IN the exhortation to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we have a tacit acknowledgment, that as Christians, we have elements in us that may make walking together in Christian fellowship difficult and testing. We must ever remember that we, Christians, have the flesh in us as long as we are in this world. It is the activity of the flesh that brings in discord. The Apostle Paul besought the Corinthian saints to speak the same thing, and that there should be no divisions among them. (1 Cor. 1: 10) The Apostle John rebuked Diotrophes for loving to have the pre-eminence, and for his malicious words. (3 John 99I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. (3 John 9), 10.) We all know the deep importance of this exhortation to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Let each Christian reader pay earnest attention to it.
It is clear that we have to be right individually, if we are to be right with our brethren. We are exhorted to " all lowliness and meekness." (Eph. 4:22With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Ephesians 4:2).) Lowliness is having low thoughts of self. John the Baptist is a good example of this. He described himself as " the voice of one crying in the wilderness " (John 1:2323He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. (John 1:23)), and again " He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:3030He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30).) He hid behind the glory of his Master. The Apostle John was a good example too. He described himself in the gospel that he wrote as " the disciple, whom Jesus loved." (John 21: 20.) In his first epistle he does not give his name, and in his short personal epistles no name is given, but he speaks of himself as " the elder." The opposite of humility is pride, which is called in Scripture " the snare of the devil." (1 Tim. 3:77Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:7).) We feel sure those, who have had a true vision of the perfect One, who was " meek and lowly in heart " (Matt. 11: 29), could never be anything but humble.
Then we are exhorted to meekness, which means a disposition slow to take offense. How much trouble would be avoided in the church of God, if the flesh were not so ready to move the believer to self-assertion when slighted or offended. Self-assertion is often like lighting a match in a powder magazine. Enumerated in the list of " the fruit of the Spirit is... meekness." (Gal. 5:22,2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22‑23).) Our Lord was " lowly in heart," who " When He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." (1 Peter 2:2323Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: (1 Peter 2:23).) When it is a question of the Lord's honor, we are to maintain it firmly, but when it is something personal to ourselves we are exhorted to meekness.
The next exhortation has reference to our conduct towards our fellow Christians, who may be trying and difficult to get on with. Our conduct to such is to be " with long suffering, forbearing one another in love." (Eph. 4:22With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Ephesians 4:2).) Longsuffering does not mean to bear something once or twice, and then think we have done nobly, but to be prepared to put up with a trying brother or sister for years, if needs be. The difficult thing is to forbear IN LOVE. We get an example in this when Peter asked the Lord if he should forgive his brother, who had sinned against him, up to seven times. Our Lord replied, " I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." (Matt. 18:2222Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:22).)
We have seen a brother with tight lips and menacing manner say to another, " I forgive you, but I will never forget." There was no trace of love in this. It is easy to see what is right, but it takes very great grace to practice these precepts. Would it not be a wholesome practice when ruffled and tried, not to sit down and write a scorching letter in the heat of the moment, but instead to read 1 Corinthians 13, that great love chapter, where we read of long suffering and being kind, not easily provoked, thinking no evil, and then kneel down and ask grace to practice it?
Now we come to the great exhortation to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Note carefully it does not tell us to keep the unity of the one body. “There is ONE body." That is very definite. It is formed by the Spirit of God, is vital, and embraces every believer on the face of the earth. The unity of the Spirit is a practical matter. As we have already pointed out, it is possible to have doctrine before us, and imagine we are keeping Christian unity, and it may degenerate into casting out of our fellowship every brother and sister, who cannot pronounce shibboleth to our liking, or who does not agree to every doctrine, the leaders may advance. Scripture exhorts us to keep the unity OF THE SPIRIT. If every brother and sister were animated by the one Spirit how harmonious things would be.
The Greek word for endeavor is to make haste or speed. It means evidently a real effort by the grace of God and in the Spirit's power, to keep this precious unity. The believer cannot take himself out of the unity of the one body, but he can take himself practically out of the unity the Spirit has formed. He may be in his own spirit out of the current of the Spirit's activity in relation to the assembly. For instance if a brother or sister stays away from the meeting because someone has given offense, as far as that person is concerned, the unity of the Spirit is ignored. The unity of the Spirit truly remains, but such an one is outside of it practically, and will never be truly happy till he is restored in spirit. Or a brother or sister might still come to the meetings, but in a sulky spirit, out of touch with the Lord and His people, and thus the unity of the Spirit as touching that brother or sister would not be kept.