The Church Is The Unity Of The Spirit
"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians four is the conclusion of the lessons taught in the first three chapters, namely, (1) that "all things" have been summed up in Christ; (2) "in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;" (3) all things have been "wrought. in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places;" (4) "and He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that Meth all in all;" (5) that the Gentiles and the Jews had been made "one new man" in Christ; (6) that they (Gentiles) were "fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers" of the promise in Christ Jesus though the gospel;" (7) to the end that "unto Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen."
From all this we see that the unity of the Spirit thus established was the end result of the wisdom and planning of God and the sacrifice and suffering of Christ. The church of Christ is the result of the gospel, which is the result of the inspired teaching of the apostles, which is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit, which is the result of the ascension of Christ into Heaven, which is the result of His resurrection from the dead, which is the result of His sacrifice upon the cross, which is the result of His faithful obedience, which is the result of His being born into the world, which is the result of the love of God and the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, which was the result of his faith. All of these events bringing forth that which God "purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." We see the church representing the great and magnificent accomplishment of God. Hence God is glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus. The church is to glorify God in its very existence and of necessity, through its work.
The unity of the Spirit would have to be the church in-so far as a representation of that unity is concerned. We understand then the concern expressed by the apostle when he urges us to keep the unity of the Spirit. He meant for us to seek to maintain that unity between man that had been established by all concerned in the past. It would be inconsiderate on our part, to say the least, if we should do otherwise. To minimize the importance of the church is to reflect upon the wisdom of God, the sacrifice of Christ, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to say nothing of the work of the inspired men of all ages.
But the church can only be and represent the unity established by the wisdom of God when it is maintained in the same fashion in which it was established. How could we conclude that the church can be any different in its existence than it was in its establishment? If it was established in the wisdom of God shouldn't it be maintained in the same wisdom? How say some that the church can engage in those things not revealed in the wisdom of God which is the inspired word (I Corinthians 2:6-16)? How could we bear to degrade and defile that which was purchased with the blood of the only begotten of the Father by lowering it into the mire and quicksand of human wisdom and design? Yet, apparently many brethren do not consider the church of much importance nor worthy of much respect. I see all manner of practices labeled "church of Christ" which would indicate that the church endorses such. If it was God's good pleasure to bless us with "all spiritual blessings in Christ" the end result of which is the church, doesn't it follow that the work of the church should be preeminently spiritual? And if work of the church is spiritual, then why promote through the church that which is carnal and physical? Such things as "church kitchens," "fellowship halls," "youth fellowships," "youth camps," "church-supported benevolent institutions," etc., do not reflect the wisdom of God but rather the appetites of men.
The true and only church stands as a tribute to the manifold wisdom of God and the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we are to keep the unity thus established we must realize in our minds and exemplify in our works a profound respect for that wisdom and that sacrifice. This is basic to scriptural unity. When each individual is "walking in the light" and each congregation is giving the proper allegiance to the Head, Christ, then the unity of the Spirit is being kept. But it takes concentrated effort on the part of each member of the body. Effort centered upon and guided by the infallible guide, the word of God.
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