September 17

Ephesians 4:4‑6
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” — Ephesians 4:4-64There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4‑6).
THE Church of God is defined as “the fellowship of His Son” in 1 Corinthians 1:99God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9). This Church is composed only of those who have personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They alone constitute “the Church, which is His Body” (Eph. 1:22, 2322And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23)). This Body was formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12, 1312For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13)). It is therefore the communion, or fellowship, of the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:1414The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.>> (2 Corinthians 13:14)). It is He who unites believers and gives them to enjoy the precious things of Christ. It is therefore incumbent on us, as Christians, to endeavor to keep (which implies, to manifest) “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:33Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)). This unity is sevenfold, as indicated in the verses quoted above. It is not a sectarian unity, nor a question of loyalty to some one particular denomination. It is the recognition of all Christians everywhere as members of Christ and hence of one another.
“Jesus, united by Thy grace
And each to each endeared,
With confidence we seek Thy face,
And know our prayer is heard.
Still let us own our common Lord,
And bear Thine easy yoke.
A band of love, a threefold cord,
Which never can be broke.
To Thee, inseparably joined,
Let all our spirits cleave;
Oh, may we all the loving mind
That was in Thee receive.
This is the bond of perfectness,
Thy spotless charity;
Oh, let us, still we pray, possess
The mind that was in Thee.”
Charles Wesley.