ONE = UNITY
Paul makes this unifying statement in Ephesians 4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6 NAU). In verse 3 Paul urged that we “preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
We are already unified. But how? Some are in that organization or church group and some are in this. But we all have ONE God and Father who is over all, in all and through all!
What if a husband and wife had 8 children? Suppose the children all grew to maturity when the parents died. All the siblings fought over the inheritance and split apart with anger and hostility not speaking to one another and not ever seeing one another. Are they still blood relatives? Do they have the same DNA? Did they all come from the same father and mother? No matter how many miles separated them or how many issues divided them, they are still all members of the same (one) family. That is a fact.
So how could Paul make the statement that we are unified and we need to preserve it? He already knew from the other apostles about the unity of Christ and the Father. And because God the Father and Jesus Christ are one (John 10:30), this unity becomes the basis of our unity with them: “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3 NAU). This is the basis of our fellowship with each other. It makes us one (John 17:11). Remember that the Son does the will of the Father (John 4:34) and has received the powers even of judgment.
The Son obeys the Father's will and has received a command from the Father that concerns His death and resurrection and He willingly lays down His own life (John 10:18). Because the Son obeys we must realize that to remain in Jesus or in the Father we also must be obedient in a spirit of love. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love (John 15:10 NAS).
Loving one another is the way to remain in His love. “No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12 NAS). Also we read, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” 1 John 4:16 NAU).
When we are unified with God and His Son we bear fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Being in unity with God and His Son also helps us to escape the pollutions of the world and its lusts. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (I John 2:16-17 NAS).
It is the unity of the Father and Son and our unity with them that prevents anyone or anything from snatching us away from their love. “For I am convinced that neither death, no life, no angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, no height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NAS).
God's love is in Christ and expressed through Christ. When we are in unity with them we abide in His love. Thus we abide in both the Father and the Son. And as long as we choose to abide in the Father and the Son no person or power can take us away from them. This is true of each one of us individually and it is true of all of us (the Body of Christ) collectively! That’s why the gates of Hades cannot prevail against Christ’s church!
Praise be to God for the unity we have in the Father and the Son and for the everlasting love and commitment to us.
--- David L. Antion for Guardian Ministries
We are already unified. But how? Some are in that organization or church group and some are in this. But we all have ONE God and Father who is over all, in all and through all!
What if a husband and wife had 8 children? Suppose the children all grew to maturity when the parents died. All the siblings fought over the inheritance and split apart with anger and hostility not speaking to one another and not ever seeing one another. Are they still blood relatives? Do they have the same DNA? Did they all come from the same father and mother? No matter how many miles separated them or how many issues divided them, they are still all members of the same (one) family. That is a fact.
So how could Paul make the statement that we are unified and we need to preserve it? He already knew from the other apostles about the unity of Christ and the Father. And because God the Father and Jesus Christ are one (John 10:30), this unity becomes the basis of our unity with them: “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3 NAU). This is the basis of our fellowship with each other. It makes us one (John 17:11). Remember that the Son does the will of the Father (John 4:34) and has received the powers even of judgment.
The Son obeys the Father's will and has received a command from the Father that concerns His death and resurrection and He willingly lays down His own life (John 10:18). Because the Son obeys we must realize that to remain in Jesus or in the Father we also must be obedient in a spirit of love. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love (John 15:10 NAS).
Loving one another is the way to remain in His love. “No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12 NAS). Also we read, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” 1 John 4:16 NAU).
When we are unified with God and His Son we bear fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Being in unity with God and His Son also helps us to escape the pollutions of the world and its lusts. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (I John 2:16-17 NAS).
It is the unity of the Father and Son and our unity with them that prevents anyone or anything from snatching us away from their love. “For I am convinced that neither death, no life, no angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, no height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NAS).
God's love is in Christ and expressed through Christ. When we are in unity with them we abide in His love. Thus we abide in both the Father and the Son. And as long as we choose to abide in the Father and the Son no person or power can take us away from them. This is true of each one of us individually and it is true of all of us (the Body of Christ) collectively! That’s why the gates of Hades cannot prevail against Christ’s church!
Praise be to God for the unity we have in the Father and the Son and for the everlasting love and commitment to us.
--- David L. Antion for Guardian Ministries
posted by guardianministries at
5:01 PM
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