The Cross and the Church, Part 2 — Stephen Kaung

Jesus Builds His Church on the Rock

Will you please turn to the gospel according to Matthew? Matthew chapter 16. We are only. We'll read. Verse 68. Woman to dish Bajie. Matthew chapter 16. Verse 18 my head. This is no John dish Bajie, and I also I say unto thee that thou art Peter and on this rock I will build my church and Hades gates shall not prevail Against it.

Well, I told Sunni. You should be door. Oh, yeah, Bob. What a Joe? We did not a joke. I'm sure some Indian the champion wouldn't own some water. Verse 24 the Aussie Jesus said to his disciples if anyone desires to come after me Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

You see a suit a mental show. Well, you're in y 'all come from work. So don't search a beach either should gel. I come from war for whosoever shall desire To save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life For my sake shall find it.

You may find out. You'll see. She's a meaner. Be some tell Sunni one way. What's on tell Sunni? Be for what does a man profit if he should gain the whole world and Suffer the loss of his soul. Then you are trying to try.

She gave a sound city that's a mean you're so much each other. Then I don't know how some of what's a meaner. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul for the Son of Man is? About to come in the glory of his father with his angels and then he will render to each according to his doings.

Rinse. Y 'all take off with a young young Lee from the Conscious young me not so high. I'll tell good and the she may following good. The letter to the Ephesians. Woman that fun. Can you force or so? Chapter 4 this is our.

We'll read the first 16 verses. You don't you I? The prisoner in the Lord. Exhaust you therefore to walk worthy of the calling wherewith you have been called. What way to be sure that you and your man?

Mental Xing Shi way and you don't Mung-tau the N. Shantung with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering. Bearing with one another in love. Fancy Tenshi will know that night you'll I see who shall find you.

Using diligence to keep the unity of the spirit. In the uniting bond of peace. You'll have him peace man. Oh, Jim. He's also selling for to her way. There is one body and one spirit as He had been also called in one hope of your calling.

Sentence you ego selling to your ego. Don't you mean man? Mung-tau from your eager to walk one Lord. One faith one baptism. Each machine is One God and father of all who is over all and through all and in us all.

He's and Josie. Don't render full. Chalhu don't rent to shop one who don't rent to. Don't you do that don't rent to name. But to each one of us has been given grace. According to the measure of the gift of the Christ.

Woman couldn't man. Don't you tell Jesus or man gay? Wherefore he says Having ascended up on high. He has led captivity captive and has given gifts to man. So you can't show us. Oh, I'll show you something.

Oh, can the show? Moo-moo Chowdhury. John gonna answer some gayren. But that he ascended what is it? But that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth. She's also some shop. She was sheen John's I D. Sharma.

He that ascended descended is the same who has also Ascended up above all the heavens that he might feel all things. Now John shot up. Just see Ransom to tend to shop y 'all to my wine. Oh, and he has given some apostles and some prophets and some Evangelists and some shepherds and teachers.

I saw Suda Yoshi to your shanty your tranquil in the your moose is her Chelsea for the perfecting of the Saints with a view to the work of the ministry. With a view to the edifying of the body of Christ.

We all come to an simple good in cheese. Jimmy G do the same. Until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. At the full grown man as a measure of the statue of the fullness of the Christ.

In order that we may be no longer babes. Tossed and carried about by every wind of their teaching which is in a sleight of man. In unprincipled cunning with a view to systematize error. But holding the truth in love we may grow up to him in all things.

Who is the head the Christ? Fancy don't eat me and you and so G do from home the whole body fitted together and Connected by every joint of supply according to the working in the measure of each one part Works for itself the increase of the body to the self building up in love.

Transcendental caught a man or the horse by Jekyll and Gertrude. Delta Gertie the colonial beasts. Young to beat. Y 'all send he can't in Tungzha side. I don't gently. Let's have a word of prayer. Women say oh, yeah, the dog go.

Dear Lord as we gather together in thy presence. Our hearts are full of gratitude. We want to thank Thee for being so faithful to us during the past few days. We thank Thee for bringing us to this last full day of the conference.

