The Unity of Spirit

Mark Dunagan
10/23/16 - Sunday Morning

The Unity of Spirit

"Just like every parent, our heavenly Father enjoys watching His children get along with each other… conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues… Sometimes you will have to do what ‘s best for the Body, not yourself, showing preference to others. That’s one reason God puts us into a church- to learn unselfishness… Yet we must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections. Longing for the ideal while criticizing the real is evidence of immaturity. On the other hand, settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency. We must remember that it was God who chose to give us different personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value and enjoy those differences, not merely tolerate them". Rick Warren

God says we should endeavor “…to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Rather than a "believe anything you want, no questions asked" brand of peace and tolerance, this authentic unity of the Spirit is the type of unity taught by the Holy Spirit. It is a divine unity based upon beautiful spiritual attitudes, godly behavior and sound doctrine (4:1-6), a harmony that only the Holy Spirit can create, for even at creation, He has laid down all the parameters and ground rules for peace and unity.  

A Time To Really Listen

All of us need to pay attention to how God does unity for many of us grew up in the world or in families or extended families that practiced a very unhealthy kind of relating to one another. Thus Paul tells Timothy, “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). Much like Ephesians 4:1-6, the conduct under consideration includes both following correct doctrine (4:13) and maintaining godly attitudes (1 Timothy 4:12).

Honesty/Speaking the Truth

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another’” (Ephesians 4:25). “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Clearly, honesty does not give me the right to say any hurtful thing I want or any unbridled thought that passes through my mind. This honesty is not license for crudeness, rudeness or a lack of respect. The truth is to be spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15). Proverbs 12:18 “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health”. The truth should never be used in the self attempt to get back at our in vengeance, hurt someone.  

“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity” (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Treat and speak to other Christians as you would cherished family members. When we talk, and especially when we must correct, we best do so in the same humble, gentle, yet direct manner one would do in a loving home.  “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentles” (Galatians 6:1).

Endeavoring/In the Bond of Peace

Real and genuine fellowship, the sort that God endorses and approves, takes work from each one of us. An awareness of what threatens the bond of peace, and when we are, or are not, walking in a manner worthy (Ephesians 4:1), and when we are, or are not, being spiritual (Galatians 6:1) demands being honest enough with ourselves to admit that someone is in spiritual danger and needs our help.

“You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it… Better devastation and embarrassment than damnation… You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that… you should not act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, if flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. I’m not responsible for what outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within the community of believers?” (1 Corinthians 5:3-12, The Message).

Humility

“With all lowliness and gentleness” (Ephesians 4:2). Note the emphasis on all. Such unity will surely take a good dose of humility. Not thinking that we are worthless, but simply having an accurate view of ourselves, our talents and flaws, and the talents of others as well. It is thinking of ourselves less, so we have more time to think about the needs of others (Philippians 2:3-5). Why is humility so very essential?

• For starters, we are all more effective servants when we are thinking less of ourselves, our own needs and our own schedule. When I am really caught up in how busy I am, how stressed I am, and so on, I just don’t have the motivation to care about anyone else.I start lying to myself and convincing myself that my needs take precedence over everyone else.
• The humble admit their own flaws. Unity is easier when it involves people who are very honest about themselves. For we will continue to work on ourselves when we are humble and such effort will only generate a greater appreciation for each other.It also will make any confrontation far more successful. When someone tries to help me I am far more likely to listen to them when they have already been honesty about their own failures.

Courtesy

“And gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).

When it comes to sin and error that is persisted in, for the good of the one in sin, we cannot afford to be longsuffering. Something must be done (Matthew 18:15-17). Thus, longsuffering or courtesy and patience often will involve not making a big deal about the morally neutral differences in others that might not be what I like or prefer, or that I might find annoying. It is easier to be patient with imperfect people when I remember my own imperfections. So I remember:

• What makes me different or unique most like annoys someone.
• Differences sometimes make life interesting.
• Their differences may actually be strengths and talents that the church will somehow need.
• No one is going to lose their soul over such quirks or differences, so why not instead be bothered only by the things that "bother" God?

Frequency

“From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).

• “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine” (Acts 2:42).
• “For a whole year they assembled with the church” (Acts 11:26).
• “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as if the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

“You must have frequent, regular contact with your group in order to build genuine fellowship. Relationships take time. Community is built not on convenience (‘we’ll get together when I feel like it’) but on conviction that I need it for spiritual health” (The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, p. 150). All the above passages speak of something that was a habit for the early Christians. And needless to say, a habit is something that a person does frequently.  Without this habit how could things like the following invaluable accomplishments have ever happened?

• Taking care of their own needy: Acts 2:44
• Not falling apart when persecution hit: Acts 8:4
• Taking the gospel to the entire Roman Empire in less than 30 years (Colossians 1:23; Acts 1:8).

Loving and Patient

“Bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). When one confides in me, I honor their privacy. I do not downplay or ignore another's doubts, but instead seek to help him or her see the answer in the word of God. So while it's only natural that the wicked do not feel safe around us, yet we do want the sincere and those who love the truth to feel absolutely safe seeking our help.   

 

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net