Perhaps most of us here this morning have been downtown to Slugger Field to see the Louisville Bats AAA baseball team play a game. If you go—you can be assured that there’s at least one thing every player on the team shares in common. That’s a heart-felt desire to be called up to the major leagues. If and when a player makes it—there are some things that will be expected from them when they arrive.

The same thing can said of anyone who’s called by God into His forever family. There are some things that God will expect from us and rightfully so. Notice first of all that Paul says we are expected to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” in verse 3.

Make every effort—speaks of activity. We are responsible for being actively involved in something.  (Engaged) To keep the unity of the Spirit—speaks of protection. As Christians we are expected to be engaged in protecting what’s already been established by the Spirit.

Through the bond of peace—speaks of motivation. As believers—we know the price of peace cost Jesus His life and those of us who have experienced the peace He provides…we should be easily motivated to pursue peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Rom. 14:19 says, “Let’s make every effort to do what leads to peace.”

Now—in verses 4-6 Paul explains why unity is so vital to the people of God. We are one. One family, one in faith, and one in the fight to protect our unity. Notice how this works.

1. One family.

Paul tells us in verse 4—there is one body…and you were called to one hope when you were called. The one hope is the salvation that has been made possible through faith in Jesus Christ. The one body is an analogy that Paul references time and time again to illustrate how the family of God works in harmony.

Every believer who has—or every will trust Jesus is a member of the body…God’s family. This is what Paul is talking about in 2:11-18. The NT speaks of salvation in terms of being born again. When you were born—you were born into a family. You didn’t choose the family…nor were you given a choice of families to choose from.

When a person surrenders their life to Christ they become part of God’s one and only family. We’re not born again into the Baptist family, or the Methodist, Presbyterian or any other denominational distinctive. The family of God is not segregated by ethnicity, geography, gender or anything else (2:19).

It’s true that believers tend to congregate based on various distinctives…but these distinctives are not about the fundamentals of the gospel—there’re usually about methodology. (Traditions – style – church government) Paul is telling us here that there is only one family of believers and if you’ve been called up by God…you’re a part of it.

2. One faith.

Paul goes on to explain for us that there is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. The one faith that Paul is talking about here is not the act of faith when a person is saved—or the continuing faith necessary for growing in Christ…he’s talking about the doctrine that is revealed in the Scriptures “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints”, the faith which we are to contend for (Jude 3).

It’s the message that explains all mankind has a big sin problem and God the Father has sent His one and only Son to take care of it. Rom. 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing the message—and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

Professional baseball players are all athletes—but not all athletes are baseball players.  Only those athletes who dedicate themselves specifically to the game play baseball professionally. The same can be said of Christians. All Christians are people of faith…but not all people of faith are Christians. Only those who dedicate themselves to the true teaching of Christ and surrender their heart and life to Him.

Our faith is not in man’s tradition, an ever changing worship style, different denominations, or a set of buildings. If you’ve been called by God—you’ve been called into one faith, by one Lord, and have been spiritually baptized into one body…the church.

The one faith—is not a faith of our own making or choosing. Something we create or determine. It’s the faith that’s been revealed in the pages of Scripture first of all through the prophets and then by Jesus and His apostles. The gospel message that’s still proclaimed today. (I Peter 1:10-12)

The one Lord—is the eternal Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased and the One He sent to save us.

The one baptism—is when the Spirit incorporates us into the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13) and physically we express our unity with Jesus through water baptism. Paul’s telling us here that there is only one faith and if you’ve been called up by God…you’re a part of it.

3. One fight.

Now—suggesting that we fight in the church is normally not a good thing to do…Amen. But—there are some things that are worth fighting for. And unity in the fellowship is one. Here’s what we need to understand…it’s not our responsibility to create unity in the church. Unity has already been created by God the Father, established by God the Son, and is kept when His people are obedient to the leadership of God the Holy Spirit.

This is why we’re not to fight about the various things that we might think can or will create unity…we are to fight for the unity we have as people who have been incorporated into God’s family. Friends—we have an adversary who’s been fighting against the things God created from the beginning. He’s a deceiver, a disruptor, and a destroyer (I Pet. 5:8). His plan of attack is to disrupt the family of God by getting us to fight each other while he goes about deceiving and destroying the things that God has established through Christ. For ex: marriage, life.

The good news this morning is—God has provided all the armor we need to fight the good fight (Eph. 6) and we will be most effective when we fight as one. In John 17:21 Jesus prays that we will be as one. One family of believers, one in faith, and one in fighting for the unity of the church. What are some things that we allow to disrupt the unity and harmony of the fellowship? Are they personal preferences? Traditions – worship styles – etc.