The Unity Of The Faith

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ….

Ephesians 4:13

Christ prayed for His people, ‘that they all may be one.’  In His High Priestly Prayer, which we find recorded in John 17, Christ went on at some length to declare His desire for the unity of His people.  If we behold the state of the outward church today, we see division, not unity.  Christ is not referring to the unity of a group of organizations.  What He is referring to is the Spiritual unity of all of His Redeemed.  How then will this prayer of Christ come to be a practical reality?  Because Christ always prays in utter harmony with the will of God His Father, this unity for which He prays must come to be.  How will it do so?  Paul is declaring that the gifts which Christ has given to the church will equip the saints for the work of the ministry and that they in turn will build up one another as ‘the Body of Christ.’  This will continue, ‘till we all come to the unity of the faith.’  The working of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is such that He enables us to carry out this edifying of one another.  Ultimately, it is the Spirit Who will enable us to see clearly the things about which we must agree.  This will bring to pass that unity for which Christ prayed.  This unity must, of necessity, exalt Christ in the same way in which the Father and the Spirit exalt Him.  It is Christ Who unites the people of God. When we finally gather around the throne of Grace, it will be Christ we worship, as we shout, ‘Worthy is the Lamb.’

Our One True and Living God,
we rejoice that You are united.
We praise You that You will answer all the prayers of Christ,
to unite the people of God,
that there be division no more.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning