Unity in Christ

I strongly feel that one of the most important aspects of our walk with Christ is the Gospel Community that He has placed us in. The church body is made up of many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-26) and those parts work together in support of each individual towards the goal of sanctification. We have been placed together in our communities by God for a reason. As we walk together we learn from each other, we learn the importance of and application of love, grace, mercy, justice, patience, gentleness, humbleness and bearing with one another. Through our relationships God will use each of us to mold those around us.

Last weekend at our Warrior at Heart Ministry Leadership Camp, I experienced in a huge way how this all works. I witnessed 20 men come together and mold each other. We saw fears diminish and hearts change. We had difficult discussions and didn't always agree, but one thing we always agreed on was the importance of unity in Christ.

Psalm 133:1 - How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!

For gospel community to work, we must always make Christ our center, both individually and corporately. When we all make Christ our center, we become unified in him.

Ephesians 4:1-6 - As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Why?

Ephesians 4:12-13 - to prepare God's people for works of services, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

For what?

Ephesians 4:14-16 - Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The purpose of unity in Christ, is our growth, our sanctification. It's through our gospel community that we move from mere infants in Christ to maturity in Christ...from milk, to meat.