The more that the norms of society change, the more challenging it is to maintain one’s trust in Christ. Although we are not the most deserving of pity, the world in which we live does not encourage the maturation and expansion of a Christian way of life. Although we are not the most deserving of pity, we live in a secular world. There is nothing particularly shocking about this; it was all revealed in the Word. But despite the attacks of the enemy and their efforts to destabilize the world, what foundations should be created for one’s daily spiritual life to stay stable? Ephesians 4 provides us with four pillars, each essential to fully expressing our faith.
1. The truth
The one that nobody wants to listen to because it is too tough to hear, or more accurately, the one that we try to put into perspective using subjectivity as an excuse. Some people believe that there is more than one truth and that no one person or group can lay claim to possessing the ultimate body of knowledge. However, there is only one truth, not multiple truths, and it may be found in the Bible. No matter our perspectives, feelings, or moods, the Word of God should always take precedence over any conception. According to John 14:6, which reads, “I am the truth,” the truth is not an idea or a theory but rather a person named Jesus Christ. This may come as a surprise to some people. Because of this, his words should be taken as truth. Nevertheless, not all interpretations some people are encouraged to believe are necessarily correct.
“There is one Lord, one faith” Ephesians 4:5
2. Love
Christ provides us with an example of what it means to love in its purest form. We are commanded to love in the same way that Jesus did, which means to do so with humility and to look out for the interests of others at all times. It was not because we loved Christ that he loved us; instead, Christ first loved us. Christ did not love us because there was something inherently lovable about us; rather, men did not accept him. Christ did not love us because doing so was a requirement; rather, he did so because he was free. Christ did not love us for us to give him something; rather, he loved us authentically, devoid of all interest. The capacity to love in such a way does not come naturally to human beings; rather, we need to put in effort daily if we ever want to love as the Father does.
3. Unity
Unity is the third pillar of the Christian faith but is inextricably linked to the first two. If there is no unity, there can be no love, and if there is no truth, there can be no love, and so on. Note that there are two different kinds of unity discussed in Ephesians chapter 4: the “unity of the Spirit” (verse 3) and the “unity of faith.” (verse 13). Because they are all children of the same Father and members of the same family, all of God’s children share a connection that can only be described as the unity of the Holy Spirit. This union recognizes no borders based on religious denomination. The coming together of people of different faiths is the end objective. The teaching of holy doctrine has to prevail over the spiritual currents that Christians are committed to at the moment of their conversion to become fully devoted followers of Christ. These distinctions must make way for a single, overarching truth and doctrine.
4. Holiness
The desire to live by God’s will constitutes the fourth pillar of our faith. Every day, we should make the pursuit of holiness our primary objective. Our salvation depends on it. There is a clear declaration in the Word that we cannot inherit the Kingdom if we do not have it. Sanctification differentiates us from the rest of the world because it establishes a barrier between us, sin, and the darkness. It is one of the essential characteristics of God. 1 Peter 1:16 instructs Christians, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” For us to be set apart as God’s, we must first break free from the control that the body has over us. Both “live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) and “become imitators of God, like beloved children, and walk in charity” (Ephesians 5:1): these are the Scriptures that should serve as daily motivation to look to Christ as an example and a perfect model.
Our religion would be unstable and insufficient if it were not for these four pillars, each of which is equally as fundamental as the others. Having the first three without the fourth is impossible, and vice versa. Because of this, we need to make sure that love, truth, unity, and holiness are at the core of our life every day to witness Christ in the most effective manner that is open to us.