Dear Lord, we want to offer this day into Your hands. We pray that Thy presence be with us. We pray that I will remove any veil that may be still upon our heart. We pray that Thy word will really penetrate into the depths of our being, and bring us into Thy eternal purpose.

Dear Lord, we confess that without Thee we can do nothing. But with Thee all things are possible. We confess that we are an impossible people. But we thank Thee because this is what Thou art looking for.

Christ and His Church in God’s Eternal Purpose

So Lord, we pray that even in this late hour, that Thou will bring us into the way of the cross, that it may lead us into Thy eternal purpose. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. We have been fellowshipping together on the theme of the way to the eternal purpose of God, which is the cross.

If we are able to look into the very heart of God, what do you think we will see there? I believe that in the very heart of God there is only one person, and that is His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus. The heart of God is centered upon His Son.

He loves His Son, and He does everything for His Son. But if we look into the heart of our Lord Jesus, what do you think you will find there? You will find His church, His body. So according to the word of God, the whole Bible tells us these two things, Christ and His church.

This is the eternal purpose of God. But the only way to know Christ and to know the church is through revelation. God has to reveal His Son in us. And the Son has to reveal the church to us. Without such living revelation, our concept of Christ and our concept of the church are very, very inadequate.

The only way to really know what Christ is and what the church is, we have to look to God to give us revelation. But receiving revelation from above is one thing. To know Christ and to know the church is one thing.

But to really win Christ and live in the church, there is the need of the cross. So that's the reason why this time our emphasis is on the way to the eternal purpose of God, the cross. The cross gave us Christ.

And the cross gave us the church. Yesterday morning, we began on this matter of the cross and the church, on the cross and the foundation of the church. Our Lord Jesus said to Peter, You are Peter, a stone, a small stone.

On this rock, massive rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The foundation of the church, the rock, is our Lord Jesus. Because there is no other foundation we can lay but Christ Jesus.

But as we mentioned yesterday morning, even though our Lord Jesus was sent by the Father, and He was sent with a mission, He will not be able to fulfill His mission if He does not go to the cross. If He should come into this world and become a man, and He lives His life for thirty-three and a half years, a perfect life, a life that really answers to God's desire.

And if He should just live for these years, and then He ascended to heaven, then brothers and sisters, He failed. He will have failed in His mission. So far as He Himself is concerned, He is a success.

But so far as His mission is concerned, a failure. But brothers and sisters, because of His amazing love for us, He is not thinking of Himself. For Himself, nothing is better if He should ascend from that mount of transfiguration.

But for our sake, He went to Calvary and died on the cross. So at the end of His crucifixion, He shouted, it is finished. The mission is accomplished. Redemption is accomplished. He has fulfilled His mission as the sent one.

And we also mentioned yesterday morning, when the soldier thrust the spear into His side, out of His broken heart came out blood and water. Out of the cross of our Lord Jesus, comes out the material, the raw material for the building of the body of Christ, His church.

The Cross Provides the Material for the Church

We remember in Genesis chapter 2, God said, it is not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate, his like. But after God led all the living creatures to Adam, Adam could not find in all these living creatures, his like.

So God put him to sleep. And then God opened His side. And God took out something out of Adam. And with that, He built a woman. So when God led Eve to Adam, Adam immediately found and said, this is me.

And they are united into one. But in the case of Adam, his surgery is painless. Because that was before sin entered into this world. But in the case of our Lord Jesus, when He was crucified on the cross, He went through the utmost suffering.

Because sin was in this world. Thank God, His blood is for the remission of our sins. And the water is His life given to us. And with this life, the church is to be built. Now this morning, we would like to consider together on this matter of the cross and the building of the church.

We remember that after the Father revealed the Son to Simon Peter, After the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Then our Lord Jesus continued to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and He will be killed.

But on the third day, He will be raised. In other words, the way to be Christ, to fulfill His mission as Christ, He must die on the cross. To our Lord Jesus, the cross is a must. He is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

You cannot separate Christ from the cross, or the cross from Christ. It is the cross that gave us Christ. But it is Christ who gave us the cross. And then our Lord Jesus continued to say to His disciples, If anyone desires to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.

