Lesson 13 – One Body, One Spirit, One Lord
Read Ephesians 4:1-16 - https://www.bible.com/bible/59/eph.4.esv
Let’s look a bit more at walking worthy because we are obedient, as we began in the last lesson. We’re obedient to where God has placed us (Paul was a prisoner), we are obedient in being what He wants us to be (last lesson), and we are obedient because of whom we are obeying.
In verse 4 we begin this lesson with “one body and one Spirit.” What is this body? It’s the Church, as stated in Colossians 1:18 – Jesus is the head of the body, and we believers are the Church, the body of Christ. There are not many bodies – this denomination or that one – there is only one body.
There is only one Spirit – the Spirit of God. He is the one who teaches each of us believers in Jesus the truth, He helps us be who God wants us to be, just as Jesus promised in John 14:26 and 15:26.
There is one hope. So many things in this world can discourage us, make us afraid, discourage us from what God wants us to do. There is only one hope that can rise above that to lead us on to victory – the hope/assurance that all of God’s plans will be accomplished to His perfect design and satisfaction (Isaiah 46:10). We can truly and with full confidence say that we’ve “read the end of the story” and we know God wins!
There is one Lord. The word “Lord” means Master. There is another who wants to be master of us and our fate – Satan. But his claim cannot stand in the face of the price Jesus has already paid for us – His own blood. There remains only one Lord – Jesus Christ.
There is one faith. All around us we see many religions, we hear many say that all roads eventually lead to God. They are wrong. There is only one faith – Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me.” He said THE. He didn’t say He was one way, He said He is THE way.
There is one baptism. That baptism is of the Holy Spirit, all who have believed in Jesus have been baptized by/with the Holy Spirit. He is in us and will never leave us – Hebrews 13:5.
There is one God and Father of us all. There is just one living God. He exists in what we call the Trinity – God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – but He is one. Many have tried to explain that in ways we can understand (an egg: shell, white and yolk). While all those explanations can help us begin to understand the nature of God, we with our limited minds cannot truly comprehend it. It remains that God has said this to be true, and the Holy Spirit in us confirms that statement. We serve a God who is one.
God is over all, through all, and in all. Some take this to mean that if God is in all, then all people are part of God. This is not what these words mean – He is everywhere-present at the same time, but we are not part of God or His family until we choose to follow Jesus Christ.
*What does the word “Lord” mean?
*How many living Gods are there? 1) one 2) two 3) four _____
*How do we become part of God’s family?