For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. (Ephesians 4:4-6 NLT)
I love this passage because it reminds us how much we have in common. If you’re a believer, then you’ve got at least 7 things in common with all other believers. Join me in a little exercise. Let’s go to church today and look for ways we are all one:
- One body: “so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. (Romans 12:5 NLT)”
- One Spirit: “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT)”
- One hope: “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:13 NKJV)”
- One Lord: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:8 NKJV)”
- One faith: “This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. (2 Peter 1:1 NLT)”
- One baptism: “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. (Romans 6:4 NLT)”
- One God and Father: “God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. (1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT)”
I love the last phrase in Ephesians 4:6: “one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. ” We have one Father who is over us, in us, and living through all of us today. We are united in purpose – to show the world the Father. If you’ve seen us, you’ve seen the Father.
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