Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
We Are One
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133:1)
Unity happens when multiple parts are joined together as a whole. There is nothing more beautiful than when mankind drops its differences and with singular focus joins together in a common cause. Unity is seen in the pleasant world God created in Eden, and it is the image we see depicted in heaven when all of His people exist together without fear, without quarrels, and without division.
The opposite of unity is division. Division is a product of jealousy and strife (see Jas. 3:16), and it exists when pride and selfishness become our gods. Religious division is no different. It is appalling that there are so many denominations and “flavors” of Christianity in this world. A God who gave us one Bible, one hope, one baptism, and one Lord (see Eph 4:4-6) never intended for us to divide… but instead to unite around His Word.
Unity is simple Christians who seek His will through His Word – without creed or human tradition to divide us. What if we just went back to the Bible and did what we found in it? Surely, such a humble and meek approach would work! The only people who would lose power would be the religious leaders who benefit from manmade traditions and divisions.
“I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:1-3)
Paul told the Ephesians that unity requires humility, meekness, and longsuffering. All three of those traits are hard to cultivate in our character. Humility means we must not think more of ourselves than we ought, meekness means we must speak and act with only as much force as is necessary, and longsuffering means that we must make sacrifices continually along the way to create unity.
Eastland is a family just like God intended, and it is a wonderful blessing that we enjoy, but it is a gift that we must continually cultivate through humility, meekness, and longsuffering with one another. God is so good as to create a pathway to unity through His Son. Without Jesus, there is no Eastland family. Without Jesus, there is no unity. With Jesus at the center and armed with His character, this family will grow, enjoy peace, reach the lost, and be strengthened against whatever winds and waves this world throws against us.
What can you do this week to strengthen the family?
