Wednesday September 27
The Unity of Faith
In Ephesians 4, Paul asks believers to stop doing some things and to be sure to do others. What are those things?
From Act of the Apostles pg 470.
The apostle’s desire for those to whom he addressed his letters of counsel and admonition was that they should “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine;” but that they should all come into “the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” He entreated those who were followers of Jesus in heathen communities not to walk “as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God ... because of the blindness of their heart,” but “circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time.” Ephesians 4:14, 13, 17, 18; 5:15, 16. He encouraged the believers to look forward to the time when Christ, who “loved the church, and gave Himself for it,” would “present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing”—a church “holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25, 27.
Ephesians 4 begins and ends with calls to care for each other as church members (Eph. 4:1-3, 32). Between these invitations, Paul offers strong support for the idea that we should nourish unity in the church. He begins by listing seven “ones”: There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith, one baptism, one God and Father (Eph. 4:4-6). We are bound together by these spiritual realities. We are, in fact, united.
While unity is a theological certainty, it requires our hard work.
This is certainly true when there is revival and reformation in the church. What will bring about revival and reformation so there will be unity in His church?
I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred everywhere. Nearly all believed that this message would end in the loud cry of the third angel. But as they failed to see the powerful work accomplished in a short time, many lost the effect of the message. I saw that this message would not accomplish its work in a few short months. It is designed to arouse the people of God, to discover to them their backslidings, and to lead to zealous repentance, that they may be favored with the presence of Jesus, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel. As this message affected the heart, it led to deep humility before God. Angels were sent in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts for the truth. The cause of God began to rise, and His people were acquainted with their position. If the counsel of the True Witness had been fully heeded, God would have wrought for His people in greater power. Yet the efforts made since the message has been given, have been blessed of God, and many souls have been brought from error and darkness to rejoice in the truth.
God will prove His people. Jesus bears patiently with them, and does not spew them out of His mouth in a moment. Said the angel: “God is weighing His people.” If the message had been of as short duration as many of us supposed, there would have been no time for them to develop character. Many moved from feeling, not from principle and faith, and this solemn, fearful message stirred them. It wrought upon their feelings, and excited their fears, but did not accomplish the work which God designed that it should. God reads the heart. Lest His people should be deceived in regard to themselves, He gives them time for the excitement to wear off, and then proves them to see if they will obey the counsel of the True Witness. Vol 1, Testimonies for the Church, pg 186,87.
So we should always be “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3, NKJV).
Amen! But, unless we be agreed, it will be impossible to walk together in unity of the Spirit. How does God feel about the disunity in the church? Reade what God said to Israel when there was no unity of Spirit. From Amos:
3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
3:5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [is] for him? shall [one] take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]?
5:1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, [even] a lamentation, O house of Israel.
5:2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; [there is] none to raise her up.
5:3 For thus saith the Lord GOD;The city that went out [by] a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth [by] an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
One way each of us may do so is by being an active “part” of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:7-16). Every member is a gifted part of the body and should contribute to the health of it (Eph. 4:7, 16). And all should benefit by the work of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph. 4:11, 12). These, like ligaments and tendons, have a unifying function, helping us grow up together into Christ who is the Head of the body (Eph. 4:13, 15).
At the time, Paul also told them “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14, NKJV), words that clearly suggest that the early church faced some internal struggles from “the trickery of men.”
As Paul moves toward his final appeal, to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Eph. 4:32, NKJV), he asks believers to avoid their former hard-heartedness (Eph. 4:17-24) and to avoid anger and harsh speech, substituting instead language that builds up and imparts grace (Eph. 4:25-31).
This chapter on unity is easy enough to read when things are peaceful. It is more challenging — and important — to read it when we become embroiled in some conflict. Are you remembering today to experience the unity of the body of Christ, the unity for which He died?
What are ways that we can contribute to the unity of our church, both at the local and worldwide level? Why is it important that we do what we can?
We need to first make sure we are walking in the Spirit, and the beam has been removed from our eye. Then we will hear the still small voice speaking to us as to what we are to do and when we are to do it. Why is this important? Because you may be the only one in your church that hears the Spirit and follows Him.