Read Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Read Ephesians 4:3-6 NIV
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.
We live in a society that very much values individuality. It’s a “you do you” kind of world, often with permission to not think very long on how what might work for us impacts those around us. Here’s the thing – God did create us all differently…with different gifts and talents all on purpose. But somewhere along the way the purpose for his masterful design of the human race often gets missed. Our differences are not meant to make us stand out but to bring us together.
We can begin with the idea that Jesus came to level the playing field. Every human life is marked by sin whether male or female, free or slave. But Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that each of us could know Him and be a part of His family. Through Jesus we are all equal. Brought together in unity by the grace that saves us all and fills us with the same Spirit! Here is where we often get it wrong…Unity does not mean “the same”. The unity we find in Christ doesn’t mean we drop all the parts of us that look different from each other. No, those differences are what make our unity so rich of a blessing. They showcase the richness of the God who is over all of us and who created us in His image. Our gifts and talents – who God created us to be – are meant to draw us together. They are meant for us to help and serve one another. To love one another well. To live as one people united by the love of Christ and living in His Spirit.
What can you do today to encourage the beautifully diverse unity of the church?
