YHE CHURCH ON EARTH
ONE BODY
a. There is only “one body.” There are not two bodies nor several bodies of believers. However, in this imperfect world, there are many different denominations and churches. But note what God is doing: God is creating only one body of people who trust and follow His dear Son. When a person places his trust in Jesus Christ, God does six things to the believer that place him into the body of Christ:
⇒ God gives a new birth to the believer—quickens him spiritually—causes him to be born again (Jn. 1:12–13; 3:3–6; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pe. 1:23; 1 Jn. 5:1).
⇒ God makes a new creature, a new man out of the believer (2 Co. 5:17; Ep. 4:24; Col. 3:10).
⇒ God places His divine nature into the believer (2 Pe. 1:4).
⇒ God puts His Holy Spirit into the believer, actually has His Spirit enter the believer’s body. The believer’s body becomes a temple for the presence of God’s Spirit (Jn. 14:16–17; 1 Co. 3:16; 6:19–20).
⇒ God causes the believer to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, control (Ga. 5:22–23).
⇒ God places the believer into the new body of people He is creating, that is, into the body of Christ, His church.
b. There is only “one Spirit.” The same Spirit that dwells within one member of the body dwells in all members of the body.
⇒ It is God’s Spirit that causes a man to be born again.
It is God’s Spirit that calls and gifts and directs each member to fit in and work within the body.
each member is to do his part in carrying out the mission of the body—for Christ. Acting independent of the body is of another spirit, for there is only One Spirit creating the body of Christ.
c. There is only “one hope.” Every genuine believer has the same hope: the great day of redemption. It is to be a new world created perfectly for Christ Jesus and His people. Life in the new heavens and earth will be a life of love and joy and peace—a life of oneness and unity and brotherhood—all perfected. What God is after is for us to live as we shall live in the future. Our future lives in the new heavens and earth are to be the pattern for the way we live together now. We shall be redeemed and reconciled to God and to each other—all living together in a perfect world of love and joy and peace for ever and ever. The hope for eternity—the hope that fills our hearts for such a world—is to be the driving force that stirs us to live together in peace and unity.
d. There is only “one Lord.” There is only one Master and King. Every believer has bowed before the same Lord to become His subject and to receive His orders. As His subjects, believers are unequivocally instructed …
• to live as He said: holy and righteous and pure, bearing the fruit of His Spirit (Ga. 5:19–21)
• to carry out His orders as one body (Mt. 7:21–23; 1 Co. 12:5; Ph. 2:9–11)
e. There is only “one faith.” There are not two faiths nor several faiths. There is only one faith that leads into God’s presence and that is the faith founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other approach to God. If a person wishes to live with God—to be approved and accepted by Him—that person has to approach God through the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The point is this: every believer has come to God in the very same way—by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Him is the only way, the only true faith. Therefore, standing before God and having come to Him through the same faith, there is no room for any differences. We all stand on the same ground, on the same level: the ground and level of faith.
f. There is only “one baptism.” All believers have given public witness to their faith by submitting to the ordinance of water baptism. Each has been identified as being members of the same body because each has been initiated through the same ritual. Therefore, having entered the church through the same ordinance, we should not become divisive. Divisiveness denies and brings shame to the meaning of the ordinance. Divisiveness is a reflection of the depth of our commitment. It shows that our sincerity in being baptized was lacking, greatly lacking. It shows that we care little for Christ and for our baptism experience, for the great ordinance which initiated us into the church.
g. There is only “one God and Father of all.” This is probably a primitive confession of faith.
⇒ “One God”: God is creator of all and as such is supreme over all.
⇒ “One Father of all”: as Father, God loves all. The Christian belief begins with God as love.
⇒ “Above all”: God controls all.
The point is striking: If there is only one God and Father of all believers, how then could He be leading two believers to stand toe to toe against each other? The answer is obvious: He could not. One or both believers are following their own fleshly carnal ways. Someone is not following the only God and Father.