One Lord, One God, and One Father

Continuing the truth which he presented in Ephesians 4:4 , namely, that there is only one church led by one Spirit, so that the members have one hope, Paul now in verses 5 and 6 writes, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The idea here is that the Spirit, Who brings forth that one church and causes it to hope, has been sent by Christ, the Lord, Who in turn was sent by God, Who is the one spiritual Father of all who are saved.

Note that God is presented as being above all and therefore able to bring forth a perfect church, a body with all its members in their right places. God works through the whole human race in all those whom He eternally chose. A perfect body therefore shall appear. That is our hope, our expectation. It surely will happen, and all the members of that body will walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. A perfect church is going to appear when Christ returns. The kingdom of heaven most assuredly will be established on the new earth.

Let us be comforted by that truth.

It will look dark when the Antichrist comes pretty soon. The members of that body of Christ, the church, will be severely persecuted, and not be able to buy or sell; and that means we will starve to death. But note that Paul tells us that we have one Lord, one God Who sent Christ above all things and persons, so that He has even Satan in His control. All God's promises are therefore going to be fulfilled in smallest detail.

What we as believers hope for will come, no matter how hopeless things look to the natural eye. There is no one who can keep us from what God promises in His Son. Let us then sing:

For this is His word: 
His saints shall not fail, 
But over the earth their pow'r shall prevail. 
Psalter #407:4

Read: Romans 11:22-26

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Job 8-10 ; Job 11:1-20 
1 Corinthians 15:1-28 
Psalm 38:1-22 
Proverbs 21:28-29 
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Quote for Reflection:

    “Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world,  he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ,  whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of Salvation.      

       This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than the others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually to call and draw them to his communion  by his Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of his glorious grace; as it is written:"According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved," Ephesians 1:4,5,6 .   And elsewhere: "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified," Romans 8:30 ” 

Canons of Dordt  Head 1 Article 7