Today’s Scripture
“For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
—Ephesians 2:14-18 (NIV)
Additional Scripture
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 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.”
—Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)
Reflect on the Word
One of our Foursquare Creed’s statements is a concept that our founder, Sister Aimee Semple McPherson, often shared: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” As a church, we must be united in the essentials. While we make room for and celebrate our diversity, we must also stand firmly on what we know matters most.
John 13:35 tells us the world will know we are Jesus’ disciples by our love for one another. How well do we love? How obvious is that love for one another? Do we, as co-laborers in Christ, love out loud? Do we stand together?
We must be intentional. We must be committed. We must make every effort to pursue oneness. A unified church is founded on the hope of Jesus, bound together by love and united in the Holy Spirit through the bond of peace.
Prayer + Contemplation
- Ephesians 4:3 says we should make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. In what ways do you foster unity?
- As one body, let’s pray for the church to grow in unity—not uniformity, but specifically unity of the Spirit.
- Let’s take a moment to consider ways that we can contribute to unity among our community of believers. Ask the Lord to use you as an agent of His peace.
