MAINTAINING THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE: Regardless of Denomination

SCRIPTURE:  “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:1-6

 C.S. Lewis wrote, “The Church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities, but the Body of Christ, in which all members, whoever different, must share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences.”  There are about twenty different denominations in the Christian faith all claiming to follow the teachings of Christ, but do they all actually believe the same thing? If you are a new believer this list can make your head spin and have you asking, “Why so many denominations if we are the same?” One group may say do not eat this or that, while another may exalt Mary, and yet another may say no gaudiness. Some praise exuberantly while another’s praise is more restrained. Some denominations dress to the nines while others are more casual. There are some where the "Amens" burst through the rafters and others where they are as quiet as a church mouse. Regardless of how they praise, dress and what they eat; do they believe that Jesus is Lord, are they clear that there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism? Are they teaching that we all should live a life holy and acceptable to Christ despite any differences in appearances or financial status? Are they teaching that we should love one another, uplift one another, and be humble and patient with one another? Is it even possible to have so many denominations and still be considered one body?

While pledging in college, a fraternity or sorority may have many people on “line” all focused on a common goal. They consider themselves one body with multiple moving parts. There is usually one common theme centered around tradition. These persons are easily recognized by others as who they represent. The body of Christ should be the same. If you are a part of the body of Christ, regardless of your churches’ denomination, you should look and act like Christ. You should teach that Christ died for all of humanity and that God raised Him from the dead and that He will come again. You should stand firm on the statues of the Lord not being swayed by the world. You should teach the belief in the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, & God the Holy Spirit) and regardless of nationality, race, or financial status recognize that we are unified by God as one family with one belief that has one outcome for believers. The Christian church with its many denominations should represent one body with multiple moving parts working toward the same goal with the same beliefs.

Prayer: Lord, please help us recognize that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female just one body in Christ. Let us stop causing division in Your family because we look differently, dress differently, or praise differently. Help us to remember that Christ was consistent in His lifestyle and His treatment of both Jew and Gentile. Lord, forgive us for treating people in the body with disdain because he/she may look or act differently, have less or have more. Help us Father to walk worthy remembering to be humble, patient and working hard to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, fill us with Your spirit so that we may live with a one another mindset, walking worthy, teaching, and living under one belief in Jesus Christ our soon coming King. Thank You for grace and mercy when we fall short and thank You for Jesus the Christ who died for our sins and rose again so that we may live. In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
Sis. Pat Towns