Unity and Peace
The unity of the Spirit is an unalterable truth that we must use diligence to keep, and it is promoted through the bond of peace.
H.J. Vine preaches on the unalterable truth of God, emphasizing the unity of the Spirit that believers are called to maintain in peace and holiness. He highlights the importance of diligently pursuing peace with all to manifest the unity of the Spirit as truth, while also contending earnestly for the faith without causing division among fellow believers. Vine stresses the need for believers to stand united against the attacks of the enemy, finding common ground in their shared faith and common foe.
Text
The unalterable truth of God is this: "There is one body and one Spirit, as ye have been called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4:4). The unity of the Spirit is. We have not to make it. Indeed, we could not, for it is the unity of the Spirit. We are, however, to use diligence to keep it, in the divinely ordered way, in the uniting bond of peace. We are to diligently pursue peace with all, that the unity of the Spirit, constituted in that way which is permanently true, may be practically manifested as the truth. Holiness is necessarily to be pursued as well as peace; but peace is essentially the prominent thing in this connection.
The opposite has been characteristic in Christendom, but not of the real in the midst of it, for in their very nature as the children of God they love peace, and they are "of the truth."
Nor has this peace to be disturbed by the fact that we are to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). This passage has been used to justify contention amongst and against saints of God. That is wrong. Jude is exhorting those who are "called" and "beloved" to earnestly contend together for and to hold the faith which God had given. And this affords a further cause of unity in the bond of peace, so that we have a double bond, the positive things within, which are our common portion, and the attacks of the enemy without, our common foe.
Sermon Outline
- The Unity of the Spirit
- The Bond of Peace
- Holiness and Peace
- Contending for the Faith
- We must contend earnestly for the faith
- This affords a cause of unity in the bond of peace
- We must use diligence to keep it
Key Quotes
“There is one body and one Spirit, as ye have been called in one hope of your calling” — H.J. Vine
“We have not to make it. Indeed, we could not, for it is the unity of the Spirit” — H.J. Vine
“We are to diligently pursue peace with all, that the unity of the Spirit, constituted in that way which is permanently true, may be practically manifested as the truth” — H.J. Vine
Application Points
- We must use diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit and promote peace among believers.
- We must contend earnestly for the faith in a way that promotes unity and does not create division.
- We must prioritize peace and holiness in our lives and relationships.