As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6
In my last post I shared my thoughts on the tragedy of congregational disunity in light of Jesus’ expressed desire that His followers be one. Now I want to address what creates unity among believers based on Paul’s strong admonition in Ephesians 4.
Here Paul reinforces this all important theme which is seen in many of his letters. Unless a church is together as one, it will fail. The greatest buildings, programs, and leadership cannot overcome a lack of unity. So Paul literally pleads with the Ephesian church to have oneness. Such a thing is a part of being committed to Christ. It reflects the unity in the Christian life as is demonstrated in the oneness of God. And because it’s so central to the will of God for a church, Paul lists for us the ingredients of true church unity.
Humility
Humility empowers us to recognize our weaknesses and limitations and that we do not always know what is best. It also encourages us to admit when we’re wrong and have joy when others receive praise. Ultimately, it means that we need to hold others higher than ourselves.
Such a humility is a powerful antidote to the poison of pride which is a killer of congregational unity. Gone are the power plays and manipulations that flow from an overly inflated ego. In its place is a healthy willingness to get off of our high horse for the sake of others.
Gentleness
Oh, the value of a gentle spirit. Such a person avoids harshness in tone and the use of hurting words. Gentle people also take into account the feelings of others, so they avoid doing things that are humiliating or belittling. They treat people with respect. This would include not only our verbal interactions with others but also our communications on social media and elsewhere.
Sadly, there is a tendency among Christians today to believe that being faithful to their convictions requires an acid tongue. Sarcasm, ridicule, and dismissive words are used to put down the opposition. Such should never be the way Christians communicate in general and especially to one another.
Patience
Patience understands the weakness of the human will. It recognizes that just because I treat others well doesn’t mean that they are going to treat me well in return. Patience sees the Christian life as a development of faith. It understands that sometimes people fall down. Sometimes they will disappoint us. Sometimes they will not meet our expectations. Nevertheless, we do not abandon them.
Part of the motivation for such a patience comes from a recognition of how patient the Lord is with us when we miss the mark. The more we can appreciate the longsuffering approach our Lord takes with us, the better we will be able to offer a similar approach to others.
Forbearance
Forbearance has to do with consistency in the face of struggle and difficulty. It means that my response to others will be the same regardless of their response to me. I do not operate out of feelings but out of a commitment to be consistent with my claims to faith. I do what’s right because it is what’s right.
Like patience, there is an element of suffering that is experienced when we are forbearing toward others. Rather than lashing out or evening the score, forbearing people assume the impact of the weaknesses of others. It is the extension of unmerited favor granted to others as a reflection of the grace we have received from the Lord.
Love
With self in subjection, we are called to love by seeking the best for others. Whether they ever return the favor or not, we desire good for those around us. We take on the mind of Christ who loved us even when we did not love Him. Let us be reminded that such a love is not merely an attitude of goodwill toward others. It is an action. We treat others with a God-like kind of love which empowers all of the other unifying ingredients we have examined.
Note these unifying traits again: humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love. These things are basic Christian virtues. Unless they are being demonstrated in our lives, we will have a hard time serving with effectiveness. It makes no difference how much Bible we know, how enthusiastic our commitment is, or how correct our theology may be. If these characteristics are weak, our church will be weak and ineffective.
But if we will cooperative with the Spirit who seeks to transform us into the image of Christ, we will find that we are conduits of the Spirit’s work in the body of Christ helping it to develop these same traits. The result is more congregational unity which will enliven our witness to the world around us.