Ephesians 4:1-6 — The Basis of Christian Unity

Ephesians 4:1-6 — The Basis of Christian Unity

Over the past several decades, we have seen an incredible shift in the Church here in America and Christianity as a whole. During this time, the number of Americans who do not identify with a specific denomination rose from 5% to 30%. This means that the largest segment of the Protestant Churches in America is now non-denominational. Due to pressure from this trend, even denominational churches are downplaying their affiliations with religious hierarchy and structure by removing their denomination from their church name.

If this was merely a move away from sectarianism, it would not be entirely bad. This trend, however, is accompanied by negative phenomena. Whether it is called consumer Christianity, church-hopping, or church-shopping, this negative phenomenon is closely associated with the mega-church, a shallow form of Christianity. The mega-church model operates by a pseudo-Christian framework that sees the pastor as a CEO and the congregation as customers. To borrow from Spurgeon, it is more interested in entertaining the goats than feeding the sheep.

All of these trends are symptoms of the extreme individualism that is now dominating Western culture. For too many American Christians, whether they assemble on Sunday morning for worship or stay at home, they ultimately belong to "The Church of Me Myself and I". Too many Christians are being discipled by the digital screen and the celebrity pastor who gets the highest ranking that week by the Google algorithm rather than the overseers of their own local congregations.

However, as disciples who have obeyed the call, prepared for the commission, and are enduring in the journey of discipleship, we are called to walk worthy of our calling to be holy and blameless before God. We do that by walking in unity.  The basis of this unity, whichthe Apostle Paul say to safeguard as opposed to create, is a seven-fold elements:

1. ONE BODY: This is the unity in organization, membership, and belonging.
2. ONE SPIRIT: This is the unity of life, communication, and conduct.
3. ONE HOPE: This is the unity of purpose, aspiration, and goals.
4. ONE LORD: This is the unity of authority.
5. ONE FAITH: This is the unity of doctrine, teaching, and beliefs. 
6. ONE BAPTISM: This is the unity of Identity, initiation, entry into this body.
7. ONE GOD: This is the unity in Worship