Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; [5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 4:3-6 KJV
Psalm 133 is one of the songs of degrees of David. These were songs of ascent or elevation that were sung as pilgrims made their ascent to worship in the house of the Lord. This Psalm speaks of the beauty of unity. It compares this beauty to the anointing oil that ran down Aarons’s head down to his beard and His skirt, the extremities. The entire body was soaked in this oil. Here, in this united state, God commanded a blessing, even life eternal. This prophecy was fulfilled in the upper room on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The disciples came together to worship God. In this state of unity, the anointing oil of gladness poured upon Jesus as David prophesied in Psalm 45, trickled down His beard to His Body (the disciples). This was the promise of the Father. They received the Holy Spirit, the very life of the Eternal God dwelt in them. The result of this was that 3000 souls received eternal life and the World was never the same.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul starts by explaining to the saints what inheritance they have IN Christ. He made it very clear that we are one IN Him and that the wall of partition was destroyed in Christ. After emphasizing these precious truths about our identity, knowing the importance of unity in the Body, he began narrowing in on relationships within the body. He spoke of relationships among brethren, then among spouses, slaves, children, etc. All these he mentioned with a goal in mind, that we come in the unity of the faith, the unity of the knowledge of God to a perfect fully mature body of Christ. The topic of unity was so important to the Lord that in his last prayer for the disciples before His death in John 17, Jesus said that the way the world will know He is the Christ, is by His body being one. This makes sense since psalm 133 shows that the oil and power keep flowing even to his garment (which is seemingly external to the body), as long as the body is united.
With all these in mind, Paul encourages us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. How? In the bond of peace and perfectness. For him to say endeavor, means it will not be easy. We are to strive after and fight for peace with brethren. David said in Psalm 34:12-14 that if we love life, seek good days and long life, we must keep our tongues from evil and deceit. We must seek peace and pursue it. This means to make an effort and make peace a pursuit. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, for they are called the Sons of God. What does this mean practically? Jesus gave us an example. Mark 11:25 says if you come before God and you have a grudge against your brother, you must leave the gift at the altar and go make amends so that both you and your gift will be accepted. Matthew 5:23 gives a different twist. It says if you notice your brother is offended because of you, you must leave the gift at the altar and go make amends. This means we cannot ignore the fact that our brethren are offended simply because we are not. Jesus says in Luke 17:1-4 that it is better for a stone to be hung around an offender as they sink down into the sea than to cause offense for someone He died for.
It is important to note that we cannot create the unity of the Spirit. We can only guard it. David speaks prophetically of the church, in Psalm 122:3, as a city that is compact (united) together. Jesus said in John 17:21-23 that He gave us His Glory that we may be one as He and the Father are one. We are simply to defend this unity. A break in the unity affects everyone, not just the offender. It breaks the free flow of the oil and power from the head. Although the apostles received so much power on the day of Pentecost, we see how the church gradually lost power as disunity crept in through the dark ages. Even though it seems the church is so divided and powerless due to the many denominations, we know that an Eklessia is already on the horizon, a remnant company. These will come together in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man, in the image and the stature of Christ, and will turn the world back to God. However, it starts with you and your decision to be a peacemaker.
Final thoughts. In the babel story of Genesis 11:1-9, men came together with an ungodly agenda to build a tower whose top would reach heaven. The more united they were, the higher they got. God recognizing the power of this union had to use a familiar war tactic, divide and conquer. Imagine the power of a union blessed by God, His Eklessia united: where there is no fight over denomination, race, gender, theology, and things separate us. There, the Lord commands a blessing, eternal life!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, We look to you for the Unity that only Christ can give in our homes, marriages, churches, friendships, and relationships. Help us to be our brother’s keepers. Help us to defend this unity you have given us. Help us to be peacemakers. You said You gave us your glory that we may be one as you are one with the Father. Restore the Glory of your Church Lord!
Scripture reading: Ephesians 4
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