This week we will study the simple, but essential truth that is revealed in Ephesians 4:4-6:
one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Unity is a basic characteristic of the Godhead. The universe was created to fit together in a profound and glorious harmony. There is harmony and symmetry in all that God does. What He creates always comes from unity and proceeds toward unity. The unifying force in all that He does is the Son, as we see in Colossians 1:16-17:
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is the One that everything was made through and for. In everything that was created, the Father was looking for the likeness of His Son. He is looking for His Son in us. As we are told Ephesians 1:9-10, Jesus is the mystery of God’s will, and the ultimate goal of all that was created will be summed up in Him. Therefore, the ultimate goal of our life, and everything that we are doing, should be to abide in Him and be found in Him. In this way He is the unifying force behind all of creation.
It is the devil that brought the corruption of division and disunity. Therefore, it is easy to recognize the work of each. One proceeds towards unity and harmony; the other toward division. We might also recognize the work of the Lord and the schemes of the devil in our own life by the same. Where are unity, harmony, and peace? What is the source of discord? The Lord is always moving us toward harmony and peace, and the enemy’s most basic strategy against us is to bring divisions. This we are told in Jude when he warned about the “fault-finders” and “mockers” who would come in the last days, that “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 19).
Even so, we must understand that the Lord will sometimes bring the sword of division as He stated in Matthew 10:34-36
"For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.
The Lord will sometimes bring about temporary division so He can bring ultimate unity, because ultimate peace requires tearing down evil strongholds and fortresses that exalt themselves against the truth.
We might also discern the work of the enemy by the ultimate outcome of a matter, and can be fooled by them if we look only at the interim steps. The enemy will use a temporary unity to bring about a much more devastating division later. The devil has many alliances that have the appearance of unity. However, we can always discern if something is from God or not by whether the ultimate goal is Christ. It is then the steps toward that ultimate goal will draw us ever closer to Him.
As we proceed toward the goal of Christlikeness we will always find more unity, harmony, and peace within our own heart. Even if our unity with Him creates discord with those who do not serve Him, there is no greater harmony and peace that we can ever know than being one with Him. If we are abiding in Him we will also sow the seeds of unity, harmony, and peace everywhere that we go. This is how we discern the wisdom that is from above, as we read in James 3:17-18:
And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
For this reason let us heed the exhortation of I Corinthians 1:10, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” We must beware of, and even “mark those who cause divisions” (Romans 16:17) so as not to associate with them. Those whose works cause divisions instead of unity are walking contrary to Christ.