eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (ESV)

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (NIV) 

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. (NLT)

Dive Deeper:

A Train Car to California

I recently heard this story from a pastor back in the day, traveling by train from Minnesota to California. He was sick and stuck lying down the whole way home, but he decided to get up still and begin his day in the Scriptures. This simple act caught the attention of a German woman who asked to join him in reading. From there, more and more people began to participate to the point where the train conductor started making announcements for the morning Bible study in car number so-and-so. There was prayer, hymns, study, and worship. People from different backgrounds all came together under the Word, and it was beautiful. At the end of the trip, the German woman asked the pastor what denomination he was a part of and this got him thinking. He goes on to say, “I suppose if we had interrogated those people, we would have found that we belonged to a dozen different sects, but the blessed thing was, we found we were all one in Christ.”

Pictures of Unity

As we continue in our “Walk Worthy” intro month, we approach the theme of unity in the Spirit. For us today, in our time of division and conflict, Paul brings a challenging word to keep the unity and bind together. But naturally, we don’t do this. Take, for example, the Asbury outpouring last year where countless people gathered in the little town of Wilmore, Kentucky, and continued worshipping, and praying for 16 days straight. On paper, this moment would be something worth celebrating, and championing! But unfortunately, it also received immediate criticism and judgment from the wider Western church. So why does this come so naturally? if we want to find peace in unity and resist division, how do we do that?

Well, it’s important to know how we are bound. Back in Ephesians 2 Paul gives us a window into what the cross accomplished. He says, “by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,” (Ephesians 2:15). Here we see this picture of a people of unity and peace born by the Son being broken and killed. By the cross, Jesus broke the disharmony we live in and made it possible for a new humanity to emerge from Him.

What's Possible…

This imagery gets at our ache for unity and peace and gives us a vision of flourishing in peace. It’s when we recognize this image in all of its beauty that we make an effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. When we lose sight of the One who unites us and calls us that we then let preference, judgment, and criticism slip in. But what if we began to simply meet each other in our differences? Think of that picture of dozens of denominations represented in that train car all gathering together on the Word of God. All gathering together as the body of Christ. What an image. What a vision for us to press into. What if we didn’t allow the denominational differences to block us from coming together in simple moments of love and gathering? Maybe then everyone would know we are Jesus’ disciples. The train-traveling pastor commented that they were blessed in that train car because they found they were all one in Christ despite their differences. In the same way, they were blessed, they also found peace in their unity. Because it was there that they could see the one they were all pursuing, together.

Challenge:

Close your eyes and try the following exercise. Picture the body of Christ. Who do you naturally see? Who do you naturally leave out? Who do you reluctantly include in this picture? Prayerfully consider why your heart drifts to this vision and think of the small simple ways you could make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit with those you don’t naturally run to.

Written by Ben Hesch