Ephesians 4, forbearance in love. This is the idea of not overlooking the truth, but continuing to love, serve, and care for someone who disappoints you, who may even bother you or annoy you or displease you with their decisions. They are difficult, and yet you are being tolerant in love. Now we know from Ephesians 4 15 that we are to speak the truth in love. So understand, showing forbearance in love does not mean you never tell someone the truth. In fact, being tolerant and forbearing could mean having a sit down and saying, I love you, I'm gonna be patient with you, I'm also gonna tell you the truth, and here it is. And love is so important when it comes to speaking the truth. Because you're not gonna have unity, and you're certainly not gonna build trust in the church if you don't get a reputation for speaking the truth. At times when unity is hard to find, the culprit is a lack of love. At times when we uh are letting our feelings drive the bus, or we are engaging in harsh words, it's it's a lack of love. When we're presuming and assuming the worst about people, it's a lack of love. All of that breaks down unity, but love keeps us grounded. This is why in Colossians 3.14, Paul says, above all, in a parallel passage there, above all, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. You want to have harmony in the church, you want to see harmony increase in the body, then above all else, put on love. Love is the glue holding the body together. Humility will flow from love. Do you actually love people more than yourself? Gentleness will flow from love. Do you actually want the best for that person or do you just want to crush them? Patience flows from love. Do you love that person enough to be patient with them? Somebody loved you enough and was patient with you. And then showing tolerance for one another flows from love. You cannot have any of these characteristics if you do not have love. And this is why verses prior in a chapter prior in Ephesians 3.17, Paul prayed that the Ephesians would be rooted and grounded in love and that they would know Christ's love and be filled with Christ's love. Why? Well, because if they're armed with these characteristics, and they're rooted and grounded in love, and they know the love of Christ and they're filled up with it, well then now they can be diligent, as he says in verse 3 of chapter 4. Be diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. You can't be what the word means diligent, they're zealous and eager and making haste to preserve unity if you don't have these characteristics and you're not rooted and grounded in love. And I want you to understand one thing as well that Paul says. He says, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. We often think of unity in, you know, terms of it's out there, it's eluding us, we got to go find it, or we got to go make it. If there's one thing I want you to understand in Ephesians 4 3, it is that he says, being diligent to preserve. Meaning unity is already preserved or already given. It's already been provided by Christ through the cross. It's already been provided through the Spirit of God in us. We don't go find unity, we don't make unity, we don't have to even seek out or really fight, quote unquote, for unity. We preserve the unity that has already been provided by Jesus. So think about that for a second. Unity's already there. Unity's already available. You just need to preserve it. If you're having trouble with unity in your church, if you're having trouble with unity in your relationships, it's already there. It just might be under a a few layers of pride, not humility, harshness, not gentleness, uh a lack of patience with people instead of patience, and and maybe a real short fuse that lacks tolerance and love. Maybe you don't really love people, maybe you love yourself, maybe you love your own agenda, maybe you love your own way. And underneath those layers of sin awaits this beautiful treasure, a priceless treasure called unity. And so while we may align on doctrine, and there may be many similar passions and hobbies, you will still have no unity in a body if we do not lay aside pride, impatience, a lack of tolerance, and a lack of love, and then put on and seek out humility, patience, gentleness, and forbearance in love. In that we can then be zealous and eager and make haste to preserve the unity that the cross of Christ provides. If I could summarize the key to unity in one phrase, and this is just as convicting for me as I say this it is the death of self. It is the death of self. It is the end of me, it's the end of you, it's considering others above ourselves. It is the John the Baptist mentality, it is carrying a towel, washing feet, preparing the way, pointing to Christ, and then dying and being forgotten. If that's our attitude, if we just want the mission of God to win, if we want the body of Christ to thrive, and we play our role in whatever he would have us do, and then we get out of the way, we will find rich unity in the body of Christ. When believers walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which they have been called, unity is always the result because that is exactly how God has designed his body to work. Thanks for listening. For more on unity and what Paul says, I'd encourage you to read this week in Ephesians chapter four, verses one through seven, and understanding the characteristics that foster unity in our churches. For more free resources, go to furthegospel.org as well as the year winds down. If you want to make an end-of-year gift or partner with us long term as a gospel patron, you can do that on our give page. We have our financial statements, uh, videos, and lots of information about the way we view money and handle finances, integrity, and faithful stewardship are very important to us here at Further Gospel. And so we'd love to partner with you if that's something you'd be willing to do outside of and beyond your local church commitment. We would be so thankful. Uh, for videos and more free resources online. Be sure to follow us on social media platforms. And lastly, if this podcast has been a blessing to you, would you please leave a review so that other people can be encouraged to listen and be blessed with biblical content? I'll be back next Monday. For now, keep on living for the gospel.