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April 26 – Ephesians 4:2-3
Ephesians 4:2-3
Three centuries ago John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” Oh how true that is. There really is no such thing as an independent Christian or an independent ministry. We belong to each other. We need each other. We affect each other and even if we don’t get along with each other, we are still in the Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to get along with each other. I think it’s possible for Christians to disagree without being disagreeable. This is what Paul writes about in Ephesians chapter 4:1-3. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling to which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with all longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Now we don’t manufacture spiritual unity. He didn’t say, “endeavoring to make the unity of the Spirit.” That word “keep” means to maintain, not manufacture. There is already a spiritual unity. There’s only one Savior, there’s only one heaven. Oh we may disagree on some interpretations of things in the Bible, but if we’re in the family of God, we belong to the Father, we’re saved by the Son, we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit. There is already a unity of the Spirit.
Now my task is to endeavor to be zealous, to be eager to maintain that unity. To be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.” Are you a troublemaker today or a peacemaker? Are you a part of the answer or a part of the problem? All depends on our attitude! Is there lowliness or do we want to stand up to our rights? Is there meekness? (Which is not weakness, it’s just simply power under control.) Is there longsuffering? Do we forbear one another in love? “I can’t stand one more day with him or with her!” Forbearing one another in love. You see the attitude determines the action. And the motive determines the attitude. Now if your motive is to be right and to have your own way, you’re going to go through this day causing trouble. But if your motive is to glorify God and bring unity to God’s people, you’ll be a part of the answer, not a part of the problem.
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By Back to the BibleEphesians 4:2-3
Three centuries ago John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.” Oh how true that is. There really is no such thing as an independent Christian or an independent ministry. We belong to each other. We need each other. We affect each other and even if we don’t get along with each other, we are still in the Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to get along with each other. I think it’s possible for Christians to disagree without being disagreeable. This is what Paul writes about in Ephesians chapter 4:1-3. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling to which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with all longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Now we don’t manufacture spiritual unity. He didn’t say, “endeavoring to make the unity of the Spirit.” That word “keep” means to maintain, not manufacture. There is already a spiritual unity. There’s only one Savior, there’s only one heaven. Oh we may disagree on some interpretations of things in the Bible, but if we’re in the family of God, we belong to the Father, we’re saved by the Son, we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit. There is already a unity of the Spirit.
Now my task is to endeavor to be zealous, to be eager to maintain that unity. To be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.” Are you a troublemaker today or a peacemaker? Are you a part of the answer or a part of the problem? All depends on our attitude! Is there lowliness or do we want to stand up to our rights? Is there meekness? (Which is not weakness, it’s just simply power under control.) Is there longsuffering? Do we forbear one another in love? “I can’t stand one more day with him or with her!” Forbearing one another in love. You see the attitude determines the action. And the motive determines the attitude. Now if your motive is to be right and to have your own way, you’re going to go through this day causing trouble. But if your motive is to glorify God and bring unity to God’s people, you’ll be a part of the answer, not a part of the problem.