Seven ‘ones’

[Endeavor] to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:3

Have you ever worked at a job where you felt a strong bond with your co-workers? Perhaps you were united by a sense of mission, or by a respect for your boss, or by the belief that a prosperous company will benefit everyone financially. The more points of agreement among members of the group, the more they will be unified, the better they will perform, and the less likely they will be to fight among themselves.

Christians have a built-in list of unifiers that can keep them working together with a oneness of spirit. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul listed seven uniting "ones." Think of how helpful they can be to any group of believers working together on the same project:

One body – we are a single family unified for one purpose

One Spirit – we all have the Spirit as our power source

One hope – we all look forward to the same future

One Lord – we all trust the same Person in charge

One faith – we all trust Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation

One baptism – we all have a single identity

One God and Father – we all share the same source of our existence

What a difference it would make if we all could dwell on those seven "ones." – Dave Branon

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love?

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above. – Fawcett

READ: Ephesians 4:1-7

Followers of Christ should focus on what unites them, not on what divides them.

The Bible in one year:

• Ezekiel 5-7

• Hebrews 12