“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT)

God didn’t say, “I desire unity in the church. Good luck with that.” Instead, He designed the church so that it would promote unity. In Ephesians 4:11–12, the apostle Paul tells us that Christ gives people specific gifts so that they can fill specific offices in the church. When those officers use their gifts to fulfill their responsibilities, something amazing happens. Connections are made. Fellowship occurs. Bonds of unity are forged.

Some people are called—and gifted—to be apostles. They don’t have the authority of Jesus’ apostles, but they are special ambassadors of God’s work. Apostles may plant churches or serve as liaisons to other Christian organizations.

Some people are equipped to be prophets. They don’t have the same authority as biblical prophets, but they speak the words of God that agree with the Old and New Testaments. In 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul emphasized that the words of prophets are subject to the discernment and authority of church leaders.

Some people are equipped to be evangelists. That is, they are specially gifted to share the Good News of Christ with others.

And some people are equipped to be pastors and teachers. We shepherd the flock by making God’s Word accessible, understandable, and applicable. Often that involves building a bridge to our audience or making a connection to get their attention. Ultimately, though, the power of our message is not in some quote from a secular philosopher or a pop star or some other iconic figure. The power is in the Word of God.

God said in Isaiah 55:11, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (NLT).

And Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (NLT).

My job, and the job of all pastors and teachers, is not to make the Bible relevant. The Bible is relevant. I just need to let the lion out of the cage and let the Word of God do what it does best, change lives.

In the bigger picture, Christ equips the leaders of the church to equip God’s people to serve. This common experience—of learning the truth of God’s Word, of being equipped, and of sharing a commitment to serve—strengthens the unity among church members.

When we embrace our roles, the body of Christ grows, and the members of that body learn to work in unity.

Reflection Question: How can you help create or nurture a spirit of unity in your church?

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“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT)

In our increasingly fractured culture, we don’t have to look hard for issues that divide us. But where can we find things that unite us? Ephesians 4 is a good place to start our search. For the next few days, we’re going to look at the apostle Paul’s teachings on creating and nurturing unity in the church.

In the first three chapters of his letter, Paul reminded the Ephesian believers of what God had done for them. In Ephesians 4:1, he urged them “to lead a life worthy of your calling” (NLT). When you have a sense of what God has done for you, you’re more likely to serve Him out of gratitude. You don’t lead a worthy life so that He will love you; you lead a worthy life because He loves you.

Leading a worthy life means embracing qualities such as humility, gentleness, and patience. That might involve tabling your own agenda for the sake of someone else’s. Or choosing to forgive instead of taking revenge. Or learning to appreciate the characteristics and quirks in other people that don’t mesh with ours.

James put it a little more bluntly: “Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9 NLT).

Don’t complain about other believers. Go to them and try to help them. The phrase “grumble about each other” means to groan within yourself. It speaks of a person who has a bitter attitude. Some people are always criticizing. They think it’s a spiritual gift—the gift of tearing others down. But it’s not a gift of the Spirit; it’s a work of the flesh, and it’s used by the enemy. Don’t be known as someone who burns bridges; be known as someone who builds bridges. Don’t be known as someone who kicks others when they’re down; be known as someone who reaches out to people and pulls them back up again. Don’t denigrate and tear down one another. If you have something to say about someone, say it to them, not about them.

Paul said, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT). If that means sacrificing your own preferences, so be it. If it means swallowing your pride, so be it. If it means meeting people more than halfway or doing the heavy lifting in a relationship, so be it. Keeping people united may seem like thankless work at times, but God sees and rewards our efforts. His Spirit works in us and through us, making sure that our efforts don’t go to waste.

As believers, we share one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. That gives us a wide swath of common ground on which to build unity.

Reflection Question: What is your best strategy for building unity in a group?

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“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!” (John 20:19–20 NLT)

If we were telling the origin story of the Christian church, this would be a compelling first scene. A handful of Jesus’ followers hiding behind closed doors, shell-shocked, confused, and too scared to show their faces in public. Suddenly the risen Jesus miraculously appears in the flesh, victorious over sin and death, confirming the truth of everything He taught and promised them.

At some point, either while Jesus was in the room or after He left, the truth must have dawned on them. If the One they served is more powerful than sin and death, then (1) they had nothing to fear, and (2) the world needed to know. We see their newfound boldness and sense of purpose in the passages that follow. That’s the power of the resurrection.

Armed with that power, this small group of believers changed the world. And most of them sacrificed their lives to do it.

According to church tradition, Peter took the gospel to Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia. He was crucified upside down because he told his executioners that he wasn’t worthy of being crucified in the same manner as Jesus.

Andrew spread the gospel through what is now Russia, Turkey, and Greece. He, too, was crucified.

Thomas wasn’t present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples in John 20. And he doubted their story. But when Jesus appeared again, and Thomas saw Him, his doubts disappeared. He took the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection all the way to India. He died after being impaled by the spears of four soldiers.

Philip spread the gospel in North Africa and Asia Minor. After he converted the wife of a Roman official, the official had him put to death.

Matthew, the tax collector, traveled to Persia and Ethiopia to spread Jesus’ message. He was stabbed to death.

Bartholomew accompanied Thomas to India and also shared the gospel in Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. He was crucified.

James, the son of Alphaeus, shared the Good News of Christ throughout Syria. He was stoned and then clubbed to death.

Simon took the gospel to Persia. He was put to death there when he refused to make a sacrifice to the sun god.

Matthias was the man chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. He shared the gospel in Syria, where he was burned to death.

John is believed to be the only disciple who died a natural death. He was exiled to the penal colony of Patmos.

The apostle Paul traveled extensively to share the gospel. He was beheaded in Rome.

The apostle John ended his Gospel with these words: “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25 NLT).

Among the “many other things” was the impact Jesus had on a small group of ordinary people. He changed their lives forever. And, in turn, they changed the world in His name.

As Jesus’ followers, we’re still called to change the world—one life at a time. We have Good News to share—the best news, in fact. If we’re faithful to our calling, we can impact lives for eternity.

Reflection question: In what ways would you like to be bolder in sharing your faith with others?

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