TUESDAY May 21, 2024
One Body, One Spirit––One God
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 4:4-6
There are many different denominations in the Christian church––Baptist, Calvary Chapel, Pentecostal churches, Methodist, Assembles of God, and Lutheran––to name a few. Why then is there so much disunity when we are all one in Christ Jesus?
Seriously, there is nothing wrong with the Baptists not believing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but the Pentecostals should not push them to believe in the gifts either. We should not argue about speaking in tongues with others in the body of Christ. Just because we differ does not mean we are not brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body in Christ! Yes, there may be differences in some of our theology, but when you come down to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and our salvation, those who are truly in unity in the body of Christ believe the same doctrine.
We believe in the same Jesus Christ! What counts is God’s agape love shown to each other. We should not fight over different beliefs about the Rapture, but we are to be one with each other. We need to start pulling together and not apart. Try to keep unity and peace in the body of Christ by praying and caring for one another.
Imagine, seven times in verses 4-6 is the word one. Can you believe the incredible unity we have with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? This reveals to us that just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in unity, so we must be one in Jesus Christ. We are one body whether we are in America, Africa, China or Europe. All around the world Christians are to be one in Spirit and one in Jesus Christ.
Know this: Division is never evidence of true Christianity. If a person does not want to be united, then leave it in God’s hands, and He will deal with them individually. Do not be the one dividing the body of Christ, a family, or a friendship; be the one who is always uniting them.
We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of the true Christians.
~Frances Schaeffer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
