Ephesians 4:1-3 I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love, Being diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. (Recovery Version Bible)
Five phrases in Ephesians 4:1-3 give us the practical way to keep the oneness: lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, bearing one another in love, and the uniting bond of peace….these five items are a test to us in the practice of the church life. By this test we can see whether or not we are practically in the church life.
Claiming a spiritual standard has caused much damage in the past among all the Christians. The more spiritual Christians are, the more they kill others spiritually, because once someone becomes spiritual to a certain extent, he sets up that spirituality as a standard for others….
According to the four Gospels, when the Lord was on this earth, He showed more love to the sinners and tax collectors than He did to the good ones. This was true lowliness and humility. To have real humility is to set up no standard among us. This is the practical way to have the church life. The church life is very spiritual, but there are also many backsliders in the church….We must love everyone, even the worst ones. (The Vision, Practice, and Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, ch. 13, by Witness Lee)
