Unified Diversity

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 4:1-3

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

(CSB)

God’s creation is not only magnificent but also a demonstration of his like for diversity.  No two human beings have the same fingerprints, and our DNA is unique.  No two snowflakes are of the same exact shape.  However, the same God creating diversity tells the church to live in unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).  The calling of the church is simple, spreading the Gospel (Mark 16:15) and making disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:19-20).  To accomplish this calling, the diverse Body of Christ must unite with purpose through unified diversity. 

Before looking more deeply into Ephesians 4:1-16, let us define some terms.  Calling is that vocation the church body and each individual believer has from God.  While the missional calling of the church is simplistically outlined in Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20, each individual believer has talents and gifts that give them a unique calling (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).  Unified diversity occurs when these unique callings merge behind the common missional calling of the church. 

However, to bring these diverse talents and gifts into unity, there must be a conductor bringing it all together.  This conductor is the Holy Spirit who has the role of conducting the diverse orchestra of the Body of Christ.  However, if the orchestra does not follow the direction of the conductor, the result will not be a beautiful sounding piece of music but instead noise.  This is what Paul means by unity of the Spirit in the Body of Christ.  It is this unity of the Spirit that allows the diverse talents and gifts of the individual members of the church to blend into a beautiful sounding symphony glorifying Christ. 

The church is not a building or organization but a gathering together of diverse individuals with the unified purpose of fulfilling their missional role.  Unfortunately, however, as church congregations grow, they can become more obsessed with maintenance of facilities and programs, losing their first love and purpose (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Revelation 2:1-7).  Unified diversity insures focus on the missional purpose of the church with each diverse individual taught and directed to find their unique contribution to the missional role of the church (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). 

The recent contentious confirmation of Justice Cavanaugh illustrates the main tactic of Satan in spiritual warfare the tactic of division.  This tactic is not new for it was what Satan did in the Garden dividing Adam and Eve from God (Genesis 3).  This tactic divided Jacob’s family leading to Joseph’s sale into slavery (Genesis 37:12-36), although that ended up turning into a blessing saving them (Genesis 45:4-5).  Satan used this tactic to divide the nation of Israel leading to their abandonment of God and exile (2 Chronicles 10).  This tactic of division also led to Jesus rejection as Messiah by the religious leaders of His time who instead of accepting their King, called for his crucifixion (Matthew 27:22). 

The only unifying force that can end these contentious divisions is the unifying force of the Holy Spirit.  The first step in bringing this unifying force into our lives is acceptance of Jesus as our savior.  If you have not already done so, I urge you to take this first step by praying with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

This is the first step in the process of unified diversity.  It is now important to find a group or body of other believers in Jesus as savior to establish, encourage, and empower you to find your unique gifts and talents enabling you to take part in the unified missional role of bringing the much-needed message of the Gospel to the world.  I also encourage coming back to this blog on Wednesdays and Saturdays for encouragement and empowerment to take part in bringing the Gospel to the world.