MAINTAINING THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE: Truth and Transformation Build Unity

Our GBFC Devotions Ministry continues to focus on a prayer list that Pastor Wayne Cockrell created a few months ago for the Genesis Bible Fellowship Church Family. In this ministry of encouragement our writers will devote a week to one topic, and we pray that you will be blessed by their words of exhortation.

Lies and hypocrisy cause disunity, but truth and transformation build unity. Disunity and conflict are Satan’s agenda for our journey. Although he cannot take a believers’ salvation, he wants to make the journey miserable and confusing. Satan loves confusion and will use any device and anyone whose heart is unguarded to bring disunity, but God’s desire for the Body of Christ is unity evidenced by peace and harmony.

Jesus Christ was unified with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the redemption of mankind, thereby equipping us with everything we need to stand firm in one spirit in the bond of peace. Iron occurs in the red blood cells where it serves to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In the Body of Christ, we should be as iron to motivate others to breathe a little easier by encouraging and edifying one another. As iron, we also are to sharpen one another and stimulate a positive friction that brings unity.

Pleasing God is truly a work of the Spirit and conflict will reveal whether you handle differences from a biblical perspective or a fleshly perspective. God desires to work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Someone has said: “In essentials, unity, in nonessentials, liberty, in all things, charity.”

Prayer: Thank You Lord that as a “work in progress,” I am never too old to grow in that which is necessary to be conformed to Your image. Yes, Lord pain is inevitable, misery is optional, and conflict is inevitable, but it will only reveal my true spirituality. Break my heart for what breaks Yours.
By Sis. Cheryl Torain