The Unity of the Faith'
The Unity of the Faith
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13—NASB)
The Unity of the Faith
The Apostle Paul informed us that the ministries and gifts of the Spirit will serve until we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man.
The expression "we all" may be interpreted in terms of his comments a few verses earlier:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6—NASB)
In terms of the way we speak today, attaining to the unity of the faith would mean we all will agree on all points of doctrine. Personally I do not believe this is possible or even necessary. What we think in our head may be helpful at times and a hindrance at other times.
It is our understanding that the unity of the faith has to do with our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, our grasp upon His Person, our abiding in Him.
How do we grow in the unity of the faith if this expression means our relationship with Jesus Christ? How do we come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity as measured by the fullness of Christ?
As we see it, the unity of the faith is a matter of decision making and of death and life.
Each day we make hundreds of decisions, beginning with what side of the bed we get up on. Most decisions are just about that simple and ordinary. Sometimes we are faced with major decisions, such as taking a new job, getting married, or moving to another location.
If we are a strong Christian we probably pray for guidance before making a major decision.
But do we pray over each step we take, each word we speak?
To walk in unceasing prayer may seem impossible to the beginner but it is a way of life we are to covet.
God is interested in the smallest details of our life. How do we know this?
He knows the number of hairs on our head.
He knows every time a sparrow falls to the ground.
He knows every idle word we speak. If God knows every idle word, how much more will He know the significant words we speak?
God is a God of detail. He created the ant that crawls on the ground, a mechanism of such marvels that by comparison the most sophisticated computer is a blundering mass of incompetence.
God knows every detail of your life. He knows what side of the bed you are going to get up on. He knows all about your shoelaces. He knows when and how you are going to bathe. He knows in advance what you are going to say to the first person you meet. He knows everything about you!
To be continued. The Unity of the Faith 2