One, Only One

Ephesians 4
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  Ephesians 4:4


LET IT GLOW

Just as there is only one me and only one you, there is only one God, the true, real,  and living God. Some people worship many gods, as in Paul's day when he preached to the people at Athens in Acts 17. There were many gods worshipped by the Greeks and Romans. These were but gods that man set up as substitutes in place of worshiping Jehovah God. Paul talks about the "one's"  for believers.
In verses 4-6, we see the spiritual truths which unite all Christians. Paul has given us a sort of checklist of unifying factors that bind all believers together in "oneness" as believers in Christ. Our ultimate basis for all unity is the oneness of God. My resources include: Shepherd's Notes, Liberty Bible Commentary)

• One Body (verse 4) The church is a living organism composed only of living members, blood-bought, born-again, Bible-believing saints. This one body has one Head and many members (1Cor.12:12-13). Christ's body includes the redeemed of all time as well as  local assemblies of believers. 
• One Spirit (verse 4) A group of believers is united by only one spirit, the Holy Spirit of God. He connects the members with each other and with the head.
• One Hope (verse 4) All Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, share in the call of God to His great purpose. We all look ahead to the same future-heaven.
• One Lord (verse 5) The Lord Jesus Christ is our only Lord. As the saying goes, "If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all."
• One Faith (verse 5) It is a personal trust and commitment of a believer to one Lord. We have only one saving experience and only one way of salvation (Rom.10:9-10).
• One Baptism (verse 5) Emmersion of a person in the baptismal water is an outward expression of an inward experience. While  it pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, it also pictures what occurred in the believer's heart-the old person died, was buried with Christ, and rose a new person.
• One God (verse 6) There is only one true and living God for all. His supreme, sovereign power makes Him above all. This one God and Father rules over all, works through all, and dwells in all.

LET IT GROW

Verse 1-3 say,"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

The Christian walk is a way of life. Paul tells us how our attitudes and actions should be as we are walking step by step, in other words living daily. We are to live for Christ (Phil.1:21) and  walk "even as he (Jesus) walked" (1John 2:6). Here we go:

1. Walk with all lowliness.
     I should not have pride and self-exaltation, but lowliness of mind and a modest opinion of myself. It
     means having humility in every relationship and experience. Humble people consider themselves "small,"
     but at the same time they recognize God's power and ability working in them.
2. Walk with meekness.
     Another word for meekness is gentleness. Its not a synonym for weakness. I've heard it described as
     strength under control, like a wild animal that had been tamed.
     Falwell said it like this, "This is not timidity, cowardice, or servile fear, but self-suppression for the
     purpose of serving others."
3. Walk with longsuffering.
    This means patience; having a long fuse so we aren't quick to take offense; having an unruffled temper so
    we don't retaliate, but turn the other cheek.
4. Walk forbearing one another.
    If I'm forbearing, then I put up with another, allowing them faults and failures. Hopefully they allow the
    same for me.

 It's because of the love of Christ in us that we can walk with lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. Then in verse 3, Paul tells us to do our best to keep unity with each other by submitting to the Holy Spirit, having peace with God and others. It makes for a nicer day when there is unity and peace with others, doesn't it?

I recall Paul has said these things in his previous letters. Then I wondered why. It seems like a repeat to me.  His letters are altogether in our New Testament. He wrote specifically to a church using a letter, which someone carried and read to them in his day.


LET IT GO

Remember that there is one, only one God, Lord, Spirit, body, faith, baptism, and hope.

Walk with lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearance.