God Calls Us Who Were Far Off to Be Brought Near by Christ’s Blood

Become One

(Ephesians 2:11-13)

At a time when slaves and free people, men and women, Greeks and barbarians, and Jews and Gentiles rejected each other, uniting the Ephesian church was truly difficult. Nevertheless, Paul appealed to the believers to become one.

1. The Reason to Become One
We once lived in sin, following the desires of our flesh, but through Christ’s sacrifice, we threw off the dominion of sin. Therefore, we must now throw off our former lives which was driven by the desires of the flesh. We need to discard the old self – which ignored, rejected, and hated others for personal gain. The wall separating us and God has fallen, so now we should live harmoniously with those who God loves and uses.

2. The Factor Hindering Becoming One
God is one, and His will is one. Yet different ideas and divisions appear among those who claim to dwell in God due to human sinfulness. Human sinfulness endlessly operates via the engine of selfishness. It is so powerful that it predictably distorts even God’s will and then seduces people’s hearts. Consequently, the church experiences conflicts, divisions – and in severe cases – falls apart.

3. The Effort to Become One
God entrusts those who are saved to become members of the church, so that they can accomplish the communal mission. We are soldiers engaged in spiritual warfare. To win this war, the entire church must move cohesively like an army. For our one goal, everyone must set aside their individual thoughts and must continuously be educated and trained. We should obey the word, emulate the Lord, and sometimes heed admonition from the pastor. Such efforts will ultimately thwart the devil’s plans. Let us not lose hope until the day we enter heaven. Let us not be swayed by worldly trends, but hold steadfast to the new life God graciously gave us.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim