One God and Father of All

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

Immediately after verses 1-3 say to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” Paul reminds his readers why this maintenance of unity is so important. He clarifies in verse 4 that “there is one body and one Spirit.” Our unity of the Spirit is essential because our faith is not meant to be disordered or disjointed. It is, crucially, singular in nature. When we are adopted into God’s family, we are no longer atomistic or alone. We are not sorted into different tiers or tribes. We are instead brought into a unified body and are now together as one under Christ.

Despite how fractured our various churches and Christian denominations might feel at times, Christianity is not ultimately a divided religion. We participate in one faith and one baptism. The idea that we have but one God, eternally existing as three distinct persons, is absolutely core to real faith and doctrine. We believe this God is not merely Lord over a part of creation, but over creation in its entirety. He is truly over all and through all and in all. God unifies everything under Christ’s feet (Ephesians 1:22). In Colossians 1:16-17, Paul also points out that… “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” This is the one God we worship.

Thus, our hope need not be divvied up or diversified. We do not need to hedge our bets with alternative saviors or supplemental spirituality. We are called to one hope: a hope in our one Lord, Jesus Christ. This kind of gospel confidence should empower us for service and a courageous utilization of our gifts. God does not intend for us each to build our own insular kingdoms, always warring with one another, but to give our lives in service to His Kingdom. Where we can, we should seek to mend relationships, reconcile hurts, and bridge gaps so that the body of Christ might be more unified tomorrow than it is today. We can do this assured that our God and Father is truly sovereign over all things.