LONGSUFFERING - FORBEARING
The lowliness and meekness is to be adorned
with "longsuffering" and "forbearance". Members of the
Body are to be longsuffering with "fellow members of the same body". That
is to say, they are to "bear injury or provocation for a long time, to be patient;
not easily provoked"(Webster’s 1828).The definition of "forbearing"
is closely akin to that of "longsuffering" but it carries with it the
additional ingredient of "restraining from action".
Therefore, it behooves the believer to be
gracious enough to not be provoked to an extent that retaliatory action is taken to
"get back" at someone who has wronged them. Ephesians 4:2 says:
"Forbearing one another in love;"
Forbearance is to be done in love. 1
Corinthians 13 speaks of charity and states:
"Charity suffereth long,...is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil;... Beareth all
things,..."
(1 Cor. 13:4-5, 7)
True longsuffering and forbearing is
accompanied with love. In a parallel passage we notice that longsuffering is accompanied
with joyfulness.
"Unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness" (Col. 1:11)
THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT
The unity of the Spirit is the third feature
in the three-fold "worthy walk". Paul states:
"Endeavouring to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3)
The exhortation to the saints at Ephesus
and the faithful in Christ Jesus is to "endeavour to keep".
"Endeavour" is "probably from the French word ‘devoir’,
which is to owe or be indebted, and hence, it primarily signifies duty, from the sense of
binding, pressure, urgency-an effort, and attempt; an exercise of physical strength, or
mental powers, towards the attainment of a goal" (Webster’s 1828). Therefore
it appears that the believer’s duty is to make a very serious effort or attempt
towards the attaining of the goal, and that is--"to keep the unity of the
Spirit". The duty of the believer is not to be taken lightly. It is as if the
believer is indebted to keep the unity. In fact, there is an urgency for him to keep this
unity, so much so that he should exercise his mental powers towards the attainment of this
goal.
The reader’s attention should be called
to the word "keep". The definitions are as follows:
“1. To hold; to retain in one’s
power or possession: not to lose or part with.
2. To have in custody for security or
preservation;
3. To preserve from falling or from
danger; to protect; to guard or sustain.
4. To tend; to have care of.”
(Webster’s 1828)
It is obvious that we are told to “keep”,
not to “make”. We are told to “keep the unity of the Spirit”, not
to “endeavor to make a unity”. The very idea of “to keep” is to
hold or retain, not to lose or part with. Thus, the unity has been established by the
Spirit. The believer is told that a worthy walk calls for him to “keep the unity
of the Spirit”.
The member of the Church over which Christ is
the Head has had delivered into his custody “the unity of the Spirit”. The
exhortation is for him to KEEP IT. The Church is to guard, protect and sustain, that is,
to preserve it from danger. The Church which is His Body is the caretaker, guardian and
custodian of the unity of the Spirit. This custodianship is to be the believer's serious
business as part of his vocation. When the unity of the Spirit is analyzed, it becomes
apparent that the churches which name the Name of Christ have taken the unity of the
Spirit and thrown it back in God’s Face as if it were mud. They are not endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit. They are attempting to make their own unity which others
should keep. In fact, many churches have completely ignored the unity of the Spirit. Some
are not even aware that one exists. We will not belabor the point that the vast majority
of churches which are steeped in denominational tradition are woefully ignorant of the
unity of the Spirit. Rather, we will look at what it is that the member of the Body is to
keep.
In order to truly safe-guard the unity we
must know what it really is. The believer is not to keep the unity with an attitude of
flippancy. For the treasure, which is "the bond of peace", has been
entrusted to those who are membered in the Church. When the saint understands the unity of
the Spirit, then his whole attitude changes concerning his guardianship of it. He
understands the seriousness of his responsibility. He comprehends that his full time job
is that of preserving the unity of the Spirit.
Failure to "keep the unity of the
Spirit" is the reason for Christendom being splintered into so many
denominations. The unity of the Spirit is the "bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3).
"Bond" is "cause of union; cement which unites; link of
connection; as the bonds of affection. Charity is the bond of perfectness’
Col. 3" (Webster’s 1828).
The unity of the Spirit was the cause of
union, it was the cement which united the two factions coming out of the Acts period. The
Jewish and Gentile believers who lived through the dispensational change were to
acknowledge the unity established by the Spirit of God after Acts 28:28. This
acknowledgement was the "bond of peace" between those who had been "far
off" and those who had been "nigh". The "bond of
peace" is the peace made by Christ, Himself, Who made the two conflicting parties
one when He destroyed the enmity between the two; when He broke down the middle wall of
partition; when Christ made of the twain in Himself one new man
"so making peace".
The things which were to be set aside at Acts 28:28 were not to be carried over
into the new dispensation. Concerning the unity of the Spirit, Charles Welch has said in
his book "Heavenly Places", In exercising our diligence over this, we shall see at once the attempt of
this one to import some doctrine, or of that one to bring in some practice that belongs to
the time before the middle wall was broken down. Nip all such things in the bud. Let them
not get a foothold. Be willing to be called narrow, proud, anything, however untrue and
unmerited. But endeavor to keep the sacred unity as you would defend your life.
We write this because of the laxity of many, because of the confusion which
exists in the minds of many, as to the difference between humility of mind and resolution,
of meekness and strength. We cannot be charitable with the goods of another. Stewardship,
though exercised with all lowliness, meekness, Iongsuffering and forbearance, must
nevertheless be above all things exercised faithfully" ("Heavenly Places" p. 338).
The unity which has been established by the Spirit is seven-fold. The unity
deals with oneness. The believer must of necessity know what each feature of the unity is
in order for him to keep it.
The seven-fold oneness of the unity of the Spirit is as follows:
1. One Body
2. One Spirit
3. One Hope
4. One Lord
5. One Faith
6. One Baptism
7. One God and Father of all
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