Calling Unity and Peace

 

 Calling Unity and Peace

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and peace.

The third key to living worthy of our calling is:

Keeping the unity of the Spirit

in the bond of peace.

You and I are called to be keepers of unity.

The unity we are to guard is the unity of the Spirit.

Many have tried to make unity, in general, the focus;

but there is a real danger in unity for the sake of unity.

We are told that in 1 Corinthians 6,

 there are things we cannot be united with.

Our job is to keep the unity of the Spirit.

We, like Jesus, should keep our eye out

for the one out of the ninety and nine

who leaves the flock.

Maybe they left because they had a misunderstanding…

Maybe they were hurting and nobody noticed…

Maybe they did not feel included…

Whatever the reason,

Jesus taught us to go after the one

because to Him,

each person is loved

and is important to Him!

So, we may need to be quick to mend some fences.

The unity of the Spirit is held together by peace.

Peace is the glue of the Spirit’s unity.

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said,

blessed are the peace makers.

Peace is something that is made

and unity is something to be kept.

The peace we are to make is not peace at any cost.

Many think that keeping peace

is to be silent when conflict arises.

There is a wise saying,

“Choose your battles wisely.”

This is good advice;

some people make an issues out of

 everything and there is no peace.

But others never speak up;

on the surface things seem peaceful,

 but under the surface is anger and turmoil.

If we are going to

enjoy harmony and oneness,

we will have to make peace.

This word peace implies

prosperity and keep the unity of the Spirit.

 

The third key to living a worthy life

and fulfilling our calling,

is keeping the unity of the Spirit

and be a peace maker.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV

4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then,

I urge you to live

a life worthy of the calling

you have received.

2 Be completely humble and gentle;

be patient,

bearing with one another in love.

3 Make every effort

to keep the unity of the Spirit

through the bond of peace.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said:

"I will live with them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be my people."  

17 "Therefore come out from them

and be separate,

      says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you."  

18 "I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

            says the Lord Almighty."  

Calling Patient Love

Calling Patient Love

 

There are 15 key ingredients to love.

Do you know what the main ingredient is?

1 Corinthians 13:4

gives us a definition of love;

there are 15 descriptive words

to help us see the ingredients.

The first ingredient to produce love

that is mentioned is patience.

“Love is Patient”

This is not a user friendly word;

we are all in a hurry

and want instant results.

This ingredient has to be first.

The other ingredients

won’t work without patience.

Try to be kind,

when you are impatient.

Try not to be rude,

when you have run out of patience.

Go ahead…
look at the other ingredients of love

and see if they work without patience.

I wonder how many arguments between

parents and children,

husband and wife,

neighbors and fellow church members,

could have been avoided

if you added the ingredient of patience.

I like this definition of patience…

“The ability to endure without complaining.”

There are many times in life

we have to be patient

because someone else has dropped the ball

or done something to inconvenience us.

Yes, they should not have dropped the ball

 and they should have been more considerate.

But how do we react?

The better response

is how do we pro-act?

In life, we need to bring correction

and sometime it needs to be firm.

But is our actions,

for our benefit

or the other person’s?

Living a worthy life

has to have this second key

of being patient in love!

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 4:1-2 NIV

4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then,

I urge you to live

a life worthy of the calling

you have received.

2 Be completely humble

and gentle;

be patient,

bearing with one another in love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

4 Love is patient,

love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

5 It is not rude,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 NIV

14 And we urge you, brothers,

warn those who are idle,

encourage the timid,

help the weak,

be patient with everyone.