ONE...In Him!

I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them.

A new heart ... will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you. — Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
I ... beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling to which you were called, with all lowliness and meekness, ... endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The old song goes, "We are one in the Spirit..." and it's true.  The oneness of Christians, their unity with each other, and with the Lord, is an absolute.  It's a fact. However, it's much more difficult to live than it is to know.  There are temptations along the way, which mean we must "endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" in plain terms, the unity we have in Him requires work to maintain.  We may indeed "have one heart," but often it's difficult to live that way every day. There is a way, though--remind yourself, when you are talking to an annoying fellow Christian that you stand on one side, he or she stands on the other, and the Lord is between you.  Let everything you do and say to that person go through Him first.  That will help. Meditate on these verses so that they will come up into your mind constantly.  God's family is very much like an earthly family--you may have a tough time with the other members of your family, but in the final analysis, they ARE family, and you tolerate much more from them than from those who are not.  Finally, remember this: Jesus said, "a new commandment I give to you: that you love one another, as I have loved you." Love your brother or sister in the Lord. Love God. "He who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen?"



JER. 32:39. Ezek. 36:26. ‑Psa. 25:8‑10. John 17:21. Eph. 4:1‑6.