Day 21: Ephesians 4: 2-6: One Body, One Spirit

Christian unity is not built on sameness but on our shared identity in Christ.

After calling believers to walk worthy, Paul immediately describes what that life looks like: humility, gentleness, patience and bearing with one another in love. These aren't personality traits reserved for naturally kind people- they are evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. Paul reminds the church that our unity isn't something we create; it's something Christ has already established. Our calling is to preserve it.

Reflection: Which of the qualities that Paul lists - humility, gentleness, patience, or bearing with one another- is most difficult for you, and why?

Transcript

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Happy Monday, everyone. You should be proud of yourself. You have been reading the Bible every day, Monday through Friday, for four weeks straight. We're just starting our fifth week. And we're in chapter four, verses two through six today. Our theme is one body, one spirit. Let's jump right into the text. I'm going to read verse one first before we get to two through six, just so it makes sense. Therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope at your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Amen. That is the word of God. Before we jump into our devotion and dig deeper section today, I just want to say that as I was reading that, the person who comes to mind is my friend Rebecca. She's in our group. She is so good at those things, at being a good friend, whether I am acting like someone who deserves, deserves it or not. Um, I think at seeking unity, at being quick to forgive and slow to anger. So whatever that gift is, Rebecca, I think you have it. And um, just kind of cool to shout you out here. So today, after calling believers to walk worthy, Paul immediately describes what that life looks like: humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. These aren't personality traits reserved for naturally kind people. They are evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. Paul reminds the church that our unity isn't something we create, it's something Christ has already established. Our calling is to preserve it. Let's elaborate on that. Paul begins a section with something unexpected. After spending three chapters unpacking the grandeur of God's eternal plan, election, adoption, redemption, reconciliation, and the church, he doesn't first tell believers to evangelize more, memorize more scripture, or defend theology. He begins with character, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another. Why? Because the greatest threat to the early church wasn't simply persecution from outside, it was division from within. Remember who is sitting in these house churches? Jewish believers who had spent their entire lives observing ceremonial laws sat beside Gentiles who had once sacrificed to Artemis. Former magicians who had burned their scrolls in Acts nineteen, now worshipped alongside merchants, Roman citizens, servants, widows, and wealthy business owners. This wasn't a room full of people who naturally belonged together. The gospel had brought them together. Paul knows that unity will require supernatural virtues. Let's define the words Paul uses. Humility. It was not considered a virtue in the Greco-Roman world. In fact, the Greek word tapenoprosin often carried a negative meaning. It could mean lowliness, weakness, even servility. Roman culture admired strength, honor, influence, and self-promotion. To willingly lower yourself for the sake of another was considered foolish. Christianity completely redefines humility because of Jesus. The Son of God humbled himself, took on flesh, washed feet, and died on a cross. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. The next word he uses is gentleness, also referred to as meekness. And it's another misunderstood word. It doesn't mean passive or timid. The Greek word describes strength under control. The same word was sometimes used for a horse that had been trained. The horse hadn't become weak, its strength had become directed. Jesus describes himself as gentle and lowly in heart. Biblical gentleness is power restrained by love. Our next word is patience, which literally means long-tempered. It describes someone who refuses to retaliate quickly. And God Himself is repeatedly described throughout the Old Testament as slow to anger. Paul is saying our relationships should increasingly reflect God's character. Then comes the phrase, bearing with one another in love. That doesn't simply mean tolerating people, it means willingly carrying with one another's weaknesses, differences, personalities, and imperfections. The church has never been united because everyone agrees on everything. It is united because Christ has reconciled us to himself. Then Paul says something profound. Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Notice he doesn't say create unity. Christ already created unity through his cross, which we covered in Ephesians 2. The Spirit established it. Our responsibility is to guard it. That changes how we think about conflict. Every time we choose forgiveness over bitterness, listening over assuming, serving over demanding, we are protecting something Jesus died to create. One body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. The repetition here isn't accidental. The Ephesian believers lived in a city with dozens of gods, countless religious practices, and competing philosophies. Paul reminds them that Christianity is wonderfully simple. There is one Lord. And because there is one Lord, there is one people. Today we often divide ourselves over politics, worship styles, personalities, generations, secondary theological issues, or personal preferences. Paul would remind us that our deepest identity is not found in those things. It is found in Christ. The church becomes a testimony to the world when people who naturally wouldn't belong together choose to love one another because Jesus has first loved them. Christian unity is not built on sameness, but on our shared identity in Christ. So as we leave today, I leave you with this reflection question. Which of the qualities Paul lists humility, gentleness, patience, or bearing with one another, is most difficult for you? And why? Talk to you soon. Love you guys.