SESSION 2 CONNECTED IN UNITY EPHESIANS 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Paul never said maintaining unity in the church would be easy. In fact, he anticipated it would be difficult. He emphasized the importance of hard work in verse 3. ENDEAVOURING conveys the necessity of striving with determination to overcome obstacles for the sake of unity. While we can decide to strive for unity based on our own will and initiative, we cant follow through on that decision if we are fueled solely by our own strength. We need the power of Gods Spirit living within us to enable us to consistently respond to others with gentleness and humility. The Spirit helps us to bear patiently with others faults and forgive when we are wronged. Only as we live in daily submission to Gods Spirit can we bear the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance (Gal.5:22-23) in our relationships with others. The Spirit makes us one, and the Spirit empowers us to maintain unity by guiding us to think and act like Jesus. Therefore, by staying attuned to the Spirit, we remain in tune with one another. A.W. Tozers quote [Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.] reminds us that, as worshipers look to Christ, they are in heart nearer to each other than they could be if they worked in their own power to generate unity. Moreover; when were controlled by the Spirit, we avoid actions and attitudes that creep into the church and destroy unity. Think about gossip, for example. People often joke about catching up on the latest gossip as if the idea represents a harmless pleasure. But the Bible is clear about the harm brought by gossip. In Romans 1:29-31, Paul listed whisperers on the same level with sins such as hating God, deceit, envy, and murder! Unforgiveness is another enemy of church unity. Holding on to hurt feelings until they grow into bitterness is like nursing cancerous cells in the body of Christ. members become angry with their pastor and church staff. They nurture anger at one another. Refusing to let go of anger is a sure way to create divisions and sow discord. Paul urged the Ephesians to deal with their anger promptly before it could produce sin (Eph. 4:26). Forgiveness isnt easy. It may require us to let go of resentment over and over, every time anger rears its ugly head. But those who truly comprehend the depth of their own sins and the wonder of Gods grace do not withhold forgiveness from others. Gossip and unforgiveness are just two examples of actions that remove the bond of peace. The common denominator of those and other actions that interrupt unity in the church is selfishness. The desire to get the upper hand runs counter to the work of the Holy Spirit. It takes work to put aside our own interests to serve others. Unity requires that we be diligent about living in the peace given to the church through the presence of the Spirit.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:29:38 +0000
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