Soulfood

Aaron Sironi

What is unity? What comes to mind? Is it a symphony orchestra? Is it a family gathered around the table smiling and laughing enjoying one another?

Isaiah 11 gives us a picture of the ultimate unity. – “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the lion’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters of the sea. “

This is the imagery that Paul draws upon in Ephesians when he talks about the dividing wall of hostility being broken down. There is enmity and strife in the world! But Christ himself is our peace. This is what Paul is telling us and praying about in Ephesians. As Paul shares with us what he is praying for, he is putting forth the vision of God for the new creation. Paul’s prayers work to hold out to us what the new creation is like. Paul does not pray for unity in Ephesians – he prays that we would grasp, to understand, the love of Christ; and he prays that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith.

Unity comes from being taken captive by Christ’s love for us and the faith which brings Christ to dwell with us would move our hearts towards him and one another. When we know how greatly we are loved, when we grasp how that love has united us to Christ, we know that we belong with one another. As we know more and more the affection of Christ for us, we become more and more affectionate towards one another. The love that Christ has for us is upstream of unity – it flows down to us and binds us together by its powerful working in us.

As Christ comes to dwell in us, he works to rebuild and repair us to make us a more and more suitable habitation for his glory. Christ is renovating our hearts room by room year by year to be a place fitting for the Lord of love. All that Christ is doing in us is building in us unity of Spirit in the bond of peace. And he gives us gifts which we are to use for the works of service shared with one another. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 what actions destroy unity.

Competing, comparing, discounting others – these things destroy unity. Lying, deceitfulness, deceptive practices destroy unity. Sinning in anger destroys unity. Stealing from one another destroys unity. Unwholesome talk grieves the Spirit and destroys unity. Bitterness, rage, clamor, slander – these things grow in the secret places in our hearts and destroy unity. And sexual immorality, debauchery, filthiness, and foolish talk destroy unity.

We must make every effort to put off all of those things. Forgiveness, kindness, tenderheartedness, honesty, wholesome talk that builds up, integrity, generosity, charity – these work to guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And as we practice them we can see the vision God shows us in Isaiah of a place where all conflicts have ceased, where all strivings and quarrels are quieted, where former enemies are reconciled and joined in one family. Lord, come quickly!