Day 276 – Ephesians: Unity in the Body of Christ

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.” Ephesians 4:3-4 NLT

Read Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 6:24

Jesus Christ is exalted as the center of the universe and the focus of history. He is the head of His body, the church. He is the creator and sustainer of all creation. Because Christ is central to everything, His power must be central in us.

Paul describes the nature of the church, under Christ’s control, as a living body, a family, and a dwelling. God gives believers special abilities by His Holy Spirit to build the church. We are part of this Body today, and we must live in vital union with Him. Our conduct must be consistent with this living relationship. God, through His grace, gifts us with the abilities to equip and encourage other believers.

The church, as the Body of Christ, illustrates unity of purpose and shows how each individual member is a full-functioning part that must work together with all the others to achieve unity. We can start by eradicating things in our daily lives like backbiting, gossip, criticism, jealousy, anger, and bitterness because these are barriers to church unity and cause more damage than unity. These are exploited by the enemy to cause division, but through love, honesty, acceptance, discernment, and obedience to the Holy Spirit, we can stand as a united Body of Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank You for not just only uniting us to You through Jesus, but also the church. I pray that where there is division, You bring unity. I pray that Your love will encompass all the parts of Your body, and we abide in unity with each other under Jesus, the head. Amen.