God's unity: It's a lifestyle matter
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Straight to the Cross
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COLUMN: HANDS-ON FAITH
God's unity: It's a lifestyle matter
by Barry Newton
tinyurl.com/aq76jnc
Having read how Jesus prayed for all of his followers
to be one, perhaps the idea of unity causes our minds
to glide into the rut of only reflecting upon the
fractured state of Christendom.
While in his prayer Jesus focused upon a unified
fellowship of disciples, Paul would later developed
another dimension of unity– how we live each day.
In the early chapters of Ephesians, Paul outlined God's
foundation for unity. Jesus, through his faithful
response of dying upon the cross, not only released
God's power to resolve our spiritual alienation from
God, but also enabled God to join together both Jew and
Gentile within Christ's body, the church.
We should not be surprised then that for Christians to
live worthily of their calling entails "making every
effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (Ephesians 4:1,2 NET).
The Christian is to avoid undoing God's work of heading
up everything in heaven and on earth in Christ.
What may shock us is how Paul guides Christians to
maintain this unity of the Spirit. Instead of rolling
up his sleeves to discuss how we ought to be at work
bringing together a fractured fellowship of Christ,
Paul's focus throughout the remainder of this letter
involves outlining how believers must live each day!
Paul seems to insist that we understand that in order
for us to maintain unity we must engage in the
practical work of "putting on the new man who has been
created in God's image – in righteousness and holiness
that comes from truth" (Ephesians 4:24).
We are, after all, God's workmanship in Christ and
God's new creation is not to be dismantled (Ephesians
2:10).
The sin that destroys God's unifying work of bringing
humanity close to himself and joining together people
must be rejected. The Christian should "not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day
of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).
Lies are to be ejected. Stealing must be laid aside.
Unwholesome words are not to leak from one's mouth.
Each day the Christian is called to live in a manner
that preserves the holiness, fellowship and workmanship
that God has created.
When we arise each morning, what mindset typically
governs our day? The grind of work? The routine with
the kids? Schedules? Bills? Personalities we must
encounter?
How often have we started a new day realizing that each
moment presents the crossroads of either maintaining
God's efforts to unite all things in Christ or
conversely grieving the Spirit through our sin?
Lived in this manner, life becomes radically
transformed. Work is not simply work. A conversation is
not simply chatting. Rather, each mundane moment
provides the opportunity to participate in God's
purpose of maintaining his unity.
What a wonderful calling!
Unity is not just something for preachers to think
about. It should be the daily concern of every
Christian.
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