One Lord, Faith and Baptism Ephesians 4:5

Paul the apostle exhorted the Ephesian church members to “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”, and then he began to describe how there is “one body, and one Spirit” “even as” they were “called in one hope of” their “calling”. In chapter four and verse five of his letter, Paul continued his idea of “oneness” as he shared concerning “One Lord”, “faith” and “baptism” where we read:

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

The verse begins, “One Lord, one faith”. Paul began with the phrase, “One Lord” which refers to “Only one to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding who is master” “one faith” which means “the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and that Jesus is the Messiah through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God”. Paul left no room for any other “Lord” or any other “faith” by which the Ephesians were to belong.

The verse goes on to say, “one baptism”. Paul added these words, “one baptism” which means “only one immersion, submersion and purification rite by which men on confessing their sins were bound to spiritual reformation, to obtained the pardon of their past sins and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom soon to be set up”. Paul taught there is only “one” “immersion or submersion” by which this “purification rite” demonstrated the “pardon of past sins”.

When we think through these words of Paul, we observe his careful attention to the “unified” areas of the Christian life. In order to express the idea of Christians “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit”, he uses one example after another including “one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith and baptism”. These should inspire us to to be “unified” as brothers and sisters in the Lord, and as we band together, may the world know us by our “love”.

Next time Paul shares about “One God and Father of all”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.