Communal Disciplines (1)

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There isone body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling…  Ephesians 4.1-4

One and many
The Christian life is not a solitary endeavor. Each believer has been called to the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12), and for each of us, this calling will take a particular form, within a network of relationships, roles, and responsibilities. But we do not undertake this calling alone. We are members of a larger Body – the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ – and we may only expect to realize the full promise of our individual callings within that larger, communal setting.

All believers belong to the Body of Christ and are empowered by the Spirit of Christ to contribute to the particular body of which they are members (1 Cor. 12.7-11). The local church is the incarnation of Jesus in its community, and its mission is to “Good News” the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God by words and deeds, both as individuals and as a body together. This was the mission for which Jesus was sent into the world, and it is the mission for which He has sent us as well (Jn. 20.21).

There is one Body, Paul reminds us, to which all the many followers of Christ belong as members together. That one Body is manifested in the world in many local bodies – the particular churches with which we are familiar in communities everywhere. We neglect our duty as followers of Christ, and we will fail to obtain the fullness which is ours in Him, if we do not take seriously our communal calling and obligations.

Unity of the Spirit
Each believer must pursue his or her own calling in a worthy manner, taking up the spiritual, relational, and vocational disciplines that enable us to know, enjoy, and glorify God as we seek His Kingdom and righteousness. But we must also be mindful of the fact that, as believers, we are members of one another. And this is particularly and pointedly so in local settings, where communities of believers constitute, after a certain manner, the manifestation together of the resurrection life of Jesus Christ.

In Christ, and by His Spirit, we possess a certain unity with other believers, beginning in our local communities, and, in particular, in the church where we identify as members. The unity we have in the Spirit is a spiritual unity, giving us a common outlook, vision, hope, and power, and providing certain shared resources whereby we stimulate, encourage, equip, and assist one another in words and works to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the world.

This unity is first of all a bond of peace. In the Body of Christ each of us is at peace with God (Rom. 5.1) and, through Him, within ourselves, the outward circumstances of our lives notwithstanding (Phil. 4.6, 7). This peace which we possess as individuals flows out toward our fellow believers as a bond of hope, confidence, self-denial, and love. It is a primary manifestation of the indwelling Spirit of Christ (Gal. 5.22, 23). This bond of peace allows us to know, trust, and enjoy one another; learn from and share with one another; join together in a synergy of gifts and resources; and exalt our Lord together in worship and witness, all in ways greater than we as individuals could do alone.

The bond of peace we share and express within the Body of Christ provides a platform for bringing the peace of Christ and His Kingdom to the larger community of which we are a part.

The unity of the Spirit, which produces this bond of peace, is thus an important fruit of and contributor to our own growth in Christ and the calling He has appointed for each of us. Where this unity of the Spirit and bond of peace are weak or lacking, Christians will struggle to realize the full presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God. So we must take seriously our calling to follow Jesus, and the implications of that calling for His peace within our communities.

Hard work
Paul says we must “work hard” at maintaining this aspect of our calling. That’s the true sense of the word translated in our text as “endeavoring.” Achieving and maintaining the oneness we have in Christ is hard work, and there are many obstacles and hindrances which must be overcome. Moreover, like all work, there must be certain disciplines which, the more we master and employ them, the greater will be the results of spiritual unity and peace within the Body of which we are a part.

If such community-building disciplines exist, it is the duty of all who pursue their calling within the framework of the Body of Christ to discover, learn, and employ those disciplines with all spiritual vigor.

And, indeed, the Scriptures indicate that forging disparate members together into a visible Body of Christ requires that we share in certain activities which, as we do them, enables us to establish and proclaim the reality of Christ’s resurrection to the watching world. So it’s important that we understand and practice well the communal disciplines of Scripture. For only thus will be able to realize, maintain, and expand the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace within, among, and through our local churches.

Next steps: What are some of the obstacles that continually threaten the peace we know and enjoy within the Body of Christ? Talk with a church leader about this question. What is your responsibility in seeking to overcome such obstacles?

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Communal Disciplines, is part 6 of a 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We have prepared a special worksheet to help you begin getting your disciplines in proper shape for seeking the Kingdom. Write to T. M. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for your free PDF of the “Disciplined Life Worksheet.”

A rightly-disciplined life requires a Kingdom vision, and that vision is centered on Jesus Christ exalted. T. M. has prepared a series of meditations on the glorious vision of Christ, based on Scripture and insights from the Celtic Christian tradition. Order your copy of Be Thou My Vision by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.