Ephesians 4:3-4: “Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling.”
John 17:21: “That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
1 Corinthians 12:13: “For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit.”
The oneness of the Spirit is the foundation of the Body of Christ. This oneness is not something we create but something we must diligently keep (Eph. 4:3). It is the oneness that already exists in the Spirit and is maintained in the uniting bond of peace.
John 17:21 reveals the Lord’s prayer for oneness, desiring that His believers would be one as He and the Father are one. This oneness is not outward uniformity but the inward reality of being in the Triune God. It is through this oneness that the world is convinced of Christ’s coming.
1 Corinthians 12:13 shows that this oneness is accomplished through the Spirit. By being baptized in one Spirit into one Body, we are united with all believers, transcending cultural, social, and personal differences. This oneness is both spiritual and practical, requiring us to live in harmony and fellowship with one another.
Thoughts of the day/Main Points:
– The oneness of the Spirit is the foundation of the church’s unity.
– This oneness is an inward reality rooted in the Triune God.
– Believers are baptized into one Body by one Spirit.
– Maintaining oneness requires diligence and the bond of peace.
– The oneness of the Body testifies to the world of Christ’s reality.
Prayer Confessions:
Lord, help me to diligently keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
May I live in harmony and fellowship with all members of Your Body.
Teach me to see and experience the oneness of the Body in the Triune God.
Lord, use the oneness of the Body to testify of Your reality to the world.
Strengthen the oneness of Your church and bring glory to Your name.