One Spirit

In the New Testament, the Jerusalem church fought over feeding their widows. Jewish and Gentile Christians argued over their relationship to Old Testament Law. The divisions in Corinth ran so deep, they split into competing factions. Unfortunately, this disease of disunity has plagued the church ever since. But those differences don’t necessarily have to lead to disharmony and division. “There is one body and one Spirit…,” (Ephesians 4:4, NASB). The Spirit that Paul refers to here is the Holy Spirit. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is, in fact to bring unity to the church. It’s only through the Holy Spirit that we can experience the oneness that Jesus prayed we would. That’s why Paul refers to Christian unity as “…the unity of the Spirit,” (Ephesians 4:3, NASB).

We will only experience the unity of the Spirit when we welcome the person of the Spirit into our lives, acknowledge the presence of the Spirit in the lives of every believer, and use the presents of the Spirit to serve one another and build up the body of Christ. Only then will we truly be one in the Spirit.

~ Jeff