-We see love AND oneness AND peace AND lots of gratitude. They are interconnected, inseparable. This is what characterizes a local assembly of God’s people as well as the individual members, or at least it should.
-One body where the peace of Christ rules, and God has called us to this. This is God’s plan A - there is no plan B. Note that this is not a verse focused on personal peace (as in Philippians 4.7), about individuals who are trying to make a decision and should try and find the most peaceful option, altho that could be part of what Paul is thinking. But the context suggests Paul is talking more about corporate peacemaking (cf Matthew 5.9), the ongoing pursuit of a collective peace inaugurated by the Lord of peace Himself (Romans 5.1, Ephesians 2.14, Colossians 1.20, 2Thessalonians 3.16) within a gathered assembly of Jesus followers, gathered together to increase the knowledge and celebration of God’s breathtaking goodness both within and without, to the ends of the earth. A local assembly is one unit, one entity, one body composed of various members, but it is designed and gathered together by God Himself (1Corinthians 12.12, 12.18, 12.24) and called to oneness, to be one (Ephesians 4.1-4). As we read in the previous verse, the proper working of love binds an assembly together. This oneness, which is naturally produced by God’s Spirit (Ephesians 4.3), is to be guarded and preserved by cultivating things like humility, gentleness, long-suffering, forbearance, serving one another (Romans 12.3-5). We subject ourselves to one another and give thanks for all things (Ephesians 5.20-21). Divisions must never be allowed to exist (1Corinthians 1.10, 12.25), and we must get rid of all anger, malice and slander (Colossians 3.8), and avoid all unwholesome speech in general (Ephesians 4.29). We are called to build up our local assembly and our fellow body-members, not tear them down and divide from them. We are called to forgive and reconcile and pursue peace. And again, being called by God to this means that this is what God wants for the local assembly, this is how He designed it to be, His plan A. There is no plan B.
-One downside of living in a culture of many choices is that it practically encourages us to be fickle, which is fine when it comes to choosing a favorite place to eat or blue jeans, but is devastating to relationships, esp within the church and as it relates to local church bodies. It caters to the me-first consumer, and makes it way too easy for us to take the easy way out, the path of least resistance, leaving rather than loving. Whereas love bears all things. Love never fails.
-Remember we are talking about the peace of Christ. Not simply the absence of conflict or some lame treaty between warring nations (cf John 14.27). In fact, this peace is beyond all description or compare, incomprehensible, out of this world. This is the shalom of God, an overall well-being, contentment, completeness and wholeness and harmony, an experience of God’s breathtaking goodness in life and relationship such that all is good, and the result is a thankful heart. Pursuing shalom in all things produces thankfulness in all things, which is totally what God wants (cf 1Thessalonians 5.18).
-In this context we are talking about the experience and manifestation of shalom in both the hearts and lives of individual members of this assembly as well as the multiplied effect of an entire assembly of people who are truly experiencing shalom in all its fullness. They are a blessing to one another, to their neighbors, and to the nations.
-A life that thus experiences God’s bessings will naturally be filled with gratitude. - the two go hand in hand. The word literally means, to do a good favor, and later came to mean giving of thanks, which certainly is a powerful way to bless and show God’s good favor to another person. No doubt Paul has in mind here an assembly of people who are so filled with God’s shalom that they are overflowing in their expression of thanksgiving both towards God as the Ultimate Source as well as towards one another. But the powerful truth is that gratitude is not only a desired outcome as an ultimate way of expressing worship towards our Creator but it is also instrumental towards producing that very thanksgiving. Gratitude begets gratitude. The more you express gratitude for someone or something, the more you will truly experience gratitude in relation to them and in general. And a grateful body is a healthy body. The gratitude is primarily directed towards God the Father (as we read in the following verses), but no doubt there is a sizeable portion of gratitude and appreciation directed towards my fellow believers. Gratitude is positive focus on what we have, as opposed to focusing on what we want or lack. It is appreciation, acknowledgement of benefit received. It is tied to increased energy, optimism, and empathy. When the enemy succeeds in supressing gratitude in our lives, he has gained a major victory. Ungrateful hearts are prone to all kinds of negativity - grumbling, complaining, anger, unforgiveness, unkindness, discontentment, pride and arrogance, jealousy and envy. We must make every effort to allow God’s Spirit to fill us to overflowing with His peace and to fill our hearts with thanksgiving.
No comments:
Post a Comment