The Unity Of The Spirit

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were 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. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift." 
(Ephesians 4:4-7)

"These "seven ones" constitute "the unity of the Spirit" that as Christians we must be so diligent to keep "in the bond of peace". Not one of these is "non-essential"! E.g., just as crucial as maintaining who the "One Lord" is, so we must be steadfast in holding to the "One Baptism"! (Mark Copeland - Ephesians 4:1-16 executableoutlines.com)

 As a pastor of the Christian churches/Churches of Christ/Restoration Movement for 40 years, I have held on to our interpretation of these "seven ones" that constitute "the unity of the Spirit".

 I have served in communities where other faith groups have held to different interpretations of this doctrine, mentioned in our text.
It is through the love of Christ that unity is achieved.

Like a fisherman that holds on to his fishing rod, he/she should welcome the fellowship of other fishermen, who have different fishing rods, but are striving to accomplish the same goal in Christian evangelism, and that is to be "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19) 

We should never compromise what we believe, but we should always have compassion towards those who have different views, and especially those who are practicing their ideas outside the walls of the Word of God. Our goal is to reach them in love, for the Lord, and to bring them to unity with Him, and with us. GP

 Photo by Stuart Miles. Published on 09 October 2013 Stock photo - Image ID: 100206957