Unity

Call to Prayer

Title: Unity

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 24.07.2023

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.    Ephesians 4:13 NIV

When Christ ascended, He gave gifts unto men (Eph. 4:8). The gifts He gave is what we have as the various ministry gifts today. When He did this, it was in hope that the body would be built up until we reach the unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:13). This means, there’s hope in God that some day, the body of Christ will believe and affirm the same thing about Jesus Christ.

The state of things presently is obvious that we have not attained this unity of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, for we have ministries or denominations whose views about Him are diverse. The tenets of faith of these denominations have become institutionalized; the ministers who serve in these ministries cannot affirm any other thing apart from the general practice of the denomination, and members are fed with the same error passed down over time.

What is the solution to this? In an encounter I had recently, the Lord revealed to me the state of the Church and the fact that it has become institutionalized. He told me that the meaning of the Word Church is Ekklesia in the Greek, and it’s a place where people from a city come to gather to make decisions on behalf of the city. Though I knew the meaning of the word “Church”, the Lord repeated it in that vision to pass the understanding to me that the body needs to return to His original model for her. The Lord also indicated a movement from these institutionalized Churches to those operating as an Ekklesia (The new thing He is doing).

The best example from scriptures when the early Church operated in the true meaning of an Ekklesia was when Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem for the proving of their message to the gentile world (Acts 15:1-32). This was after they faced opposition from people trying to force the gentile believers to practice the Jewish customs found in the law. After due considerations of what Apostle Paul and Barnabas shared, and Apostle Peter’s encounter with the Lord that led to the Salvation of Cornelius( a gentile believer) James rose up and declared the decision of the leaders, also referencing the mind of the Holy Spirit as revealed by Apostle Peter’s encounter. What was decided upon became the practice of the gentile believers, bringing about a unity of the body of Christ in that dispensation (for the Church in Jerusalem was in sync with the Church in the gentile world).

The above pattern of operation can only be possible when we see ourselves as one, and acknowledge leaders, whom the Lord has placed as pillars in the body. These leaders must be willing to consider issues arising with a sincere heart and be bold to declare the mind of God. This declaration would then be announced to the body by the different ministry gifts sent to each part. Only in operating as a united body, submitting to each other’s authority as demonstrated by the early Apostles, can we attain the unity of faith and knowledge of Christ.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank the Lord for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us to be united and operate based on His model revealed from the word.