Ephesians 4:1-6
Verses 4-6 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 continue with our going through the list of “ones” given by Paul in his letter to his friends in Ephesus. Having set the foundation of our being one body we need to acknowledge why that is. Without the Spirit in us we would not be one body. He is our uniting factor, if we don’t have the Spirt, we aren’t part of the army of God. And if we aren’t part of His army we don’t have the hope which comes with the calling to be His. If we aren’t in His army we will be on the losing side.
As part of God’s army it is important for us to understand what it means that we are under one Lord. This a very important part of the “one” list because it sets the standard for our understanding of the rest on the list. Calling Jesus, “Lord” isn’t something we should do lightly. In fact Jesus told His followers that some would call Him Lord and He would declare He never knew them (Matthew 7:21). We can say a lot of things with our mouth but if our actions aren’t following, we are not living in truth.
Having Him as Lord means He is the boss, always and in every situation. Just as a soldier must listen to their superior officer, we also must seek His guidance and commands in every moment of our lives. This means following Him into battles we would rather avoid and retreating from battles we are eager to fight if He says stand down. To know what He desires requires us to be attentive to His every word and command. To know Him as Lord is to obey those directives.
One faith is our next item on our list. This faith is talking about the doctrine which is ours through the teachings of the New Testament. This faith we have is what makes us one in Christ and unified in battle. This is one of the reasons it is so important to be intentional about our teachings of the truths of Scripture. If we are not one is faith, we cannot be united in standing for the Lord because we wouldn’t both be following Him.
We finish off the list with baptism and God, the Father. These two things cap off the foundational stones of truth. There is only one baptism. While there were various baptisms happening in those days, only one was a baptism of the Trinity. God, the Father is the binding agent for all His people. We are baptized into Him and He works through all things for His faithful followers.
Making It Personal
What do the “ones” in this list mean to you? Would you say Jesus is Lord of your life? Do you actions, speech and thoughts agree with that answer?
Making It Personal Kids
How would you describe being a soldier for Jesus? Do you want to have Jesus as Lord of your life? What do you need to do to make that happen?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for this list of spiritual essentials. Help us to fully surrender to You and set You firmly in the place of Lord of our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.