Paul, from his prison cell, didn’t seem to be concerned about his confinement or whatever it was God was up to, or not up to in his predicament. He was concerned about how the people of the Christ were walking out their life. He urged, “Make every effort to be unified and at peace with each other.” (Every effort. Be eager and without delay). Then he gives us the target, the objective we want to achieve…
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6
There is just one.
The premise of the Ephesian letter is when Paul unveiled and “put into effect” the long-hidden solution of the mystery of all our conflict: gathering “everything in heaven and on earth together under the authority of Christ.” (Eph 1:9-10) All things…together…under him. The scattering of our opinions, values, behaviors, ambitions are wrapped up and made one under Him.
Sometimes I get bound up in the complexity of conflict. But it turns out that it is not complicated, as the enemy would have us believe. It is simply ONE. Jesus brought the mysterious and awesome solution and lavished it on us according to God’s good pleasure. And it is simply Him.