Friday, September 6, 2024
Paul and Jesus' other apostles didn't deny the existence of "evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world" or "mighty powers in this dark world" or "evil spirits in the heavenly places." [1] Instead, the apostles taught that Christ triumphed over these evil powers [2] and emphasized that all disciples, as followers of Christ, could resist the evil powers. [3] Paul stressed that Christ came to tear down the wall of racial hostility through the cross. [4] He came to end the reign of demonic bondage to isolation, injury, suspicion, violence, and destruction between peoples based on their differences. [5]
When God's people, Jesus' church, the Spirit-filled brothers and sisters in God's family, live in harmony, they reassert the truth of Christ's victory on the cross over hell and its powers to sow distrust, disharmony, and destruction between people. Our unity is a proclamation to the demonic world that God's plan and His people have the power to stop the ongoing destruction of people by other people. This is God's "wisdom in its rich variety... His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord."
How vital is Christian unity?
How important is it that we do not discriminate, isolate, and separate because of gender, race, social standing, or any other characteristic?
Christ went to the cross to absorb the hate and destructive will of hell's minions and to create and show us a different way. Jesus came to show that love can be the identifying mark of God's new people. [6] He wanted to bring deliverance from the foul spirits at work in the rest of a world, spirits marked by suspicion, separation, sedition, and slaughter, all propelled by Satan's delight in our mutual destruction of each other. [7] Jesus wants us to be known for our love for each other so other people can find a place to be loved and to share love fully and appropriately. Plus, Jesus wants us on display so hell can see that already the hold of evil on the hearts of people is passing away because God planned to use the church to display a new way of Kingdom living that liberates us from the hold of the evil one!
Father, forgive us for losing our sense of urgent purpose and not living in love, acceptance, and unity. Holy Spirit, pour God's love into our hearts and convict us with Jesus' example of sacrificial love so we can make His destruction of the wall of hostility, suspicion, and separation real. We recognize this wall Satan built by hell-fueled hostility, suspicion, and separation rooted in fear of people different from us. O, dear Jesus, help us to love each other as You do! Amen.
![Illustration of Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT — God's purpose in [having His plan of salvation explained to everyone] was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.](https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/31085.jpg "Illustration of Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT — God's purpose in [having His plan of salvation explained to everyone] was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.")
Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.
'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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