Ephesians 4:1-5

Ephesians 4:1-5 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Depending on how one counts denominations, the number can be in the hundreds or thousands. Some of these denominations were formed out of dissension: groups of people removing themselves from an established group over a doctrinal dispute, a liturgical practice, or some other difference of opinion on a spiritual matter. Some of this fragmentation might have been positive, but I suspect most of it came at the expense of Christian virtues such as humility, gentleness, patience, and loving forbearance. If we abandon these virtues, we abandon unity, and we see ourselves outside of one faith with one Lord. In these breakfasts, I try not to overuse the word "you" when discussing God's will for our lives. The word "you" tends to divide and fragment, and it may infer the writer is judging the readers. The use of "we" connotes inclusiveness and a shared experience. When we sit down for breakfast, I am always at that table. There is no side of the table more preferred or more acceptable than the other. We are all IN THE LORD: none of us has the unique or definitive perspective on all Godly knowledge and insight. As fellow sojourners on the road of life, we work together as one body, known as the body of Christ.

Paul was physically in prison when he wrote this letter to the Ephesians, but all of us who are found in Christ are love-prisoners. He paid for our freedom and redemption with a high price, even his blood. Therefore, we as those who serve in a love relationship with our Lord, we should strive to reflect his personality, expressing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) When we gather together as believers, we should contend for whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. (Philippians 4:8) Our actions and our speech should not accentuate discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy. (Galatians 5:20-21) If we allow our behavior to reflect these adverse virtues, we will sow division and acrimony. We will disrupt the Holy Spirit's mission of harmony, love, and unity.

Now, apostasy cannot be tolerated in the church, but we must be very cautious about judging another believer as a troublemaker or a dissenter. People who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are in the household of God. As brothers and sisters in the Lord we should make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. We should approach disputations or differing viewpoints with loving compassion and patient forbearance. Tolerance and loving kindness should provide the framework for all the dealings of the body of Christ. When we feel a spirit of bitterness and anger towards our brother or sister, we should go to God in prayer, asking him to supplant our harsh feelings with his gentle love and compassion. We are but humans; therefore, our emotions get carried away with self, but if we earnestly pray and believe God, He will change us to reflect him. The word of God tells us we are his; consequently, we should reflect his glory and do his will on Earth. In his first epistle, John said the world will know us by our love. As we wholeheartedly love each other and people in the world, we demonstrate God's mercy and grace. The world should not view us as those judgmental people who are against everything; they should know us by our love, our patience, our kindness. We are the light of the world, the salt that brings flavor to an empty and hopeless existence. God wants unity for his church, so together we can spread the "good news" that Christ died for sinners.