STRENGTH IN UNITY:
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
[11] And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [13] till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [14] that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [15] but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— [16] 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.
There is strength when we unite. Because of this we are encouraged by Paul to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is a great need to understand that there is only one body (church) and one Spirit, just as we were called in one hope of our calling. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all (Ephesians 4:1-6, paraphrased).
When we have an accurate understanding of these things, we will not only speak and debate about unity but we will be diligent in actively pursuing and working towards unity in the church. The church is strengthened by the unity of all its members.
Unity that is reflected by each individual effectively contributing his or her share. Unity that is not only expressed by showing up in church regularly but also effectively and faithfully contributing your share in all aspects of church life. The church can only be strong spiritually when all its members unite in effective praying. The church can only be strong financially when each member faithfully contributes their financial share effectively.
Unity, my friend, is achieved through what all of us contribute. Let’s remind ourselves again.
Ephesians 4:16 NKJV
[16] 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.
Do you get it now? Our strength, effectiveness, and progress as the body of Christ, local church, family, or organization is determined by how unitedly and effectively we each contribute our share. Beloved, let us actively work towards unity.