In other words, the cross is necessary for Christ Himself. The cross is necessary for us to be built as His church. The raw material is here. But how can these raw materials be built up together into the house of God?

It is through the cross. Without the cross, the church cannot be built. So, brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus said, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me. Our Lord Jesus is the foundation of the church.

But this foundation is different from the foundations that we see when we are building a physical house. Even though the foundation supports the house, but the foundation and the house may be of different materials.

But when our Lord Jesus said, I will build my church, He is building a spiritual house. He is building His own body. So we find that the relation between the foundation and the building are organic. In other words, the building is the outgrowth of the foundation.

It is the extension of Christ. So, what is in the foundation is to be in the building. That's why we find in the scripture it said, we must be rooted and build up in Him. Now, our Lord Jesus is the rock.

He is the foundation. Now, in Isaiah chapter 28, verse 16, Therefore does say the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay for foundation in Zion a stone, a tri-stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that trusteth shall not make haste.

God said, I lay a foundation in Zion. And that foundation is a stone, a rock. But more than that, it is a tried stone. It has been tested and found perfect. That speaks of the life of our Lord on this earth.

How He has been tested. He was tempted in all things without sin. He is a solid rock. And not only that, He is a precious cornerstone. Not only a stone, a tri-stone, but a precious stone. And He is the sure foundation.

Now, if the foundation is of this manner, then the building must be of the same quality. So, brothers and sisters, you remember the story of Simon Peter. In John chapter 1, his brother Andrew led him to Jesus.

And the Bible tells us, Our Lord Jesus looked at him. The word look there means He will look him up and down. He will look him into his very being. And then the Lord said, You are Simon. Son of Jonah.

But you shall be called Cephas, a stone. Now, brothers and sisters, you know Simon originally was a very outspoken person. Usually he will speak before you do. He will even speak before Christ speaks.

But strangely, when he was led to our Lord Jesus, he was speechless. Because when our Lord looked at him, looked into his very being, he couldn't say anything. And the Lord said, You are Simon. Now, of course, he knows himself as Simon.

He does not need the Lord to tell him that you are Simon. But there is a meaning behind it. The Lord said, You are Simon. That's what you naturally are. You are born of your earthly parents. And you are given the name Simon.

That's what you are originally. But you shall be called Peter. In other words, the Lord said, I will do a work in your life. In other words, the Lord said, I will do a work in your life. I will transform you from Simon to Peter.

Simon, a man of dust. Because we naturally are made of dust. But our Lord Jesus said, You will be a stone. When we come to the Lord Jesus, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, a new element enters into our life.

And changes us from dust to stone. So, when Simon confessed the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Our Lord Jesus said, You are Peter. Now, you are a stone. You are now a living stone.

And Peter understood it. Because in 1 Peter chapter 2, He said, When we come to the Lord Jesus, we all become living stone. To be built up into a spiritual house. A stone. But a rough stone. We know Peter is a rough stone.

And for that stone to be built into the spiritual house. It has to be tested. It has to be disciplined. It has to undergo suffering. In order that, it may become a tri-stone and a precious stone. That's why you'll find after our Lord Jesus called Peter to be His disciples.

And during those three years and so. We find that our Lord Jesus worked in the life of Simon Peter. Often times, we find that Simon in Peter rose up. As a matter of fact, immediately after the Lord said, You are Peter.

We find this man say to the Lord Jesus, You don't go to the cross. The Lord said, I will go to the cross. But Peter said no. Be good to yourself. Natural love. Natural mind. Natural mind does not want to suffer.

And our Lord Jesus had to turn around and said, Get behind me, Satan. Here you'll find Satan has a foot still had a foot in this man, Simon Peter. Brothers and sisters, after we believe in the Lord Jesus, thank God we are living stones.

There is a new life in us. All the potentials are there. But unfortunately, we find that our old life is still there. Our old nature is still there. Our self, our flesh are still there. Within us, there is a treasure.

But outside of the treasure, there are still earthen vessels. Often times, we find what comes out is not Christ in us. It is our old self. And these cannot be built into the church. So we find that during those years, when Peter followed the Lord Jesus, he was dealt with by the Lord many, many times.

