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in their place, but they do not and must not be looked upon in the same light as the unity
of the Spirit.
Not only is the Body "fitly framed", but it is "knit together". Col. 2: 19 speaks not
only of "joints" but "ligaments". What is the "bond" that shall unite the whole body
together as one? Let Col. 2: 2 answer, "being knit together in love". This is the "bond
of perfectness". The unity of the Spirit is held together by "the bond of peace", the unity
of the body by the "bond of perfectness--love". "In love" commences and closes this
section of Eph. 4: (see verses 15, 16). A loveless unity is not of God. If we are
members one of another we shall care for one another. When we think of what love is,
we can understand what a bond it can be:--
"Love--its longsuffering, its kindliness; its freedom from envy, vaunted self-assertion,
inflated arrogance, vulgar indecorum; its superiority to self-seeking; its calm control of
temper; its oblivion of wrong; its absence of joy at the wrongs of others; its
sympathy with the truth; its gracious tolerance; its trustfulness; its hope; its endurance"
(I Cor. 13: Farrar).
Here is the character of the "perfect man" as I Cor. 13: 10, 11 indicates. Is it my
character and yours, fellow-member? Wherever we fail in this, we fail to maintain unity
and check growth. Think how much harm is done among members of the One Body
through lack of "longsuffering". Meditate upon the other attributes of this greatest of
gifts. Love forms the ligaments of the Body, without which all is out of joint.
"EVERY JOINT SUPPLIETH."--Strictly speaking, the words read "through every
joint of the supply". The joints supply nothing of themselves. The supply comes from
the Lord, and through the members as a channel. This figure is well illustrated in
Phil. 1: 19 where the word occurs:--
"And I know that this will result in my deliverance
1. through your prayer
2. and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ,
3. according to my earnest expectation and hope."
Here are fellow-members joined together in love, the one praying, the other expecting,
and the Lord supplying. What a beautiful picture of "the joint of supply". Oh to be
honoured as a means and a channel of blessing from our living Head to His beloved
members.
"ACCORDING TO THE WORKING."--Joints and ligaments perfectly adapted,
perfectly united, need something else than fitness, they need life. "The body without the
spirit is dead, being alone." What constitutes the life-giving energy of this Body? It is
the power of God not as manifested in creation, but in resurrection. It is "to usward who
believe" (Eph. 1: 19, 20). More than that, it is the power of ascension, "And set Him
. . . . . far above all" (Eph. 1: 21). Still further, it is the power of victory, "And hath put all
things under His feet" (Eph. 1: 22). It is the power that will finally accomplish the
purpose of the ages, "The fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1: 23; 1: 11). It is
this power that equips for service:--