The Unity of Christians

One section of scripture sticks out to me is Ephesians 4.  This section talks a lot about the unity of believers, which is a key element in my thinking and in this blog.  This passage states that the unity of Christ is this:

One Lord- As Christians, we claim that Christ is our Lord.  This means that we understand that we are to be led by God, and that Christ should be Lord over everything, and penetrate every part of our lives.  We are called to submit joyfully to His direction.

One faith- We all are unified in the faith we have in Jesus as our savior and Lord. We understand that faith is the most important thing, it is a gift from God (look a little earlier in Ephesians) and that by faith we can please God and be made righteous.

One baptism- Many people get confused over the meaning of baptism in the new testament. The word baptize literally means to immerse. Sometimes, it means to be immersed in water, but we are also baptized through the holy spirit, as Jesus does (Matthew 3:11). Once we believe on Christ, we are immersed into the communion of God's people.  It is ultimately through this act that we have what verse 3 calls the Unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, which comes from the peace we have with God through Jesus.

One God and Father- Our creator, who knit together our innermost being, and knows us by name, and is everywhere. He is the One True God, sovereign over his creation. Through his purpose, as mapped out earlier in Ephesians 1, he has brought all of history up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

When Christians get in certain debates about whatever the issue of the day is, we often forget about this bond that we do have with each other.  We let our emotions getting in the way.  Too often we become swayed by every wind of teaching (check out verses 14-16) and we lose focus on Jesus, who we should keep our eyes on.  This disconnect is seen in the ever-increasing number of denominations in the world.  Instead of doing the hard thing and working through our disagreements, we further separate ourselves into little groups of people who believe the same on almost everything.  However, there is a limit to this, as ultimately, there is not other person in the entire world who has the same views on everything that we do. 

So what am I not saying?  I am not saying that doctrine and theology is not important, for these things change the way we view the world. I am not saying that all Christians should unite into one denomination. Denominations often strengthen one another by challenging each other.  However, we should be willing to discuss it in a very open way and bear with each other in patience and love.  We must be careful, as we can also go to the other extreme, and not care at all about what we believe.

So in conclusion, wherever you go throughout life, and whatever other Christians you meet, remember that you are all part of the same body.