Articles
We Are One in Christ
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:1-6)
The first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians describe this “calling” with which we have been called. Specifically, God has called us out of being dead in sin in order to make us alive (Eph 2:1-10), and has called us out of being estranged from his people to becoming one body with them (Eph 2:11-22). Since we have been called in Christ Jesus to participate in the great spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3-14), it is imperative that we walk in a manner that is worthy of that calling (Eph 4:1). “Walking” does not refer to the movement of the feet, but to the way we live our lives. We formerly walked in darkness (2:2) but we must now walk in good works (2:10).
Of course, “walking worthily” is not a standard that we will ever truly attain to this side of eternity. No one will ever be truly “worthy” of God’s calling. However, Paul sees walking worthy as a goal to nonetheless strive for. We need to continue “course-correcting” ourselves and being the “workmanship” that God created us to be (Eph 2:10). This is not something we were meant to do by ourselves. Christians do not live in a vacuum. When God saved us, he added us to a congregation—a community of believers who can help us, encourage us, and strengthen us on the path of life. We will not meet everyone in this congregation in our lifetime. But we are nonetheless a part of this singular group of all the saved. It is a group which compels us towards humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love. It is a group that is eager and zealous for maintaining unity and peace.
In this brief passage in Ephesians 4, Paul lists seven “ones” that define what this group is all about:
One body: This is the group of Jews and Gentiles that have been reconciled together towards God (Eph 2:11-22). It is sometimes referred to as the “church.” It is not a single local congregation (since there are clearly far more than one of those!) Rather, it is a heavenly congregation, being built up and constructed even now until the great day when we are brought together.
One Spirit: This is the Holy Spirit, who dwells in every Christian. Though he has given a variety of gifts throughout history, he is nonetheless the same Spirit who dwells in every believer from that age until now.
One hope: This is the hope we have of “heaven”—of being with God, being raised from the dead, enjoying eternity in his presence forever. It is a hope that binds all Christians together.
One Lord: “Lord” in Paul’s writings is often specifically a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Lord” was often a title in those days for the Roman emperor. However, Paul’s statement that there is “one Lord” makes it clear that the Roman’s rule over the world is ultimately a sham. Jesus is Lord, and Caesar is not.
One faith: This could mean several things: either faith as a body of doctrinal teachings, the faithfulness of Christ, or the actual act of saving trust. The lattermost is the predominant meaning of “faith” in this letter (Eph 1:15; 2:8; 3:12, 17; 6:16). Just as we are unified together in the future by our one hope, we are unified in the present now by our one faith in Christ and his resurrection.
One baptism: This is a reference to our immersion into Christ and into the Spirit. When we were submerged in water for the forgiveness of our sins, we put on Christ and his Spirit. Every true Christian is brought to Christ in this way. Hence, Paul sees “one baptism” as an experience that likewise unites every Christian together.
One God and Father: Rounding out his remarks about “One Spirit” and “One Lord” is a reference to the one “Father.”
These seven things not only unify us as Christians together, but also set us apart from the rest of the world that is not Christians. We all have the same faith, but they do not. We all have the same hope, but they do not. We all worship the same God, Lord, and Spirit, but they do not. And we are all part of the same body, but they are not. If ever we turn against one another and bite one another and devour one another, it is inevitably because we have lost focus on one or more of these truths. Infighting means we have been distracted from our faith or our hope or our God.
May God help us to ever strive to be one in Christ Jesus!
