IF THAT SAME SPIRIT (PART TWO)

Living together as Christians has always been the desire of God, that is why Jesus prayed a prayer taht all believers may be one. When He was physically present on earth, He was always in one accord with His disciples and so, he left a legacy for them to follow. That is why as soon as he ascended into heaven, the first thing the disciple did was to stay and pray in one accord.  

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” 1 Corinthians 12:25-26.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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 4:1-7.

 Keywords in Ephesians 4:1-7  

·         The calling

·         Bearing one another in love

·         Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace

·         One body

·         One Spirit

·         One hope of calling

·         One Lord

·         One faith

·         One baptism

·         One God and father of all

One Calling: All believers are called to be sons of god and partake in his eternal purpose. We are called to be sons of God. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” 1 John 3:1.       

All holy brethren are partakers, partners and fellows in the heavenly calling. The calling is heavenly I that they will not be limited to an earthly program as all men would have been if man had not sinned; Genesis 1:27-31; Matthew 22:30; Luke 20:34-36; Hebrew 12:22-24.

As Holy Brethren, we are called to liberty – Galatians 5:13; Romans 8:2, Holiness – 2 Timothy 1:9, Ministry of reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 5;18 – 20

Bearing One Another in Love; ! Corinthians 12:25-26

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit: Endevour comes from a greek word – Spoudazo meaning to be forward, due diligence, give diligence and labour. We are to labour for unity in the body of Christ and just as the Godhead is one, the church or the body of Christ is meant to be one.

One Body: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” 1 Corinthians 12:12. The Holy Spirit is the agent that brings us into the body of Christ at the new birth. As part of this one body, no one is greater than the other, but we are expected to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:1-8

One Spirit: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:13.

As members of the body of Christ, we drink of the same Spirit.    

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” Ephesians 5:18-21.

Drinking of the Spirit is the same as partaking of His power.

One Hope of Calling: The Hope of Christian calling is the hope of resurrection;

“Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

The resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead is a proof that believers who follow His teachings will rise on the day of resurrection. But equal opportunity is given to all to experience this one hope of resurrection.     

No matter where we function in the body of Christ, there is one hope we all look forward to and it is the experience of the resurrection of the body and be with God in eternity.

One Lord: Every believer bears the name of the Lord. One of the Hebrew names for Lord is Adon and it means Lord, Sovereign, Master and Owner.

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” 1 Corithians 8:6.  

All believers belong to one Lord Jesus Christ, so there is no place for discrimination in the body of Christ.

One Faith: It is the same word of faith that brings us into the body of Christ. It is one word, same word of God. This same word keeps us standing in the salvation which has been given to us by the precious blood of Jesus. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” Romans 10:8-9.    

By the same word of faith, we are made equal before God in Christ and no one is greater than the other.

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” Romans 10:12.

“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” Colossians 3:10-11

Those that give their lives to Jesus and are born again put on the new man and is the same in all that surrender to Him. So there is not distinction made in rights and privileges because of race, sex, colour or position in life.

One Baptism: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” Galatians 3:26-29.

The element every believer is baptized into is Jesus Christ and its baptism into His body (the church). By one and same Spirit are we baptized with the same baptism into the body of Christ; 1 Corinthians 12:13. We are co-partakers. Baptism makes us put on Christ together. To put on Christ is to be clothes with Him.

All that are baptized into Christ are one in Him; whether races, classes, sexes and positions. We have equal rights and privileges regarding gospel benefits.

By baptism into Christ, the gulf between Jews and Gentiles, Slaves and Masters, Male and Female has been bridged by Jesus and His gospel.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” Ephesians 2:18-22.

So, by baptism, all believers;

1.       Are children of the same God

2.       Are baptized into the same Christ

3.       Have put on the same Christ

4.       Are equal and one in Christ

5.       Belong to the same Christ

6.       Are Abraham’s spiritual seed

7.       Are heirs of promise

One God and Father of all: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” 1 Corinthians 8:6.

All believers, no matter how gifted they may be, have workings and operations under the same control of the same God who is the head of all. No matter how gifted some of us may be, we must remember that it came from the same God and we all answer to the same God.

In the body of Christ, no one is bigger than the other; “And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” 1 Corinthians 12:6. See also, 1Timothy 2:5-6     

Prayer:

Lord help the body of Christ in my community, region and country to be in one accord in the NAME OF JESUS. Amen.