Our Pastor often quotes Ephesians 4: 3 – "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." At present our congregation is blessed with unity. There is a bond of love that binds us together. However, we must not take this for granted. As this verse indicates we need to – "make every effort to keep the unity….". So it requires a conscious effort on our part to maintain this unity. The Devil is always busy looking for opportunities to spoil this unity and destroy the fellowship that is being enjoyed by God’s people.
 

United in Christ

In order to be united in loving concern for one another we need, first of all, to be united in Christ. In the first three chapters of his letters to the Ephesian Church Paul writes about the rich spiritual blessing of being united in Christ: -

Eph. 1:3 We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Eph. 1:4 We are holy, blameless, and covered in God’s love.

Eph. 1:5, 6 We are adopted as God’s children.

Eph. 1:7 Our sins are taken away and we are forgiven.

Eph. 1:10, 11 We are brought under Christ’s headship.

Eph. 1:13 We are identified as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit.

Eph. 2:6 We have been raised up to sit with Christ in glory.

Eph. 2:10 We are God’s workmanship.

Eph. 2:13 We have been reconciled to God through Christ’s sacrifice.

Eph. 3:12 We can come with freedom and confidence into God’s presence.
 

United in love

Paul, having written about the privileges and blessings of being united in Christ in the first three chapters of Ephesians, urges the Ephesian Christians to – "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Eph. 4:1). He then goes on to outline what this will involve in Ephesians 4:2, 3 – "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Throughout Scripture we are given every encouragement to love one another. David, the Psalmist, in Psalm 133:1 wrote –

Our Lord Jesus when interceding with God for future believers (in John 18:23) prayed – "…..May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me."

Again in Philippians 2: 2-5 Paul challenges the Christians in the church at Philippi to be – "like-minded having the same love, being one in spirit. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ."

Similarly in Colossians 3:12 – 14 Paul provides us with a strategy for living in unity as God’s family by imitating Christ’s compassionate and forgiving attitude: -