Because he was an impetuous person. And very outspoken. So you find that among the disciples, he was the one who was dealt most. Sometimes I feel sympathy with him. Peter, if you only shut your mouth, how good it will be.

But brothers and sisters, that's human wisdom. Because he will not have the opportunity to be tried and to be purified. Again and again, the Simon in Peter came out. And our Lord Jesus had to cut him off.

You remember on the Mount of Transfiguration? He said, now it is good to be here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. And we will just stay in open air. Because it is so good here.

And the Bible says he does not know what he is saying. But he feels he has to say something. So that Moses and Elijah will not disappear. And the Heavenly Father had to cut him off. Brothers and sisters, again you find when the tax collector comes.

That is collecting the temple tax. And they say, now does your master pay temple tax? Without consulting our Lord, he said, yes. After he promised that, then he came to the Lord. So the Lord said to him, now who is going to pay the tax?

Will the son pay the tax? But our Lord Jesus rescued him. He said, you go and try to fish. And when the first fish comes to the hook, there will be the money for you and for me. Now Peter is a fisherman.

He cast the net and get lots of fish. But to hook one fish, I think he will be very impatient. The Lord dealt with him. And again you find he came to the Lord. He said, my brother, sin against me. Seven times I forgave him.

Would that be enough? Now he was trying to get the praise from our Lord. For a man like Peter, to endure for seven times, that's a miracle. And who is that brother? Andrew. Now what kind of person is Andrew?

Andrew is a quiet person. Very careful person. He can notice very small things among thousands of people. He could see a little boy has two fishes and five loaches. Now this kind of person is a careful person.

Probably he will rarely offend anyone. But often times that is true. The offended the one who thinks he is offended is the one who offends. So our Lord just said not seven times. Seventy times seven. Brothers and sisters, that's impossible.

To Simon, this is impossible. This is death. But that's what the Lord wants to do with him. He is a person with so self-confidence. He loves the Lord. And he really loves the Lord. So he told the Lord, if all the others will, I am willing to go and die with you.

And our Lord Jesus said, Simon, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked Satan, he wants to ship you as wheat. But I have prayed for you. When you are revived, restored, revive your brethren. Brothers and sisters, he is so sure of his love.

And he denied the Lord three times. He came to his end. He wept. Come away. And thank God he was restored by the Lord. So dear brothers and sisters, you find that Peter, even though he is a living stone, he is such a rough stone.

Full of his own self. And our Lord Jesus had to deal with him. Deal with him in love. Deal with him with patience. Until Peter becomes a precious stone. So you find that in New Jerusalem there are twelve foundations of twelve precious stones.

The first stone is Sardis. Probably this refers to Peter. And we know Jasper The first one is Jasper. And Jasper we find when you see God he looks like Jasper. So brothers and sisters, this stone has to be tried.

This stone has to be changed into precious stone. And then it can be built into the spiritual health. So we find that all the processes painful as they may be. So far as the flesh is concerned is painful.

But they are all positive towards the purpose of God. Brothers and sisters, Peter after he has been dealt with then when he wrote his epistles when he wrote Peter's epistles in 1 Peter chapter 1 in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 6 Wherein he exhorted for a little while at present if needed put to grief by various trials that the proving of your faith much more precious than of gold which perishes though it be proved by fire be found to praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ.

And then again in chapter 4 verse 12 Beloved take not estranged the fire of persecution which has taken place among you for your trial as if a strange thing was happening to you. But as ye have shared in the sufferings of Christ rejoice that in the revelation of his glory also he may rejoice with exultation.

So what happened in the life of Peter happens to every one of us because our Lord wants us to be built into his church. So he has to do all these works in our life. If we refuse then we will be unfit in the house of God.

Taking Up the Cross Through Consecration

So brothers and sisters the cross is a must to the church. The reason why the church is not built as it should is because God's people try to avoid the cross. Now our Lord Jesus said if anyone desires to follow me this is his path this is his way it is the way of the cross and if anyone desires to follow me the Lord said you must deny yourself take up your cross and follow me.

The cross is something that we must take up. The cross is also something that we can avoid. You can take it up or you can bypass it. Now what is a cross? A cross is when God's will and your will cross each other.

If you insist on having your way you escape the cross but you lose your soul. If for the sake of Christ and of his gospel you are willing to let yourself die and let the will of God go through you. Then you win your soul.

Brothers and sisters so here you'll find we must take our cross. But how can we take up our cross? Something that seems to be opposite to us. Something that is killing us. Something that is reducing us.

Something that is breaking us. Naturally speaking we will never be able to take up our cross. We can be as brave as Peter. I'm willing to die for you. But to say it is one thing. To do it is another thing.

We cannot do it. Oh brothers and sisters the secret is here. The Lord said deny yourself switch take up your cross and follow me. If we do not deny ourselves it is impossible to take up the cross. So our problem is we fail to deny ourselves.

So this has something to do with consecration. I mentioned it last night. Romans 12 Therefore beloved I beseech you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice. Wholly acceptable which is your reasonable service spiritual worship.

That is the very basis of our Christian life. After we believe in the Lord Jesus if we want to follow the Lord the first thing we must do is to present our bodies a living sacrifice. The reason why I use the word bodies because its emphasis is on our practical daily living.

It actually includes our whole being. We need to present our whole being as a living sacrifice to our Lord. And when we are doing that this is denying ourselves. We want to live for ourselves. We want to hold on to our rights.

But when you present your bodies a living sacrifice it means that you let go yourself. It means that you are willing to give up all your rights. It means that you are willing to let Christ be the Lord over your life.

You want His will to be done. Brothers and sisters that is consecration. Consecration is not trying to do something for God. That will follow. But consecration is giving up yourself to the Lord. It is denying yourself.

I do not know myself anymore. Whenever I rise up I say I don't know you. Because I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live. It is Christ who lives in me. He has every right over me.

His will be done, not mine. Brothers and sisters consecration is not just once for all. It has to have a beginning. One day you have to be moved, constrained by the love of Christ. You are willing to give up yourself to Him.

Allow Him to work out His purpose. And then daily as the burn offering is repeated morning and evening. And is being added when there are festivals. When you are under testing and when the cross is before you and you have to decide whether you will take it or you will escape it.

Only by re-dedicate give your life to the Lord. You are able to take up the cross and follow Him. Many times there are strugglings. But finally His love overcomes. You are willing to let go yourself.

That's consecration. Consecration is a way. It goes in the way of the cross. So dear brothers and sisters you find that the cross is a must to us. But there is more to it. Because it is not just making you a model.

Making you a monument. This is not God's purpose. God's purpose is not just to make you a spiritual giant. To be admired by people. As a monument standing there. God wants a body. He wants a house. Therefore you find that all these living stones have to be built together.

There is not only the work that needs to be done to each stone. Turn the raw material into useful material. But afterwards you need to fit them together. Build them together according to the design of God.

Consecrated Materials for God’s Dwelling Place

So there is much more working of the cross needed. Now we find that in the Old Testament times God let his people out of Egypt. He brought them to Mount Sinai. And there he shared his heart. Why did God deliver them?

What was the reason behind it? God said because I want to dwell among you. Build me a sanctuary that I may dwell in your midst. And you'll find that when God the people to build him a sanctuary he showed Moses the design.

But where are the materials? He called the people to offer his offering. You know the children of Israel they were slaves in Egypt. They own no property. They did not even own their own lives. But when God delivered them out of Egypt you remember God made them people in the world.

They spoiled all the riches of Egypt. They carried all the riches of Egypt out with them. And then God said give me a heave offering. Out of what I have given you you give back to me out of love. Legally all is of God.

But God will rather that his people will give willingly than lovingly. So they began to give. Gold, silver, iron, brass and all these lilies and purple and scarlet and acacia and also other things and precious stones and oil Now all these things actually came from God.

But out of the abundance they give willingly to God. Now that is a figure of consecration. After our Lord Jesus has come he brings us to the very origin and that is present our bodies living. The redeemed belongs to the Lord.

So it is but right for us to do it. Not your silver and gold but yourself. But after all these materials are given much work has to be done. All these woods have to be cut and all these cloths have to be weaved and all these gold have to be beaten.

