Grace: The Glue of Unity

Ephesians 4:7 (New King James Version NKJV).

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

I am a bumper sticker reader. Decals on people’s cars convey all kinds of messages. People like to express their opinions. Some like to do it publicly. One that I always remember was on the back window of a van. It read, “Live your life in such a way that the preacher does not have to lie at your funeral.” Another one that got me to thinking read, “God please save me from Your followers!”

I believe that the Church confuses the world as much as evangelizing it. One cannot help but think that with all the divisions among the Christians how could we all possibly be on the same side? It is not a new issue as God used the Apostle to address it to the Christians in Ephesus. Paul wanted the people to understand how grace works in order that they may be unified. We are all saved by grace. That saving grace is made available to everyone by Christ.

The whole of this teaching deals with gifts that Christ gives to His Church. The problem arose when some of the Christians felt they were better or more spiritual or had more favor with God than some of the others. Glad we do not have that problem today. The Ephesian believers could not understand why some were in leadership and others were not. God told them by way of Paul that all of them had the gift of grace and that Christ had used some of them to convey that message and to teach others how to convey it. The world becomes confused when they see or hear Christians talking about or arguing with other Christians over doctrines and beliefs. When we begin to put one guy down and compare each other in relation to spirituality or ability we unknowingly divide the Church. No one of us is greater than the rest of us. Some are more known and some have different offices but we are all equal in Christ by grace.

Let me close by sharing a word of knowledge that our Bishop gave me when I questioned why God would use me to pastor as I felt I was not qualified. He said, “There will always be those who are smarter than you and can preach better than you, but there is no one who can love God or people more than you; and that is all God requires of us.”