So, why is Christian unity so important? Why did the United Methodists bother to send delegates from all over the world to St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this week? Indeed, why do we Christians bother to gather on the Lord’s Day at all? Why don’t we just read our devotions on Facebook and watch podcast sermons and pray by ourselves?

For let’s be honest – whenever we get involved in any kind of committee work or try to plan any group activities there’s always politics, right? There are always differences of opinion. Sometimes feelings get hurt, and it takes a lot of hard work to deal with all the misunderstandings that arise. Why can’t we all just be lone Christians and leave it at that?

Well, regardless of our very American independent streak, today’s passage gives us one reason that we must all pursue Christian unity, no matter how hard it is: believe it or not and like it or not, we are all one. For when we trust in Christ as Savior and bow the knee to Him as Lord, we are not only connected to Him vertically, as a body is connected to a head. No, we are also connected horizontally to everyone else who shares this faith and trust. We are all part of one body, Christ’s body. In fact, as verse 4 says, all who belong to Jesus have His own Holy Spirit living inside us.

And that means that the things we have in common with other Christians are much more important than all the disagreements that divide us. Regardless of how we celebrate it, there is only one baptism that brings us all into one covenant community. Regardless of our individual preferences and aspirations, we all share one great hope – the hope of the resurrection when Christ returns.

Moreover, all of us are joined to the one body of Christ, we all have one faith in Christ by the grace of God alone (v. 7), not because any of us were deserving of salvation. And that means that none of us has any room for thinking that we are better than any other believers.

So of course we should do what Paul says in verse 2. Of course we should be gentle and patient with other sinners who have been saved by grace. Of course we should put up with one another, regardless of the disagreements we might have. Of course we should show the love of Christ to one another. And none of that is possible if we just keep to ourselves.

Ephesians 4:1-7 (NAS)

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.