A note from our pastor:

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

Ephesians 4:6

This verse concludes the series of items the Apostle has set forth regarding unity as the foundation of the church. In essence, the Apostle has built from the ground up in this series. Starting with the body of the church which is here upon the earth, then moving to the Spirt which operates within the body, next moving to our Lord which is in heaven but is the intercessor for the body, and finally moving to God the Father who sits upon his throne in heaven.

In the Old Testament we are commanded to have no other gods (notice the little g) before him. The writers could have gone through a whole list of strange gods — false gods, idols, etc. — but they all fit into one category which is being made by man. That aspect alone, being made by man, should signal to us they are false gods. Thus, the first of the Ten Commandments is to have no other gods.

In the New Testament, the great commandment given for disciples to live by instructs believers to love God. Not just with any love though. We are instructed to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. In other words, we are to love God with all of our might. No longer are disciples told to simply not put other gods before the true God. Instead, the New Testament keeps a consistent theme, and focuses on how we love.

Now the Apostle comes back to this same point — one God — but not just in the sense that there is only one God. The Apostle here is emphasizing, yes, there is one God, but also he is the father of all the children of God without qualification. This letter was addressed to a diverse crowd which was meeting in unique unity. The point of this entire series of items is despite their diversity in natural ways, they are unified in the things of God.

The Apostle Peter, who often wrote passages of scripture focused on unity, would tell readers of first Peter, as disciples of Christ we are lively stones. In other words, we are made animate by the working of the Spirit. He would go on to say, as we are lively stones we are fit together to make a spiritual house. Each stone is unique and maintains its own characteristics, but a unity is achieved with the stones and as a whole they return praise unto God.

There always has been and always will be forces which threaten to split apart the people of God. When the things of the world become the focus of God’s people this focus threatens to splinter the church. So long as people form the church, there will be a tendency to move it away from God. The focus for the disciples is to seek unity in Christ by seeking to follow his commandments.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah