Ephesians

7. One God and Father of all

The last of these seven unities is “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6). Here is the ultimate aim of all the other elements of our Christian unity. As Paul puts it in his letter to the Romans, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba [Daddy], Father’” (Romans 8:15). He is approachable; He is caring; He is our loving Father.

But Paul wants us to understand that God is even more than this. God is over all, and through all, and in all. He is the end and the beginning. He is close and approachable, yet He is also vast and deep and beyond our comprehension. Once we gain an appreciation for God’s love and God’s infinite, awesome glory, we realize He can only be properly addressed, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9).

That is the nature of Christian unity—not a union to be created, but a unity that already exists, gathered around certain truths that every follower of Christ holds dear. As we bring new believers to Christ, the unity of the Spirit will be produced in them by the Spirit. We maintain that unity by practicing love, acceptance, and forgiveness toward others in the body of Christ.

There will be some who are weak in the faith, who may not have all their doctrinal T’s crossed and their theological I’s dotted. But Paul tells us in Romans 14:1 to receive the weaker brothers and sisters. Recognize a brother who manifests the experience of the unity of the Spirit, no matter what his label may be.

Occasionally, we will encounter some within a church or a Christian movement who claim to be Christians, but who deny one or more of the seven fundamental elements we have just examined. Understand, they are moving in a different direction. They do not share the one hope and one faith that is yours through the one Lord, Jesus Christ. We cannot join in evangelistic or ministry endeavors with those who deny this fundamental unity. Why not? Because our actions are determined by our beliefs. Paul makes this plain: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

This is not to say we are to shun non-Christians. Clearly, there are areas of cooperation that we can have with those who do not share the unity of the Spirit, and in the process, perhaps they might even be won to Christ. We can join with non-Christians in the workplace, in social programs, in medical programs, in government, in education, and many other enterprises in life. We can invite non-Christians to “seeker-friendly” Bible studies and church services, where they can be introduced to biblical truth and the joy of Christian fellowship in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.