The Unity of the Church
(Ephesians 4:3)
The unity of the church is not man-made. It has already been provided to us by the Holy Spirit. The very existence of the church is impossible without unity. This unity is of a completely different level than the unity spoken of by the world. It is the unity that originally exists between God and His Son, now given to the church by the Holy Spirit.
1. The Bond of Peace
How does the Holy Spirit unify the church? It does so by binding saints with the bond of peace. Breaking peace is a sin. Because of sin, discord arose between God and humans, and conflicts arose between human and human. Particularly, Jews and Gentiles could never be irreconcilable, yet through the merits of the cross, a new humanity emerged – neither Jew nor Gentile. These individuals have been reconciled with God and have no further need to engage in conflicts with others.
2. Seeds of Division
However, within the church, individuals who exploit selfishness can be found. The Peace that should govern the church is broken by them, and seeds of division appear everywhere. Those who have been redeemed and granted a new life ought to follow the path of this new life. Yet, these individuals surrender themselves to the worldly ways they are accustomed to. Most concerning of all is these elements of disbelief can easily contaminate others, leading to increased conflicts and struggles within the church as their numbers grow.
3. Diligently Preserve Unity
If a saint practices longsuffering and tolerance in love, it signifies through their actions an acknowledgment that they were saved by God’s longsuffering. Our desire and ability to live this way are because God has loved us, and He is cultivating His unique love within us. Just as God has loved us unconditionally, let us love the Lord’s people without any reason. As God waits for our repentance with longsuffering, let us fulfill His work with longsuffering.
March 17, 2024
Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim
