The verse sets out a shared Lord, a shared faith, and a shared baptism as the foundation and common ground of the church's unity. It stands with one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and one God and Father of all, and with the appeal to walk worthy in lowliness and meekness and longsuffering, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To be under one Lord is to be bound together in Christ with lives hid in God, to hold one faith is to be united in the truth of Scripture by obedience to God's commandments, and to share one baptism is to be baptized into Christ as partakers of the divine nature. That oneness does not make all minds and characters alike, but joins different gifts, roles, and experiences so members counsel and assist one another and every lack is supplied. It must appear in organized, coordinated action without envy, rivalry, jealousy, or division, and such harmony among varied dispositions is the strongest witness that God sent His Son to save sinners.
Verse Setting and Appeal
One Lord, one faith, and one baptism stand among the foundations and common ground of the church's unity, shared by all believers as members of one body animated by one Spirit and one hope. This shared oneness calls Christians to work together in fellowship without envy or rivalry, each serving to build up the body rather than one person being treated as the whole. The unity is to be preserved in peace through humility, meekness, patience, and love, showing Christ's character and the blessings of salvation.
The threefold oneness belongs with one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and with one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all. On this ground rests the appeal to walk worthy of the calling with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The gospel carrying this unity is to go to all nations in meekness and lowliness of spirit, while ministers look to their own hearts rather than persecute, and believers stay united with God's church as co-laborers with Him.
That worthy walk requires manifesting the power of truth by meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love, with character molded in harmony with Christ and will surrendered to His will. The instruction was not for the church of that day alone but comes down to believers now, as positive and decided light and grace to be read, received, studied, and put fully into practice with no half-way work in bringing unity into the church. Unity so practiced is to be lived rather than replaced by personal opinions, with grace given by Christ to each person.
When Christ ascended up on high and led captivity captive He gave gifts unto men, giving some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. Those gifts are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Grace is given to every one according to the measure of Christ's gift, shown by His descent and ascent to fill all things, so that believers are no longer children tossed by every wind of doctrine and deceit but speak truth in love and grow up into Christ the head, with the whole body joined and supplied by every joint working to edify itself in love. The fourth chapter thus sets forth the Lord's manner of working through a variety of gifts and shared ministries for the growth of the body toward unity in faith, with every gift acknowledged as essential and no member the whole body and no worker complete alone.
Receiving the light of God's Word brings the church toward this unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, like the unity of the apostolic believers in faith and love. The instruction of Ephesians 3 and 4 is to be read solemnly and impressed upon minds because it means much, confronting hard-spiritedness from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and calling for great reformation in lives, words, works, and spiritual understanding, for catching the inspiration of angels and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. The verse embraces much and requires lifelong learning, for in the school of Christ no one is ever graduated, and in line upon line education believers are only beginning to understand God's requirements and fall far short of the high standard. Instead of thinking perfection of knowledge is attained they must constantly reach forward for more wisdom and grace and a fuller understanding of what God requires, carrying true knowledge gained in becoming acquainted with God and in nearness to Him in saving souls into the school above, so that in the heavenly courts it can be said they are complete in Him. The chapter harmonizes with the Old Testament and teaches loyalty to God's law, whose obedience brings the blessings God promises.
Meaning of Oneness
One Lord means being bound together as one in Christ Jesus, with lives hid with Christ in God. Christ works on different minds, and those who respond reveal His power as the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts. This oneness is God's plain and simple plan to keep unity in His church so its members reveal a healthy religious experience to the world. It enables all His children to lay hold upon the truth and leads them to practice the golden rule, to bear a living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, to draw souls to obedience to the law as laborers together with God, and to magnify the law as perfect and converting the soul by courtesy, unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy.
One faith means being united in the faith of the Scriptures through obedience to the commandments of God. The gospel was designed to lead all to believe and practice the same truth, revealing both the peculiar privileges and dangers of the church. This unity is God's appointed means for His people to live in agreement and show the world a healthy Christian experience, with believers loving one another as the Father and Son are united and their shared life and testimony helping draw others to obedience. The one faith is faith in the one gospel of Jesus Christ, to be wrought in the mind and revealed in the character.
That faith works by love and purifies the soul. It overcomes the world and confirms steadfastness through the sanctification of the truth, making men laborers together with God. The one baptism is baptism into Christ, through which believers become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles did not take the place of baptism, for faith, repentance, and baptism are requisite steps in conversion. The one baptism is a solemn rite that means much, so no unconverted person and no uninstructed man, woman, or child should take part in it without plain instruction in its meaning and solemnity, since receiving such persons enfeebles the churches.
Shared faith makes believers one family under the same heavenly Father. They share one God, one Saviour, and one Spirit, and the Spirit of Christ is to unite them in harmony and kindness toward one another. This shared faith and same hope of immortality call for a close, tender bond of brotherly love whose sanctifying influence should be visible to the world. The oneness joins heaven and God's workers on earth in harmony, calling believers to draw together with humble hearts, and holding the truth makes it necessary to help others learn it. As at Pentecost, believers are to pray, believe, and live in harmony with one another and with the Word, trusting God to open minds and hearts to the truth, and this work is acknowledged in heaven. Believers belong to one body, one church, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit, with one Holy Spirit proceeding from God dwelling in the hearts of all with life-giving power, and they must no longer stay on the lowlands subject to Satan's plans but rise by the faith that works by love and purifies the soul through thorough transformation of character.
Unity in Diversity
Complete unity in diversity is God's plan for His work, for those called are not molded alike in character, just as no two leaves in nature are alike and no two human minds are precisely alike, and even heavenly angels are not exactly alike in qualifications and ministry, yet all are to work to one end. The one Lord, one faith, one baptism means the one mind and will of God expressed through the perfection of the saints and the perfection of His church. Truth speaks its own language through a diversity of gifts, and the divine work is carried on by and through that diversity, with all gifts essential to meet every emergency in every kind of labor. God works through different minds and different elements of character, with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and walking worthy of the calling.
This unity does not mean one person is to be treated as the whole body, for Christ gives different gifts and roles to members so they can serve together and build up the body. No member is the whole body and no worker is complete alone, so those in responsible positions must wisely improve their own gifts with prudence and discretion while respecting, making room for, and cooperating with the different gifts God has given to others. No one may disparage another's gifts, fix on self, insist that only his own line of work serves God, refuse to labor with one who views things differently, or claim to be the only one who can bring truth from God's treasure house, because grace and gifts are given to every one, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for perfecting the saints, for ministry, and for building up the body until all come to unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto full maturity in Christ. God has joined together men of different minds so they counsel with and assist one another and the deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another, and no one is qualified to bear the burden of the work alone. This unity belongs with the one body, Spirit, and hope, and with the one God and Father, and it does not mean that one person's judgment or ideas should rule everyone, but believers are to respect one another's service, learn and work together, and let each contribute to the church's unity.
God's work is ordered so that one person is not meant to manage everything or carry so many responsibilities that mind and body are worn out, but He appoints different people and roles, and institutions and their workers are to be guided by Him rather than placed under one person as sole head. Different gifts and lines of missionary work are to blend, not separate, and there is to be no schism among believers. There is only one master Spirit over the work, the Spirit of Him who is infinite in wisdom, in whom all diverse elements meet in beautiful, matchless unity, and no one man's mind or one woman's mind is to exert a controlling power in God's institutions, but the Spirit working in and through diverse workers produces harmony of action. Oneness in the Lord requires dying to self and uniting human weakness to Christ's strength after the pattern of Christ who descended from heaven from the throne of God and clothed His divinity with humanity to show what human beings may become, so that cherished strong unchristlike traits of character are softened, subdued and purified and believers united with one another are one with Christ in God. Those who profess the truth are to unite as a church, sharing one faith and interest and strengthening and helping one another, with no one lording it over the church or rejecting a fellow believer without sufficient cause, but laboring together and bearing with one another as Jesus has borne with them, for division grieves God's Spirit and hinders His work.
Sanctifying grace modifies diverse temperaments, while the same distinguishing principles govern the lives of all. Though Christians have diverse temperaments, sanctifying grace shapes them and brings their lives under the same distinguishing principles. Believers with different minds, gifts, and temperaments are called to work together in harmony, sharing the same spirit — the spirit of Christ — for differences in character are no reason to draw apart, but each person is to subdue peculiarities and soften temperament so that believers can help one another through faith and sanctification by the truth. Yet oneness in one Lord and one baptism, though held by all the teachers, did not by itself produce harmony when they differed on minor matters such as lines of study and the diet question and neglected the principles of health reform, for difference of views on these lesser points brought division despite unity in Lord and baptism. Those who belong to Christ and are taught by God are united in spirit and action with no discordant opinions, and the Holy Spirit binds them together in a unity no satanic power can break.
History and Prophecy Fulfilled
Receiving the light of God's word brings believers into oneness of spirit, marked by faith and love like that of the apostolic church. The advent message showed this oneness in practice, when people from different denominations set aside denominational barriers and conflicting creeds, corrected false beliefs, and were joined in fellowship, love, and joy. The one faith was the shared faith and blessed hope that united those who proclaimed the first angel's message and the midnight cry in 1844, filling hearts with love for one another and for Jesus, lifting them above human influence, and shielding them against Satan's assaults. That same shared faith and blessed hope united Adventists who proclaimed the first message in 1843 and the midnight cry in 1844, while fanaticism and division arose instead during their later doubt and perplexity.
The divided Protestant churches, with their conflicting creeds and theories, do not have the unity Christ prayed for. The shared faith was built over sixty years in the third angel's message, with not a pin or pillar moved, and is to be held against every effort of Satan to tear it up. True followers share a similar Christian experience, seen among Sabbath keepers who obey God's commandments despite obstacles, reproach, and loss.
Christians in Sweden have the very same spiritual experience as Christians in America, for all believers have the one Lord, one faith, and one baptism in different countries. Hearing their testimonies together in a social meeting proves that sameness and aids the unity. The verse warns every soul to have churches set in order, the door of unbelief closed, and straight paths made so the weak are not turned out of the way, while Satan's seducing power increases to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Church Life Together
Unity is shown in coordinated, disciplined action within the church, not in each person choosing an independent course, and order and harmony enable the church to work together and receive the cooperation of heavenly angels, while confusion and disorganization hinder its work. Oneness must be expressed in organized churches that can carry out and enforce order, for without such organization there is nothing to hope for and the flock must scatter into fragments, and nourishing disunion and cherishing a spirit to watch and accuse rather than to build up is condemned. When ministers unitedly take their position and maintain it with decision, a uniting influence comes among the flock, separating bars are broken to fragments, hearts flow together and unite like drops of water, and the ranks of Sabbath keepers gain a power and strength far exceeding anything yet witnessed.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, which requires perfect unity among the Lord's servants, with no territorial lines in Christ's work, and workers are to help one another with a noble spirit of helpfulness and willingness to use the Lord's money where it is needed most. Usefulness and success depend on Christ, who reads hearts and knows motives, and everything that would hinder presenting present truth must be separated from self. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, joined to one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and to one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all, which means all workers must walk worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Every institution established in the interests of the work must take heed to this word and bring it into practical life, with no striving for the chief place and no rivalry between head and associate workers.
All who labor in ministry and medical missionary work are joined in one body under Christ, wearing His yoke in humility of mind before God and using their varied gifts to bless humanity so God can use them as His helping hand, with Christ as the one Leader sent by the Father to redeem the fallen race. All parts of the work are to be controlled and guided by the wisdom God gives, with harmony in every action, drawing in even cords without friction, giving room to fellow laborers and standing under the standard of Christ Jesus united by the desire to strengthen His work in every line. There is to be no jealousy of Paul or Apollos or Cephas, no quarreling, no measuring of brethren by personal ideas, no fastening of the soul to any human leader, no following human devising, and no allegiance to a human leader, but following Christ's directions in restoring the moral image of God in the human race for the glory of God. Gospel ministers and medical missionary workers must be united in belief and stand together on a united platform, with medical missionaries taking interest in the work of the conferences and conference workers taking equal interest in the work of the medical missionaries, because division between them brings the worst evil upon the churches. This unity has a limit, for there is no right to unite with or sustain a leader who is not a safe leader of God's flock until he stands where he can safely lead.
One Lord, one faith, and one baptism gives a common gospel identity that unites people of every class, nation, tongue, and language rather than dividing them, breaking down national prejudice and jealousy and forming one brotherhood that serves and glorifies God together. Believers from different language groups have one God and one Saviour, and the Spirit of Christ brings unity among them, so their shared faith calls them to act in harmony, to treat one another kindly, to labor for one another, and to be of one mind and judgment, joined in love and peace while imitating Christ's character. Believers of every nationality are to work together rather than divide into separate organizations or separate groups, reflecting Christ's prayer that His disciples be one. Sharing Christ's mission of love and mercy brings workers into unity of purpose, and concern for saving souls makes personal rivalries and lesser differences recede.
Christian unity is essential to the church's life and power, for when members unite under the control of the Spirit, God can work mightily through them to convert sinners. The church is to be united in one mind and one faith, reflecting the unity of the church in heaven, with believers joined in church life to strengthen one another in good and righteous work, since division works against God's plan. Even the most splendid temple amounts to nothing if hearts are not right, for God meets with His people and believers themselves are the temple of the living God, so greatest anxiety must be about spiritual condition, showing reverence in entering and leaving the house of God, remembering His presence and angels, educating children that God meets with His people, and directing their thoughts heavenward. Faith unites believers so that parting brings sorrow yet rejoicing, because those who stay faithful will soon meet again never to part. Believers are to be united under the Lord's rule, with God's Spirit guiding them, rather than dominated by human authority in their spiritual lives.
Christian Walk Applied
The oneness of Lord and faith and baptism is the ground for keeping unity, calling Christians to become new men and women in Christ, putting on peace and grace and righteousness. It requires refusing evil, suspicious and divisive speech, praying alone instead, and letting the Holy Spirit lead reason and conscience to commendation, love, holiness and charity amid the battle of two spirits striving for mastery. This is what walking worthy of the calling means, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, because there is one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all, with grace given to every believer according to the measure of Christ's gift when He ascended up on high and led captivity captive, including apostles and prophets and evangelists. God's people are to come into this unity in every church, and these words outline the work to be done in every church and call everyone to reach a higher standard. Love is the law of Christ's kingdom, to be revealed in lives showing love, meekness and longsuffering, with longsuffering bearing many things without seeking to be avenged by word or act.
No one who lives to himself is a Christian, for the gospel was designed to lead all to believe and practice the same truth, revealing both the peculiar privileges and dangers of the church. Everyone who truly accepts Christ is created anew in Him, cooperates with Christ, follows the Saviour's example, and is ready to sacrifice everything for his Master. The Lord has a claim upon every human being, upon every power and every moment, because each has been bought with a price, even the precious blood of the only begotten Son of God. This oneness is Paul's word spoken by the Spirit calling believers to walk worthy of their vocation, joined to one Spirit and one hope of calling and one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all. It requires lowliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and it requires examining self, humbling the heart before God, purifying the heart by obedience to the truth, and keeping the way of the Lord.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism means yoking up with the Lord Jesus and cooperating with Him, which requires oneness in the ministry through humbling of self before God in contrition of soul. It means cultivating esteem and confidence in brethren, repenting of an uncourteous spirit, ceasing to manufacture trials and to make great matters unworthy of notice, and receiving a cleansing of the soul temple so workers can agree and walk together in the good works ordained to be walked in and receive pardon, mercy, love and self-revelation from God. Believers must walk humbly with God in all lowliness of mind with a humble spirit, uniting with their brethren in love rather than choosing their own company and separating from anyone who will not accept their ideas and plans. They are to practice the truth in words, in spirit, and in action.
Divisions in the church dishonor Christ's religion before the world and give its enemies cause to justify their opposition and defend their course. As members of one body they are animated by the same Spirit and share the same hope, forming a common foundation for unity. This instruction was not for the church of that day alone but was designed to come down to believers now, who must preserve unity in the bonds of peace by walking worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. By meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love they exemplify the character of Christ and the blessings of His salvation, showing Christ's character through patience and love. Harmony and union among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that God sent His Son into the world to save sinners, and it is their privilege to bear that witness, manifesting in life the power of the truth with character molded in harmony with His character and will surrendered to His will.
Those who profess the truth are to unite as a church, sharing one faith and interest and strengthening and helping one another, working together in Christian fellowship, each serving without envy or rivalry. No one should lord it over the church or reject a fellow believer without sufficient cause; believers are to labor together and bear with one another as Jesus has borne with them. Unity of faith is weakened by division, jealousy, criticism and confusion, while abiding love joins hearts in unity. Believers who claim faith in Christ are to live in unity rather than jealousy, suspicion and mutual judgment, for such disunity prevents the Spirit's work and grieves God's Spirit and hinders His work, while love and oneness in Christ give the world evidence of God's goodness. This unity is kept through humility, meekness, patience and love toward one another, and no believer should claim special light that sets them above the others.
Christ calls for unity, but not unity on wrong practices, for true unity stands on pure, elevating, ennobling truth in sharp contrast to false, misleading doctrines. Sin and impenitence are to be called by the right name and not glossed over, and differences of opinion among leading men breed controversy among members. The one baptism is a solemn rite that means much, so no unconverted person and no uninstructed man, woman, or child should take part in it without plain instruction in its meaning and solemnity, and receiving such persons enfeebles the churches. Those who profess to love God and keep His commandments must reveal unity as children of God, requiring loving God supremely and loving one another as themselves and respecting the principles that bind the human family together in its proper order. It comes from cherishing the Spirit of Christ, with all working under the divine head and blending together in perfect harmony, receiving power, joy and influence from the same Source, through which God reveals the wonderful principles of heaven, and no one who fails in this unity can enter heaven.
The gospel is to be carried to all nations and peoples in meekness and lowliness of spirit, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, because there is one body and one Spirit with one hope of calling and one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all. Ministers need to look to their own hearts to see where they stand rather than doing the work of persecution that religious claimants do. Unto every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, and He gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Then none remain children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness lying in wait to deceive, but by speaking the truth in love grow up into Him in all things who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly framed together and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This oneness means God has a church that believers must stay united with as co-laborers with Him, walking worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.
The verse sets out a shared Lord, a shared faith, and a shared baptism as the foundation and common ground of the church's unity. It stands with one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and one God and Father of all, and with the appeal to walk worthy in lowliness and meekness and longsuffering, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To be under one Lord is to be bound together in Christ with lives hid in God, to hold one faith is to be united in the truth of Scripture by obedience to God's commandments, and to share one baptism is to be baptized into Christ as partakers of the divine nature. That oneness does not make all minds and characters alike, but joins different gifts, roles, and experiences so members counsel and assist one another and every lack is supplied. It must appear in organized, coordinated action without envy, rivalry, jealousy, or division, and such harmony among varied dispositions is the strongest witness that God sent His Son to save sinners.
Verse Setting and Appeal
One Lord, one faith, and one baptism stand among the foundations and common ground of the church's unity, shared by all believers as members of one body animated by one Spirit and one hope. This shared oneness calls Christians to work together in fellowship without envy or rivalry, each serving to build up the body rather than one person being treated as the whole. The unity is to be preserved in peace through humility, meekness, patience, and love, showing Christ's character and the blessings of salvation.
The threefold oneness belongs with one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and with one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all. On this ground rests the appeal to walk worthy of the calling with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The gospel carrying this unity is to go to all nations in meekness and lowliness of spirit, while ministers look to their own hearts rather than persecute, and believers stay united with God's church as co-laborers with Him.
That worthy walk requires manifesting the power of truth by meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love, with character molded in harmony with Christ and will surrendered to His will. The instruction was not for the church of that day alone but comes down to believers now, as positive and decided light and grace to be read, received, studied, and put fully into practice with no half-way work in bringing unity into the church. Unity so practiced is to be lived rather than replaced by personal opinions, with grace given by Christ to each person.
When Christ ascended up on high and led captivity captive He gave gifts unto men, giving some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. Those gifts are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Grace is given to every one according to the measure of Christ's gift, shown by His descent and ascent to fill all things, so that believers are no longer children tossed by every wind of doctrine and deceit but speak truth in love and grow up into Christ the head, with the whole body joined and supplied by every joint working to edify itself in love. The fourth chapter thus sets forth the Lord's manner of working through a variety of gifts and shared ministries for the growth of the body toward unity in faith, with every gift acknowledged as essential and no member the whole body and no worker complete alone.
Receiving the light of God's Word brings the church toward this unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, like the unity of the apostolic believers in faith and love. The instruction of Ephesians 3 and 4 is to be read solemnly and impressed upon minds because it means much, confronting hard-spiritedness from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and calling for great reformation in lives, words, works, and spiritual understanding, for catching the inspiration of angels and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. The verse embraces much and requires lifelong learning, for in the school of Christ no one is ever graduated, and in line upon line education believers are only beginning to understand God's requirements and fall far short of the high standard. Instead of thinking perfection of knowledge is attained they must constantly reach forward for more wisdom and grace and a fuller understanding of what God requires, carrying true knowledge gained in becoming acquainted with God and in nearness to Him in saving souls into the school above, so that in the heavenly courts it can be said they are complete in Him. The chapter harmonizes with the Old Testament and teaches loyalty to God's law, whose obedience brings the blessings God promises.
Meaning of Oneness
One Lord means being bound together as one in Christ Jesus, with lives hid with Christ in God. Christ works on different minds, and those who respond reveal His power as the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts. This oneness is God's plain and simple plan to keep unity in His church so its members reveal a healthy religious experience to the world. It enables all His children to lay hold upon the truth and leads them to practice the golden rule, to bear a living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, to draw souls to obedience to the law as laborers together with God, and to magnify the law as perfect and converting the soul by courtesy, unwavering fidelity, justice and mercy.
One faith means being united in the faith of the Scriptures through obedience to the commandments of God. The gospel was designed to lead all to believe and practice the same truth, revealing both the peculiar privileges and dangers of the church. This unity is God's appointed means for His people to live in agreement and show the world a healthy Christian experience, with believers loving one another as the Father and Son are united and their shared life and testimony helping draw others to obedience. The one faith is faith in the one gospel of Jesus Christ, to be wrought in the mind and revealed in the character.
That faith works by love and purifies the soul. It overcomes the world and confirms steadfastness through the sanctification of the truth, making men laborers together with God. The one baptism is baptism into Christ, through which believers become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles did not take the place of baptism, for faith, repentance, and baptism are requisite steps in conversion. The one baptism is a solemn rite that means much, so no unconverted person and no uninstructed man, woman, or child should take part in it without plain instruction in its meaning and solemnity, since receiving such persons enfeebles the churches.
Shared faith makes believers one family under the same heavenly Father. They share one God, one Saviour, and one Spirit, and the Spirit of Christ is to unite them in harmony and kindness toward one another. This shared faith and same hope of immortality call for a close, tender bond of brotherly love whose sanctifying influence should be visible to the world. The oneness joins heaven and God's workers on earth in harmony, calling believers to draw together with humble hearts, and holding the truth makes it necessary to help others learn it. As at Pentecost, believers are to pray, believe, and live in harmony with one another and with the Word, trusting God to open minds and hearts to the truth, and this work is acknowledged in heaven. Believers belong to one body, one church, animated by one interest and guided by one Spirit, with one Holy Spirit proceeding from God dwelling in the hearts of all with life-giving power, and they must no longer stay on the lowlands subject to Satan's plans but rise by the faith that works by love and purifies the soul through thorough transformation of character.
Unity in Diversity
Complete unity in diversity is God's plan for His work, for those called are not molded alike in character, just as no two leaves in nature are alike and no two human minds are precisely alike, and even heavenly angels are not exactly alike in qualifications and ministry, yet all are to work to one end. The one Lord, one faith, one baptism means the one mind and will of God expressed through the perfection of the saints and the perfection of His church. Truth speaks its own language through a diversity of gifts, and the divine work is carried on by and through that diversity, with all gifts essential to meet every emergency in every kind of labor. God works through different minds and different elements of character, with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and walking worthy of the calling.
This unity does not mean one person is to be treated as the whole body, for Christ gives different gifts and roles to members so they can serve together and build up the body. No member is the whole body and no worker is complete alone, so those in responsible positions must wisely improve their own gifts with prudence and discretion while respecting, making room for, and cooperating with the different gifts God has given to others. No one may disparage another's gifts, fix on self, insist that only his own line of work serves God, refuse to labor with one who views things differently, or claim to be the only one who can bring truth from God's treasure house, because grace and gifts are given to every one, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for perfecting the saints, for ministry, and for building up the body until all come to unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto full maturity in Christ. God has joined together men of different minds so they counsel with and assist one another and the deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another, and no one is qualified to bear the burden of the work alone. This unity belongs with the one body, Spirit, and hope, and with the one God and Father, and it does not mean that one person's judgment or ideas should rule everyone, but believers are to respect one another's service, learn and work together, and let each contribute to the church's unity.
God's work is ordered so that one person is not meant to manage everything or carry so many responsibilities that mind and body are worn out, but He appoints different people and roles, and institutions and their workers are to be guided by Him rather than placed under one person as sole head. Different gifts and lines of missionary work are to blend, not separate, and there is to be no schism among believers. There is only one master Spirit over the work, the Spirit of Him who is infinite in wisdom, in whom all diverse elements meet in beautiful, matchless unity, and no one man's mind or one woman's mind is to exert a controlling power in God's institutions, but the Spirit working in and through diverse workers produces harmony of action. Oneness in the Lord requires dying to self and uniting human weakness to Christ's strength after the pattern of Christ who descended from heaven from the throne of God and clothed His divinity with humanity to show what human beings may become, so that cherished strong unchristlike traits of character are softened, subdued and purified and believers united with one another are one with Christ in God. Those who profess the truth are to unite as a church, sharing one faith and interest and strengthening and helping one another, with no one lording it over the church or rejecting a fellow believer without sufficient cause, but laboring together and bearing with one another as Jesus has borne with them, for division grieves God's Spirit and hinders His work.
Sanctifying grace modifies diverse temperaments, while the same distinguishing principles govern the lives of all. Though Christians have diverse temperaments, sanctifying grace shapes them and brings their lives under the same distinguishing principles. Believers with different minds, gifts, and temperaments are called to work together in harmony, sharing the same spirit — the spirit of Christ — for differences in character are no reason to draw apart, but each person is to subdue peculiarities and soften temperament so that believers can help one another through faith and sanctification by the truth. Yet oneness in one Lord and one baptism, though held by all the teachers, did not by itself produce harmony when they differed on minor matters such as lines of study and the diet question and neglected the principles of health reform, for difference of views on these lesser points brought division despite unity in Lord and baptism. Those who belong to Christ and are taught by God are united in spirit and action with no discordant opinions, and the Holy Spirit binds them together in a unity no satanic power can break.
History and Prophecy Fulfilled
Receiving the light of God's word brings believers into oneness of spirit, marked by faith and love like that of the apostolic church. The advent message showed this oneness in practice, when people from different denominations set aside denominational barriers and conflicting creeds, corrected false beliefs, and were joined in fellowship, love, and joy. The one faith was the shared faith and blessed hope that united those who proclaimed the first angel's message and the midnight cry in 1844, filling hearts with love for one another and for Jesus, lifting them above human influence, and shielding them against Satan's assaults. That same shared faith and blessed hope united Adventists who proclaimed the first message in 1843 and the midnight cry in 1844, while fanaticism and division arose instead during their later doubt and perplexity.
The divided Protestant churches, with their conflicting creeds and theories, do not have the unity Christ prayed for. The shared faith was built over sixty years in the third angel's message, with not a pin or pillar moved, and is to be held against every effort of Satan to tear it up. True followers share a similar Christian experience, seen among Sabbath keepers who obey God's commandments despite obstacles, reproach, and loss.
Christians in Sweden have the very same spiritual experience as Christians in America, for all believers have the one Lord, one faith, and one baptism in different countries. Hearing their testimonies together in a social meeting proves that sameness and aids the unity. The verse warns every soul to have churches set in order, the door of unbelief closed, and straight paths made so the weak are not turned out of the way, while Satan's seducing power increases to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Church Life Together
Unity is shown in coordinated, disciplined action within the church, not in each person choosing an independent course, and order and harmony enable the church to work together and receive the cooperation of heavenly angels, while confusion and disorganization hinder its work. Oneness must be expressed in organized churches that can carry out and enforce order, for without such organization there is nothing to hope for and the flock must scatter into fragments, and nourishing disunion and cherishing a spirit to watch and accuse rather than to build up is condemned. When ministers unitedly take their position and maintain it with decision, a uniting influence comes among the flock, separating bars are broken to fragments, hearts flow together and unite like drops of water, and the ranks of Sabbath keepers gain a power and strength far exceeding anything yet witnessed.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, which requires perfect unity among the Lord's servants, with no territorial lines in Christ's work, and workers are to help one another with a noble spirit of helpfulness and willingness to use the Lord's money where it is needed most. Usefulness and success depend on Christ, who reads hearts and knows motives, and everything that would hinder presenting present truth must be separated from self. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, joined to one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, and to one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all, which means all workers must walk worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Every institution established in the interests of the work must take heed to this word and bring it into practical life, with no striving for the chief place and no rivalry between head and associate workers.
All who labor in ministry and medical missionary work are joined in one body under Christ, wearing His yoke in humility of mind before God and using their varied gifts to bless humanity so God can use them as His helping hand, with Christ as the one Leader sent by the Father to redeem the fallen race. All parts of the work are to be controlled and guided by the wisdom God gives, with harmony in every action, drawing in even cords without friction, giving room to fellow laborers and standing under the standard of Christ Jesus united by the desire to strengthen His work in every line. There is to be no jealousy of Paul or Apollos or Cephas, no quarreling, no measuring of brethren by personal ideas, no fastening of the soul to any human leader, no following human devising, and no allegiance to a human leader, but following Christ's directions in restoring the moral image of God in the human race for the glory of God. Gospel ministers and medical missionary workers must be united in belief and stand together on a united platform, with medical missionaries taking interest in the work of the conferences and conference workers taking equal interest in the work of the medical missionaries, because division between them brings the worst evil upon the churches. This unity has a limit, for there is no right to unite with or sustain a leader who is not a safe leader of God's flock until he stands where he can safely lead.
One Lord, one faith, and one baptism gives a common gospel identity that unites people of every class, nation, tongue, and language rather than dividing them, breaking down national prejudice and jealousy and forming one brotherhood that serves and glorifies God together. Believers from different language groups have one God and one Saviour, and the Spirit of Christ brings unity among them, so their shared faith calls them to act in harmony, to treat one another kindly, to labor for one another, and to be of one mind and judgment, joined in love and peace while imitating Christ's character. Believers of every nationality are to work together rather than divide into separate organizations or separate groups, reflecting Christ's prayer that His disciples be one. Sharing Christ's mission of love and mercy brings workers into unity of purpose, and concern for saving souls makes personal rivalries and lesser differences recede.
Christian unity is essential to the church's life and power, for when members unite under the control of the Spirit, God can work mightily through them to convert sinners. The church is to be united in one mind and one faith, reflecting the unity of the church in heaven, with believers joined in church life to strengthen one another in good and righteous work, since division works against God's plan. Even the most splendid temple amounts to nothing if hearts are not right, for God meets with His people and believers themselves are the temple of the living God, so greatest anxiety must be about spiritual condition, showing reverence in entering and leaving the house of God, remembering His presence and angels, educating children that God meets with His people, and directing their thoughts heavenward. Faith unites believers so that parting brings sorrow yet rejoicing, because those who stay faithful will soon meet again never to part. Believers are to be united under the Lord's rule, with God's Spirit guiding them, rather than dominated by human authority in their spiritual lives.
Christian Walk Applied
The oneness of Lord and faith and baptism is the ground for keeping unity, calling Christians to become new men and women in Christ, putting on peace and grace and righteousness. It requires refusing evil, suspicious and divisive speech, praying alone instead, and letting the Holy Spirit lead reason and conscience to commendation, love, holiness and charity amid the battle of two spirits striving for mastery. This is what walking worthy of the calling means, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, because there is one body and one Spirit and one hope of calling, one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all, with grace given to every believer according to the measure of Christ's gift when He ascended up on high and led captivity captive, including apostles and prophets and evangelists. God's people are to come into this unity in every church, and these words outline the work to be done in every church and call everyone to reach a higher standard. Love is the law of Christ's kingdom, to be revealed in lives showing love, meekness and longsuffering, with longsuffering bearing many things without seeking to be avenged by word or act.
No one who lives to himself is a Christian, for the gospel was designed to lead all to believe and practice the same truth, revealing both the peculiar privileges and dangers of the church. Everyone who truly accepts Christ is created anew in Him, cooperates with Christ, follows the Saviour's example, and is ready to sacrifice everything for his Master. The Lord has a claim upon every human being, upon every power and every moment, because each has been bought with a price, even the precious blood of the only begotten Son of God. This oneness is Paul's word spoken by the Spirit calling believers to walk worthy of their vocation, joined to one Spirit and one hope of calling and one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all. It requires lowliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and it requires examining self, humbling the heart before God, purifying the heart by obedience to the truth, and keeping the way of the Lord.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism means yoking up with the Lord Jesus and cooperating with Him, which requires oneness in the ministry through humbling of self before God in contrition of soul. It means cultivating esteem and confidence in brethren, repenting of an uncourteous spirit, ceasing to manufacture trials and to make great matters unworthy of notice, and receiving a cleansing of the soul temple so workers can agree and walk together in the good works ordained to be walked in and receive pardon, mercy, love and self-revelation from God. Believers must walk humbly with God in all lowliness of mind with a humble spirit, uniting with their brethren in love rather than choosing their own company and separating from anyone who will not accept their ideas and plans. They are to practice the truth in words, in spirit, and in action.
Divisions in the church dishonor Christ's religion before the world and give its enemies cause to justify their opposition and defend their course. As members of one body they are animated by the same Spirit and share the same hope, forming a common foundation for unity. This instruction was not for the church of that day alone but was designed to come down to believers now, who must preserve unity in the bonds of peace by walking worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. By meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love they exemplify the character of Christ and the blessings of His salvation, showing Christ's character through patience and love. Harmony and union among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that God sent His Son into the world to save sinners, and it is their privilege to bear that witness, manifesting in life the power of the truth with character molded in harmony with His character and will surrendered to His will.
Those who profess the truth are to unite as a church, sharing one faith and interest and strengthening and helping one another, working together in Christian fellowship, each serving without envy or rivalry. No one should lord it over the church or reject a fellow believer without sufficient cause; believers are to labor together and bear with one another as Jesus has borne with them. Unity of faith is weakened by division, jealousy, criticism and confusion, while abiding love joins hearts in unity. Believers who claim faith in Christ are to live in unity rather than jealousy, suspicion and mutual judgment, for such disunity prevents the Spirit's work and grieves God's Spirit and hinders His work, while love and oneness in Christ give the world evidence of God's goodness. This unity is kept through humility, meekness, patience and love toward one another, and no believer should claim special light that sets them above the others.
Christ calls for unity, but not unity on wrong practices, for true unity stands on pure, elevating, ennobling truth in sharp contrast to false, misleading doctrines. Sin and impenitence are to be called by the right name and not glossed over, and differences of opinion among leading men breed controversy among members. The one baptism is a solemn rite that means much, so no unconverted person and no uninstructed man, woman, or child should take part in it without plain instruction in its meaning and solemnity, and receiving such persons enfeebles the churches. Those who profess to love God and keep His commandments must reveal unity as children of God, requiring loving God supremely and loving one another as themselves and respecting the principles that bind the human family together in its proper order. It comes from cherishing the Spirit of Christ, with all working under the divine head and blending together in perfect harmony, receiving power, joy and influence from the same Source, through which God reveals the wonderful principles of heaven, and no one who fails in this unity can enter heaven.
The gospel is to be carried to all nations and peoples in meekness and lowliness of spirit, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, because there is one body and one Spirit with one hope of calling and one God and Father of all above all and through all and in all. Ministers need to look to their own hearts to see where they stand rather than doing the work of persecution that religious claimants do. Unto every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, and He gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Then none remain children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness lying in wait to deceive, but by speaking the truth in love grow up into Him in all things who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly framed together and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This oneness means God has a church that believers must stay united with as co-laborers with Him, walking worthy of their calling with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.