A Reality to Remember...

... in every thorny, necessary, beautiful conversation involving significant disagreement within the Body of Christ:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Ephesians 4:1-6


What a remarkable hymn to Christian unity.

And how much more remarkable when apprehended as a whole!

How mutually informative the seven unities become!

one body
one Spirit
one hope
one Lord
one faith
one baptism
one God and Father

How central the life of the Trinity in the life of the Body!

How exhaustive and all encompassing the presence of God in his people!

of all
above all
through all
in all

To Him be the glory, both now and forever, Amen!

2 comments:

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

What can I say, but "Amen!"

Do you have the "Brother to Brother" CD by Michael Card and John Michael Talbot. I love when they sing this together.

Unknown said...

A reality to remember. Your comment on this being a reality struck me. I think I find myself often seeing this as a goal; however, the unity is already there in our confession of the Unified God.

We have been through many "thorny, necessary, beautiful" conversations with our friends and family and, you are right, they are significant and need to be sorted through. However, we have realized the unity and understanding of our close friends and family as most have truely continued to embrace us and walk beside us.

I attended Calvary Chapel yesterday with my mother-in-law and I spent time pondering works vs. grace and realizing again that the differences we might have does not affect the grace that their church receives or the unity that is greater than the differences.

Janine: I was singing this song in my mind and then I read your comment.