Why Is This Hard?

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

Why is keeping unity so difficult?  Why do we have to exercise such diligent effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?  Perhaps one of the key reasons is the complexity of the believer.  We know that God has saved us.  He has done a work of grace in our hearts.  Although we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, we still have a powerful connection to what Paul refers to as ‘this body of death.’  Because the work of sanctification is just that, an ongoing work, it is not complete.  Therefore, we are going to experience the struggle which Paul describes in Romans 7.  When we would do good, evil is present with us.  The good we want to do, we do not do.  The evil that we do not want to do, we do.  This conflict affects our ability to keep the unity of the Spirit in multiple ways.  The only answer to this is to look to Christ.  Because He is the unifying element in the life of all of us who rest by faith in Him, it is only by gathering together around Him that we will be able to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  This is what will overcome all our natural inclinations to disunity.

Our Good and Gracious God,
we rejoice that the power of Christ
overcomes all our shortcomings.
We praise You that daily, as we look to Him,
He draws us together
to function as one body.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning