We do keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But sometimes we endeavor to keep the bond of peace in the unity of the spirit. You see, the Spirit is unified. He is one and all of us, in Him are one. Therefore, we can be unified. For, if we are in Christ, through His blood, and by His Spirit, then we are enabled to live peaceably with one another. However, if our first priority is unity of peace, even without the unity of the Spirit, then we will necessarily be at odds one with another. Envy will break out. Factions arise. Bitterness simmers and seathes.
We need to understand this aright. If we seek the unity of the Spirit of God, as revealed to us in His Holy Word, then peace is attainable. If we seek peace, by our own standards, then unity is impossible.
But this is why we are gathered here. In Christ, by His Spirit, we are one. We declare this every Sunday at this table. We are diverse individuals, from different walks of life, with different interests but we are all one family in Christ. This unity is a fact, every bit as much as the unity of the family you were born into before you were born again into this family.
So, recognizing this unity, let us then pursue peace with one another. Families ought not to be at odds with one another. Because of their unity, they must produce peace. They do not produce unity through peace. So, let us see this each week, pray and strive for peace and declare to the world, to one another and to God that the unity of the Spirit is alive and well among us.
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