Ephesians 4:3-6 Unity

...being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 The Church is called to unity. This isn't the "unity" that some would preach: that all religions are right, there is no wrong, and it doesn't matter what you believe. To the natural mind, that sounds very high-minded and fair. Some would think that it is wisdom. But it is false teaching.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." [John 14:6 NASB]. And the apostle Peter preached, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12 NASB].

If you will call yourself a Christian, you must believe that the grace of God through faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation.

Unity implies agreement. Of course, there will be differences in opinions, personalities, ministries, financial situations, lifestyles, jobs and so on. But about the basic beliefs of the faith there should be agreement.

There is one triune God, who is manifest as God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not three gods, but one God.

The state of the natural man is that he is fallen. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:23 NASB].

We can do nothing to earn our salvation; it is God's gift to to those who believe. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" [Ephesians 2:8 NASB]

And, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." [Romans 10:9-10 NASB]

We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that one day He will return and gather the living saints to Himself. “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven." [Mark 13:26-27 NASB]. And "He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." [Revelation 22:20 NASB]

Somehow, we in the Church have let peripheral ideas divide us. Paul says in today's passage that there is "one faith, one baptism". He uses the example of baptism. In Paul's time the practice had started wherein people would baptize in the name of their favorite evangelist or apostle. So one would be baptized in the name of Paul, another in the name of Apollos, another in the name of Peter (1 Corinthians 1:12). These were foreshadows of today's many different denominations.

Some churches baptize infants, others do not. Some baptize by sprinkling and others by immersion. Some churches don't recognize the baptism performed by other churches, and require that you be baptized in their church before you can be a member and take communion. Baptism is only one example of division in the body of Christ.

Just as Paul condemned the divisions in his day, I am sure that Jesus mourns the divisions in today's Church.

I am not an influential person. I have no expectation that what I write here will influence denominational leaders, and heal divisions, and bring about unity in the Church.

I can't influence the world, but perhaps I can have some influence in my small part of it. I am acquainted with Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, and "non-denominationers". We all have our differences. I can choose to let those differences separate me from them, or I can seek unity and acceptance in knowing that we all believe in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of the throne of the Father.

In the end, differences in worship style and understanding of scriptures regarding gifts of the spirit, or the timing of the Rapture will be sorted out by God. That doesn't mean ignoring truth. Study and be convinced in you own mind what it is that you believe. Know why you believe it. Stand by your convictions, but be willing to be taught. There have been times in my life when I was convinced I was right about some belief. But a fresh understanding of Scripture, either through self-study or someone else's teaching caused me to change my mind. I am still learning.

You don't have to convince another Christian that your way is right, and his is wrong. The more confident you are in your own belief, the more you are able to accept another where they are.