Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Our opening verse tells us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It says to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit. What does ‘endeavour’ mean in the context of keeping the unity of the Spirit? ‘Endeavour’, here, means to make every effort hastily, which connotes two things: diligence and promptness. Evidently, the unity of the Spirit must be very important to God and to our wellbeing for God to have said to be diligent and prompt in keeping it. What then is the unity of the Spirit? It is the unity of the Church given to us by the Spirit in the binding or cementing atmosphere of peace with each other, which means that we are walking in love towards each other, not taking offence, not walking in strife or bitterness, and forgiving one another in love. The unity of the Spirit is the state of full expression of God in any local assembly and in the body of Christ at large. The fullness of God dwells in the unity of the Spirit. You never can imagine what the Lord can and will do in the unity of the Spirit. Hallelujah!!!
The Christian life is a communal life, a family life. It’s a life of togetherness among the brethren. When we got born again, we got baptized into the body of Christ; we came into union with Christ Jesus and everyone who believes in Him. We are family in Christ, and so God expects us to live in harmony, in sync, in love, in peace, without strife, and without breaking ranks. That’s the unity of the Spirit. God expects that we do things considering the brethren first, not ourselves. Romans 12:10 says, “…in honour preferring one another”. In other words, you don’t do things just in your own interest. Whatever you do must be in the interest of the community of Christians; the body of Christ. You must recognize that as a Christian, the life you live is much more than a personal one. Your life in Christ is the Christ-life that runs in His body, the body of believers. Hence, our life is Christ-life lived and expressed in the Church, the body of Christ. Now we understand that Christ is more than an individual; it’s a body of people that are born again, the Church. You remember in Acts 9 when Jesus appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus, He asked why he was persecuting Him; but Saul was persecuting the Church of Christ. Christ and the Church are one and inseparable. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Peace is the bond of unity with the body of Christ, the Church; and that’s what it takes to keep the unity of the Spirit. Amen!
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that I endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit amongst the company of believers. My thoughts, words and actions are at all times tempered with the love of God and due consideration for the wellbeing of my brothers and sisters. Amen.
Further Meditation:
Colossians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 1:10