At TIME we strive to use our short-term mission's platform in service to the Body Christ worldwide. Jesus gave all authority to His body according to the giftedness he grants to us. Whether in the DR, Mexico or the US, we all strive to be faithful to the unity of body established in Christ. So, please check out the detailed blog below.
To BE or not to BE…that is the question, isn’t it? In a basic sense, to "be" means to exist.
Philosophically, we ask ourselves what is our identity? We ask ourselves questions like, what purpose do we have. As believers we might refer to living as a reflection of God’s image, striving to embody love, compassion, and truth.
My challenge to you today is that we are not just called to BE, but to BE ONE CHURCH.
Paul, writes from prison, a lot , and in Ephesians he urges the believers in Ephesus—and by extension, all believers—to live lives worthy of the calling they have received.
Let’s explore what it means to walk in that calling, to BE ONE CHURCH,
I. One Life Worthy of Calling (Verses 1-2)
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
So, he’s in prison… and is writing a letter to encourage other believers, I’m pretty sure I would not be so encouraged or encouraging, but because of his dedication to preaching the gospel, he views this as part of his divine calling. Paul was quite the guy. He is begging believers to live in a way that is worthy of the calling God has placed on their lives. The word worthy here in Greek is “axios” it means worthily (viewed as "becoming"); (having worth that "matches" actual value), weight.
Does the weight of how I’m living match the value of what was given?
So, what was given… well let’s back up here for a minute, to Chapters 1-3 of Ephesians. In the first few chapters Paul starts off Ephesians by praising God for choosing us, for wanting us to be with him, and wanting to LAVISH love on us, he elaborates on God’s plan for the world, emphasizing Christ’s central role in uniting ALL things and in Ephesians 2 he writes
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
And a few verses down he writes
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Life…that is what was given, Jesus’s life for us. If you put your faith in Jesus, he has given you life, eternal life with him.
So, if we are looking at this like a scale, God’s merciful grace (Jesus’ Life) is on one side and me as a believer in Jesus is on the other side, not that we could ever match God’s grace, but are we trying to live a life worthy of this calling, the calling to be a part of God’s Church. So, with this calling, what is God’ plan, Paul tells us that too in Ephesians 3
6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
Let’s pause for a minute, Both Gentiles and Jews. It’s safe to say that Paul’s mission was extremely radical. He was a Jew himself and an ex over Zealous Pharisee. A jew of Jews, so when he is saying both jew and gentile, and later on master/slave, and everyone meaning both male/female he is not just being radical he is being downright subversive. He was here to disrupt. God’s plan is for us to share equally, meaning, in the same manner or to the same extent:
Imagine being a wealthy non-Jewish man who owned slaves, now as a believer in Jesus is being asked to sit next to not only his wife and his slaves, but next to people who for centuries held suspicion and hate towards each other, OR being a woman, who for so long has had no voice in her roles being asked to actually sit at the “family” table. To share in all the richness as an equal inheritor of the riches, because ALL people are one in Christ Jesus. The scene is unnerving, it’s awkward, the tension would have been thick but Paul doesn’t hesitate and he writes on…
9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
God’s plan was; for everyone, who believed in Jesus to be one church, every single person. It didn’t matter your heritage, it didn’t matter your social or economic class, it didn’t matter your gender. I might even be so bold to add it doesn’t matter how you vote. Every believer in Jesus is invited to the table, every believer in Jesus shares equally as inheritors, every believer is part of one church under Jesus.
Well, for every plan there is a purpose and man does God have a purpose.
3: 10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s plan was that everyone is a part of the same body.
God’s purpose… “To use the Church to display His wisdom in its rich variety”
So as believers, who are part of “the church” what I’m reading here is that my calling is not about me first of all, the calling is to be close to God, salvation thru Jesus, and my purpose, well that’s His too… it’s about displaying the wisdom of God.
AND HE, is displaying it “in its rich variety.
Now I know some us can be a whole bunch of variety in and of ourselves. I tell everyone that I am a shade of plaid. Some of my colors are more vibrant of course, but because of Jesus I have all the colors in me, BUT The concept of variety refers to the presence of multiple different forms, options, or types within a particular context.
