I Therefore...Beseech You #4

By Oscar M. Baker

"That ye walk...Till we all come in the unity of the faith" (Eph. 4:13). In our last article we spoke of the unity of the Spirit. This is something that has been made and we are to keep it. But here we have the unity of the faith, and that is something to be obtained. There is an effort put forth by the members to have a unity of the faith.

The unity of the faith is not attained unto separation in groups, by avoiding certain ones, by backbiting, and the like. The members of the body can get together and talk over the doctrines, not with agreement in view so much as all learning. It is the knowledge that must be gotten. And where knowledge is perfect, then there will be a unity of the faith.

So then we must conclude that a knowledge of the Scriptures concerning the dispensation of the mystery is a great means of coming in the unity of the faith.

As the rest of the verse tells us, another item that comes in here is the knowledge of the Son of God. And the first thing that must be done is acknowledge Him as the Son of God. Since like begets like, then God's Son is also God. No evolution here. The great need of believers is to know Him. This is one thing Paul prayed for himself (Ph'p 3:10). To all too many of us, Christ is just a stranger in many ways. We need to know Him much better.

The church has been created in Christ as one new man (Eph. 2:15). Now Paul beseeches us to attain unto a perfect man, complete and full grown. This is in contrast to the Corinthians who were carnal, babes in need of milk.

This perfection has a pattern, a goal, and that is, that it might approach that perfection or stature of the fulness of Christ. This is a pretty big order. But that is our goal.

So we are to grow up to maturity, no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. It is sad to see those who wander here and there, from sect to sect, ever learning, and yet never coming to the knowledge of the Son of God as Head of the church. Many talk glibly about the body, salvation sent to the Gentiles, and the like, yet never coming to the knowledge of the Son of God as Head of the church. To some this knowledge is not of any consequences, saying that all believers belong to the body, whether they know it or not. Some have the home of the church to be on the earth. Some think they have been translated and so no need of a resurrection, that the resurrection is past already. Some think the mystery is all revealed in two epistles. Some acknowledge Christ as Son of God, but not His deity.

How much of this is cunning craftiness and deceit, we would not judge, but when we see all the bewares in Col. 2 and 3, we are led to think that we must be very careful about all these things and search and see.

(Reprinted from Truth For Today, Vol. 31, No. 2)