Guarding Unity

The book of Ephesians can be broken into two parts. The first three chapters talk to us about being a Christian and what that means to us. Then Paul takes the last three chapters to tell us how we are to live as Christians. In chapter four, Paul begins to share what we do as Christians, and he starts with unity. Not with worship, prayer, and giving, but he begins by telling us how to live and guard the unity that we have with other believers. Now, why would Paul start with unity? The reason is quite simple, without unity, we cannot accomplish what God has for us.

God has given every believer and every body of believers power and purpose. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to accomplish the will of God. Jesus said that we have been given authority or legitimate power to fulfill what God has called us to do. Jesus also let us know that we have a purpose or a calling. This purpose has been given to us by God, and it cannot be taken away by the enemy. So, we have power, and we have a purpose, but there is something else. You see power + Unity= Purpose. We have a purpose and power, but we need one another to accomplish God’s great things for us, and that takes unity. Unity is the only thing that the enemy can attack. He cannot attack God’s Power, and he cannot take away God’s purpose. The calling is without repentance. The only thing that he can attack is the unity of the church, and in doing so, he keeps us from accomplishing God’s will. A case in point is the children of Israel that were supposed to go into the promised land, and some wanted to, but they were not united and therefore did not accomplish God’s purpose.

The enemy knows that if he can destroy unity within the church, he can keep us from doing great things for God. Therefore, Paul starts by telling the church that they are to guard the unity of the church. They are to mature and become full-grown so that they can maintain the unity that they have with one another. Unity is part of the equation that brings results to the church. If one can set a thousand devils to flight, then two can send ten thousand to flight. When we are together and unified, operating in the Power of the Holy Spirit, then there is nothing that the church cannot accomplish for the Kingdom of God. So, let us guard the unity.