THE SEVEN ONES

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Unity should be the desire of all those who say they are followers of God.

1.        The psalmist said that unity is good and pleasant (Ps. 133:1).

2.       Jesus prayed for oneness like that of the Godhead (John 20:21-22).

3.       Paul commanded the church at Corinth to speak the same thing and to have no divisions among them (I Cor. 1:10).

 

B.      Unity is not truly understood by most in the religious world.

1.        They believe in the concept of unity in diversity.

2.       They proclaim that we are unified as long as we all believe in the deity of Christ.

3.       They assume that unity means that we all tolerate one another and that tolerance includes absolutely no condemnation.

 

C.     The prophet Amos summed up unity in a simple statement found in Amos 3:3.

 

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

 

1.        Agreement is essential to unity.

2.       There must be one mind and one spirit as Paul said in Philippians 1:27b.

 

…that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

 

3.       This same apostle set forth seven platforms upon which unity should be built in Ephesians 4:4-6.  We often refer to them as “The Seven Ones.”

 

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all, the through all, and in you all.

 

D.    In this lesson, we will examine each of these “ones” briefly.  Remember, Paul tells us that these are the true keys to unity in the body of Christ.

 

I.             THERE IS ONE BODY:  Unity of Organization

 

A.    The body of Christ is the place wherein God unites all men who have been divided one from another.  This message is clearly set forth in the Ephesians epistle.

1.        Ephesians 2:16

 

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.

 

a.       Reconcile means “to make friendly again.”

b.      Both:  refers to Jews and Gentiles who had been separated one from another.

c.       One body:  this is the place wherein the reconciliation occurs.

d.      The enmity that was slain:  this was the Old Law that was a wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles

2.       Ephesians 2:6

 

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.

 

B.      The question that must now be answered is:  “What is the body?”

1.        Paul answers this question plainly in Ephesians 1:22-23

 

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

 

2.       The body is the church.

a.       If there is one body, there is only one church.

b.      It is in the church that God organizes and unites all men as one.

 

II.           THERE IS ONE SPIRIT:  Unity of Revelation

 

A.    The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Godhead.

 

B.      One of His primary functions was to reveal the truth of the gospel to men (John 16:13).

 

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth:  for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:  and he will show you things to come.

 

1.        He will guide:  this is the Spirit of truth.

2.       You:  this is the apostles of Jesus Christ

3.       Into all truth:  this if the full, complete revelation of God to man

 

C.     The revelation of the Holy Spirit is found in that book we call the Bible.

1.        There are no other revelations from God other than what is in this book.

2.       There is no such thing as continuous revelation through apostles and prophets today.

a.       Either the Holy Spirit did what the Lord promised, or, He did not.

b.      If He did reveal all truth, no more truth is needed.

 

D.    The Holy Spirit dwells in the church (I Cor. 3:16).  This indwelling is accomplished by means of the precious Word of God (Col. 3:16), which makes us “perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work (II Tim. 3:16-17).

 

III.         THERE IS ONE HOPE:  Unity of Expectation

 

A.    Paul tells us that hope is not something that we presently possess, but we long for it and expect it (Rom. 8:24-25).

 

For we are saved by hope:  but hope that is seen is not hope:  for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

 

B.      There are several components of our hope:  the Second Coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life.

 

C.     The one we all keep in mind, however, is our hope of heaven (Col. 1:5).

1.        No suffering

2.       No sin

3.       No sorrow

4.       No separations

 

D.    There will be fellowship with God and all the redeemed in a beautiful city, that is, a heavenly whose builder and maker is God.

 

E.      This hope motivates us.  We want it.  We will do whatever it takes to possess it.  We certainly do not want to miss it.

 

IV.        ONE LORD:  Unity of Authority

 

A.    Another word for “lord” is master.  There is one Master, Jesus Christ.

B.      All authority has been given unto Him in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18).  Peter told the Jews on Pentecost that God has made the same Jesus they crucified both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

 

C.     It is to Him and Him alone that we must resign our wills

1.        Luke 6:46

 

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

 

2.       Merely calling Him Lord is not enough.  Those who understand His Lordship submit themselves to His will (Matt. 7:21).

 

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

 

NOTE:  If we are not submitting ourselves to the will of God, Jesus is not really our Lord and Master regardless of the claim that we make.

 

V.          ONE FAITH:  Unity of Belief

 

A.    The word “faith” in this verse refers to “a system of faith.”  It involves all of the truths found in the New Testament that mankind must believe.

1.        In Acts 6:7, a great company of the priests were obedient to “the faith.”

2.       In Jude 3, the brother of the Lord exhorts his readers to “content earnestly for the faith.”

 

B.      God revealed the truths in the New Testament to us so we can read and understand His will for our lives (Eph. 3:3-4).

 

How that by revelation he made know unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words; whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.)

 

C.     It is not about opinions.

It is not about the creeds of man.

It is not about various interpretations of God’s Word.

It is not about you have your faith and I have mine.

 

D.    It is about coming to an understanding of God’s will found in the pages of the gospel of Christ (Eph. 5:17).

 

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

VI.        ONE BAPTISM:  Unity of Salvation

 

A.    The religious world has emphasized one element in the salvation process, that is, faith.

1.        We are told that we are saved by faith only.

2.       We are told that we are saved by faith alone.

3.       We are told that we are saved solely by faith.

 

B.      Those who teach these things ridicule anyone who says that baptism is essential to salvation.

 

C.     Paul includes it in the seven ones because baptism is the “line of faith” that must be crossed in order to a person to obtain salvation.

1.        “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16).

2.       “And now why tarriest thou?  arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16).

3.       “For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”(Gal. 3:26-27).

4.       “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…” (I Pet. 3:21).

 

D.    In the book of Acts:

1.        The Jews on Pentecost were baptized (Acts 2:41)

2.       The Samaritans were baptized (Acts 8:12).

3.       The Ethiopian eunuch was baptized (Acts 8:36-39).

4.       Saul of Tarsus was baptized (Acts 9:18; 22:16).

5.       The household of Cornelius was baptized (Acts 10:47-48).

6.       Lydia was baptized (Acts 16:15).

7.       The Philippian jailor was baptized (Acts 16:33).

8.       The Corinthians were baptized (Acts 18:8).

 

E.      Some teach that there are two baptisms to which one must submit, baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit.  Paul taught there is only one baptism, baptism in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 8:36).

 

VII.      ONE GOD:  Unity in Worship

 

A.    There is one God who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:6).

 

B.      This God, and Him alone, is to be the object of our affections and worship.

1.        Matthew 4:10

 

…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 

2.       We are not to worship other gods (Exo. 20:3-5).

We are not to worship angels (Rev. 22:8-9).

We are not to worship men (Acts 10:25-26).

 

C.     We are instructed about the worship of God in John 4:24.

 

God is a Spirit:  and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

1.        The object of worship must be correct:  God.

2.       The attitude of worship must be correct:  in spirit.

3.       The practice of worship must be correct:  in truth (See John 17:17).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    John has revealed to us the seven ones of unity.

1.        There is one body:  unity of organization

2.       There is one Spirit:  unity of revelation

3.       There is one hope:  unity of expectation.

4.       There is one Lord:  unity of authority.

5.       There is one faith:  unity of belief.

6.       There is one baptism:  unity of salvation.

7.       There is one God:  unity of worship.

 

B.      Why is the religious world divided?

1.        There are many bodies, or churches.

2.       There are many so-called revelations.

3.       There are many faiths contained in creeds, manuals, and confessions of faith.

4.       There are many plans of salvation.

5.       There are many gods that are worshipped.