While taking The Way Ministry’s Foundational Class on the Bible, I was taught the truth about Jesus Christ. I learned who he is and what he accomplished for my life. Toward the end of the class, I confessed Jesus as lord and believed in my heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Upon confessing and believing, I was born again and received the gift of holy spirit. I became a part of the family of God, the one Body of Christ. When any individuals, regardless of their race, gender, or nationality, get born again and receive the gift of holy spirit, they become members of the Body of Christ.
I Corinthians 12:12,13:
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit [God] are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews [Judeans] or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit [the gift of holy spirit].
As members of the one Body of Christ, we all have received the gift of holy spirit. We are unified spiritually by God. The unity of the spirit in the Body of Christ is important to God, and He has entrusted the keeping of that unity to us.
Ephesians 4:1-3:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The word “endeavouring” emphasizes the earnest effort believers in the Body of Christ are to exert in order to stay spiritually unified in daily living. With all of our effort and ability, we faithfully keep that unity like a treasure. We can put on four important qualities in our walk to effectively keep the unity of the spirit: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearance.
The first quality in keeping the unity of the spirit is lowliness, which means humility of mind. Humility includes remembering what God has done for us. We balance the knowledge of our present strength and spiritual ability with the remembrance of what we were before God rescued us. This humility is unselfish and prioritizes the welfare of others. We listen to one another, consider each other’s needs and input, and support one another. We lovingly submit to one another with humility, and this helps us stay spiritually unified.
The second quality in keeping the unity of the spirit is meekness. To be meek means to be receptive or coachable. Instead of being self-willed, we decide to be receptive and coachable according to the Word, submitting our will to the will of God. Meekness is a necessary quality when working with other people. Being meek to one another opens the door for us to learn from each other. We recognize that each of us is necessary in the Body, having a function to perform that no one else can. Meekness enhances our unity by encouraging us to work together.
The third quality is long-suffering. Long-suffering means to have patience and self-restraint, even when provoked. It is to have long patience, or tolerance, with people. We can see God’s example of this in Psalms.
Psalms 86:15:
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Because God has shown Himself so long-suffering with us—patiently enduring our faults, mistakes, and errors over the course of our lives—we can show His care and long-suffering toward others without hesitation.
The fourth quality is forbearance—we forbear one another in love. To forbear means to hold up, to sustain, to undergird. We do this with the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. The Amplified Bible (1987) states in Ephesians 4:2, “…bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.” We bear with one another. We do this as we support people, encircle them with love, and help them to grow even when they make mistakes. We get involved by actively believing to support and meet the need with God’s Word and His power.
As members in particular in the Body of Christ, we can each do our part to be victorious at keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Let’s renew our commitment to this responsibility daily with all that we are by choosing to walk with lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering toward one another, and by forbearing one another in love.