Which means, if my calling is being close to him by being a part of His Church and my purpose is displaying the wisdom of God in all its variety, I can’t be alone, my walk has to be in relationship, relationship to Jesus, relationship to THE CHURCH. Paul is asking believers to align our everyday behavior, choices, and relationships with the calling we have received from God…And You have been called by God. Paul reinforces this idea that believers have a divine purpose. It’s a reminder that our identity is rooted in God’s call. He is begging believers to live with intention and purpose, reflecting their faith in their actions and interactions with others. Luckily as we read on Paul tells us how to do this.
In verse 2 of Chapter 4 Paul offers four key virtues:
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Let’s go through them,
#1 Humility: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less” but we live in a world where it’s me, me, me. We can serve the church, we can give of our time, but the second that our feelings are hurt, or something might not go OUR way we put up our “boundaries”
In 2007 My husband and I were leading a youth group, and we had done this for several years, the youth pastor at the time was a friend of ours and had been let go. Naturally we were mad, we had served with him, and he was our longtime friend. When our church found replacements for our youth pastor, it was a YOUNG couple from California, who had just graduated college, and got married. Now first of all, Ed & I had been married about 13 years by then, and this was our youth group, we had been there forever, AND on top of that they were from California…we live in the Midwest. I thought there is no way that this is going to work. I am older, I am wiser, I have been here longer. So, I proceeded to make their lives hell. What I wasn’t expecting, was that they eventually would hire me, I mean give me a paid position on their staff, they would teach me that I had gifts bigger than myself, they would walk with me through questions and lead me towards an understanding of who I was in Jesus. Wait What? The California kids. Needless to say, I learned what humility was. Watching these two feel my hostility and remain steadfast in loving me, well they became very important to me.
Humility is the foundation of the Christian life. Jesus, who is our example, demonstrated humility by taking on human flesh and serving others, even to the point of death (Philippians 2:6-8). To live worthy of our calling, means setting aside pride and self-importance.
The second virtue is Gentleness: Gentleness doesn’t mean weakness, but controlled strength. It means not getting offended or offending easily. Jesus was both powerful and tender. Proverbs 15:1 tells us that “a gentle answer turns away wrath.” Are we gentle in our responses to one another, especially when challenged or hurt? We see this all the time on Social media, Christians arguing with each other, over whatever the hot topic is. Always arguing who is right,
well, I would argue neither…
Let’s look at #3, Patience: Patience, or “long-suffering,” When we are slow to anger and quick to forgive, we reflect God's patience with us. As Colossians 3:13 reminds us, we must "bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance." Patience doesn’t mean being a doormat, or sitting around waiting to pounce as soon as yours has run out. Patience involves the capacity for the first 2 virtues we mentioned, it’s being humble and making allowances for things that need correcting and gently walking with someone, guiding them, teaching them. It means when you’re at the end of your rope, you add another piece.
And #4 Bearing with One Another in Love: This phrase reminds us that love must be the driving force behind our relationships. Love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8), and it is the glue that holds the body of Christ together.
Love is an action, it’s not just something we say, it should hold weight. Think of someone that you Love, I mean truly Love. As a wife and mother, I immediately go to my husband and son. There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for these two, and as much as I love my husband, there is something about a mother’s love that is feral, right?! I mean this little boy came through me, he was a part of me, when he is hurt, the mama bear comes out. and that’s the love that we are to have for one another as believers, as one church. Willing to bring that mama bear out to fight for God’s plan which is His one Church.
In Verse 3 the passage then shifts to unity, which is a major theme of this letter.
Ephesians 4: 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Paul stresses the importance of making "every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace". We don’t have a lot of peace in this world do we, you turn on the news, Facebook, Instagram, peace is not what we are pushing.
The American Indians spoke of peace as a "chain of friendship" Chains are heavy, chains are interlinked, and generally welded together. They do not break easily. Neither should we, if we are believers in the same God, given the same gift of grace, then that is what should unite us. It is not an "external" unity; it is not unity in the way each church assembly worships or does communion or…Whatever; The Holy Spirit already unites us This unity is not something we create; it is something we preserve,
But… not at all costs.
