Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Unity in the Body of Christ

The Holy Spirit of our God inspires Paul to write:
Eph.4:1-8 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."
Eph.4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather,speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
To this we are called, in one body His bride, to be betrothed to our coming bridegroom. Be careful where you put your heart, for our God is a jealous God. We are to love people but not spare the lost from the healing that comes from God's word, where they will find the way of repentance and therefore glorify God's name.
Lord, I pray for You to lead us in the right way to love with the knowledge of Your word. Let us give Your words to glorify Your name in all the world. For Your words lead to conviction and repentance, of which the whole world needs. Amen

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