Everything had to be done so that it will take form. And you'll find all the furniture in the tavern. Now the same thing is true with Solomon's temple. David prepared much material for the house of God.

Out of his affliction he gave of his affection for the Lord. He gave out to the Lord. He gave according to all his power. And everyone was touched they gave. And then we find the workmen had to come and work on these things.

Walking Worthy of the Calling in the Body of Christ

Oh dear brothers and sisters not only individually the Lord has to do much work but in putting us together so these things is concerned with the eternal purpose of God. Especially in this matter of the church.

In the first three chapters maybe we can say that it is a revelation of the church. How the church is the body of Christ. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 22 -23 Christ is head to the church which is His body.

The fullness of Him who fills all anymore. And how the church is the new man neither Jews nor Gentiles because God has bring them into one new man. The church is the house of God The foundation and the cornerstone.

The twelve apostles are the foundations and Christ is the cornerstone. And it is the household of God. And brothers and sisters we find that in the first three chapters it tells us what the church is.

Revelation. Now when there is revelation we find the heading of that letter is Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ. As an apostle he passed on the revelation that he had received. But then when he comes to the building of the church we were once being captured by the enemy.

We were in captivity. He cannot do what he wants to do. He cannot go where he wants to go. He has lost his freedom. He is under someone. And brothers and sisters unless we take that position there is no way to build a church.

So are we willing to take that rightful place? Then the apostle Paul the prisoner in the Lord says in chapter 4 verse 1 I, the prisoner in the Lord exhort you therefore to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye have been called.

Thank God we have been called. Now what is our calling? The calling here does not refer to our individual calling. It is an overall calling. All of us are called. We are all called into this. Now what is that calling according to Ephesians?

That calling is we are called to be the body of Christ. Now what calling that is? It is a holy calling. On high calling. It is a heavenly calling. We are called to be the body of Christ. We are not just called to be saved.

We are not just called that we may go to heaven. We are called to be the very body of Christ. All the fullness of the head dwells in the body. All the riches of Christ dwell in the body. And the glory of Christ manifested through that body.

It is one with Him. As the head is, so is the body. Brothers and sisters, we are called to be the body of Christ. Now since this is our calling, we shall walk worthy of our calling. Are we walking worthy of our calling?

Now how can we walk worthy of our calling? With all loneliness and meekness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love. Now these are the qualities, the character of our Lord Jesus. Because He is meek and lowly in heart.

He calls us to yoke with Him. To learn of Him. Because He is meek and lowly in heart. There is no resistance in Him towards His Father. That's meekness. He is lowly in heart. And that lowliness means there is no self in Him.

That is what Christ is. And that is what we should be. It is His life in us. It is His character in us. With that kind of attitude we are able to be built together. How we are resistant to God. You know, the Bible says Moses is the meekest of men.

Now that doesn't seem to be right. Because even all the artists when they draw the picture of Moses he was so majestic. So strong. Powerful. And the Bible says he is the meekest of men. Why? Because there is no resistance in Him towards God.

Absolute submission. Absolute obedience. Brothers and sisters how about us? Is there still resistance in us towards God? Are we ready at all times to obey? Are we lowly in heart? Selfless. Willing to take the lowest place because that's what we are.

And then it says with long suffering. Long suffering. It means suffer long. Suffer long. Now do you expect that? To be built into the body of Christ means long suffering. You remember 1 Corinthians chapter 30.

It is a chapter on love. But it is related to the church, the body of Christ. And the first quality of love is love suffers long. How God suffers long with us. And the church because it is a place of love it is a place of long suffering.

Are you ready to suffer? And suffer long. If you are not ready then don't try to be built into the church. No wonder there are people today who want to keep to themselves. We can seek the Lord the Lord and I and nobody else.

It seems very spiritual but brothers and sisters they are not built into the body of Christ. They miss the eternal purpose of God. And then it says bearing with one another in love. Now all these are the qualities of Christ.

Only when we are standing in Christ we are able to begin to be built up together. And the first thing is using diligence to keep the unity of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. Why? Because the body is one.

As the head is one the body is one. Therefore we have to keep diligently the unity of the spirit. What is the unity of the spirit? That unity has already been given. It has been given to all of us. So what we need is to keep it.