4:1-6 The Unified Body of Christ Part I - Vital Christianity
4:1-6 The Unified Body of Christ Part I - Vital Christianity
4:1-6 The Unified Body of Christ Part I - Vital Christianity
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6splits.<strong>The</strong> one Spirit in our lives leads us to be one church, not a church with divisions and<strong>The</strong> one hope in <strong>Christ</strong>, the return <strong>of</strong> the Lord to take His church to heaven, is a greaterreason for unity than any disagreements which might separate us.<strong>The</strong> one Lord is the One who died, rose again and will return to take us to be with Himforever. He is the sovereign Lord who reigns supreme in our lives.One faith is the body <strong>of</strong> truth given by <strong>Christ</strong> to the church. Jude calls it “the faith oncefor all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).One baptism probably refers to the baptism <strong>of</strong> the Spirit, that act <strong>of</strong> the Spirit when heplaces the believer into the body <strong>of</strong> <strong>Christ</strong> at conversion (I Cor. 12:13). Baptism emphasizes theunity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Christ</strong>ian believers because they are baptized into one body, through one Spirit, by onefaith, in the one Lord Jesus <strong>Christ</strong>. Baptism does not guarantee this unity, but baptism signifiesthis unity in the one Lord. That is why Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “keep the unity <strong>of</strong> theSpirit through the bond <strong>of</strong> peace” (v. 3). If we do not keep the unity <strong>of</strong> the Spirit with our fellowbelievers in the body <strong>of</strong> <strong>Christ</strong>, we are contradicting what we confessed in our baptism.Our commitment to the one Lord and His church made in baptism should lead to unitydespite all temptations to divide.One God and Father speaks <strong>of</strong> God’s fatherhood and thus family to which all believersbelong. God’s purpose is to create a great family—the family <strong>of</strong> God. Jesus had prayed that Hisfollowers would be as united with each other as he was with the Father (Jn. 17:20-23).In the Old Testament, God’s family was the nation <strong>of</strong> Israel; in the New Testament it isthe <strong>Christ</strong>ian church. In the church the Spirit initiates (by regeneration) new believers into thechurch and begins to transform them into persons who love. God’s Spirit seals them so they willnot be lost, gives them gifts by which they may serve the church and so serve <strong>Christ</strong>. <strong>The</strong> Spiritguides and empowers the church on its world mission, fosters worship in the church, and alwaysreminds the church about <strong>Christ</strong>, her Head. In all <strong>of</strong> this, the Spirit is creating the church, acommunity <strong>of</strong> faith who share a common life. This is the fellowship created by the Spirit.In verse 6 Paul points to God’s sovereignty, that is, God is superior to and has power andauthority over all persons and things in the universe.
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