Sometimes, especially in light of the awareness of abuse within various church contexts, the phrase "for the sake of unity" can be misused to silence victims and enable harmful behaviors. When people are told to stay silent or ignore abuse to protect the church’s image, it leads to deeper harm and a distortion of biblical teachings. Unity in the church should never come at the expense of justice, truth, or the well-being of its members. The Bible does call for unity, but it also calls for justice, protection of the vulnerable, and accountability. Further on in Ephesians 5:11 it says, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." This emphasizes that harmful behavior should not be ignored or covered up, but rather brought to light. A healthy church must hold both unity and accountability together, never using one to suppress the other. Addressing harmful actions is not about attacking the church; it’s about protecting its true integrity and ensuring that it reflects the character of Christ. These virtues build up the ONE body of Christ and make our lives a reflection of the gospel we preach.
II. Unity Under One (Verses 4-6)
Now in verses 4-6, Paul really likes the word “one” in the next few verses he emphasizes oneness by listing seven “ones” that define the Christian community:
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Let’s break them down
One body: The church, united by Christ, transcends cultural, racial, and denominational divides. Remember it’s ALL! Though we are many members, we are one body (1 Corinthians 12:12).
One Spirit: The same Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, guiding, empowering, and sustaining us.
One hope: We all share the same hope of eternal life through Christ. This hope is the anchor of our faith (Hebrews 6:19).
One Lord: Jesus Christ is our Lord and King, and there is no other. Our allegiance is to Him alone.
One faith: We confess the same faith, rooted in the truth of the gospel.
One baptism: Our baptism symbolizes our entrance into the body of Christ.
And One God and Father of all: God is sovereign, "overall, and through all, and in all". His presence fills the church (US) and the world. He is not just the Father of some but of all, binding us together as His children.
This unity under one God calls us to be one church that lives out this oneness in a world divided by so many things,
But we “the church” don’t look much different, do we? More than Several issues cause division in the world & church, right now. Political Views: Social Justice views: How the church addresses or fails to address issues like racial inequality, gender roles, or poverty. Leadership conflicts over style, decision-making, and authority; Worship Style Traditional vs. Contemporary, Racial Divides: Women in Leadership: Differing views on whether women should be pastors, elders, or deacons has led to divisions within and among denominations, & Focus on Mission: Differences in priorities between local church work vs global missions or none at all.
These cultural differences can drive wedges between generations or groups within the same church assembly. What’s common in many of these divisions is the tension between change and tradition, inclusivity versus exclusivity, and the struggle between authority and freedom in the church. These are often amplified by personal, cultural, and historical factors, making unity in diversity a challenge. We are made to be different, to show the world that in Christ, we are united under One God, in One Spirit, as One Church.
So why do we look so similar to the world? Well, because we are jew and gentile, we are master and slave, we are man and woman, that IS the beauty of Jesus, because of who He is and what He did, we can all meet at the table. We can all have a seat. We can all know that He is the Head and we are the body who only have to follow. It’s His plan and His purpose we are to be living out not our own.
III. Grace from The One (Verse 7)
Paul concludes this section with that important reminder: while we are united, we are also uniquely gifted.
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it”.
This whole section we have been talking about “Oneness” and in this verse he says “each. WE are all one but each made differently. This grace is not just for salvation but also for service. Christ, in His wisdom, gives each believer spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7). It is easy to think of unity as uniformity, but this verse teaches us that unity does not erase our individuality. Each one of us has a specific role to play in the body of Christ.
Again, The beauty of the church is that it is both diverse and unified. Our differences in gifts should complement, not compete with one another.
So, what does this mean for us today?
First, we must ask ourselves if we are living lives worthy of our calling. Does the scale balance? Are we walking in humility, gentleness, patience, and love? These virtues, given through the Spirit are the building blocks of unity in the church. Without them, division easily takes root.
Second, are we striving to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? This takes work. Unity is not automatic, and it is certainly not easy. But it’s the Spirit that empowers us to love one another across our differences. As Paul said in Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
Finally, are we using the grace given to us to build up the church? Each one of us has something to contribute. No one is insignificant in God’s kingdom. As we embrace our God-given gifts, we help the ONE Church fulfill its mission in the world.
We are called to be one church—a united, diverse, and grace-filled body that reflects the character of Christ. Let‘s live lives worthy of the calling we have received, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit, and using the grace freely given to us to serve one another. In doing so, we will Be One church, the church that God has called us to be, a light in a divided world.
Dawn, Lampstand Living.
