Communities are built on common ground. Those within any community share something in common. Whenever you bring dog owners, golfers, or computer programmers, etc. into one room, immediately a bond is formed. Commonality draws people together and can profoundly affect lives. Part of the reason any community is effective is because their commonality builds a bridge into one another’s lives.
Read Ephesians 4:1-6; 13-16. Gal. 3:26-29
In the passage today, Paul begins by telling his readers how to live. In v. 3 he ties these behaviors and attitudes into something we already have: the unity of the Spirit. We all share a common bond in Christ. And there is no greater bond we can have with other people. But that bond can be damaged when we place other things ahead of our commonality. Gal. 3:26-29 tells us that we are all children of God (sons of God) who are baptized into Christ. No ethnic, status, or gender differences should come ahead of our common bond in Christ. But that is not always a reality in this world. Sometimes that unity or commonality can be disturbed when we treat one another in ways that are unbecoming of Christ. Humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance – loose these qualities and the unity we have in Christ can be threatened. That is why Paul says, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3). That is why Paul says we are to all work together to “reach unity in the faith” (Eph. 4:13).
Personal thought:
There are far too many passages to consider in the area of unity to cover here. Turn to nearly any page in the New Testament and you will find some aspect of how we should live that in turn can either build up a community or break it down. Eph. 5:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that is may benefit those who listen.” Any time we put ourselves above others or God, we threaten unity. We are to be working together toward a common purpose – to reach maturity in Christ. This is a community effort, not a lone attempt. Unity, then, is not an option. We must “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” It is a profound thing to consider that Christ has built a bridge for us to step into the lives of others and make an impact. The bridge is already there, and I have a choice to either walk across it to help others, or simply ignore it.
To consider:
When, if ever, have you damaged unity with a fellow believer? How does knowing “we are all in this together” help in your treatment of a fellow believer? Pray today that when there are opportunities to damage unity that you will have the wisdom and humility to “walk across the bridge” and “keep the unity of the Spirit.”