Ephesians 4: 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. NET
These seven elements of unity sound poetic which causes some think of this as the first creed or affirmation of faith. Again, this unity is already there – we don’t have to work to create it. Look closely and you will see the Trinity here as we have Spirit, Lord and Father.
The Ephesian church is facing a split between the Gentile members and the Jewish members as a result of their cultural, ethnic and historical differences to such an extent that they just can’t seem to overcome these things in order to come together as followers of Christ. This is in contrast to the Gospel and to Paul’s understanding of the church as a single, unified body.
1Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink. BSB
There are different parts of the body yet all of the parts have to work together for the body to perform as intended. What makes the body of faith work is baptism by one Spirit. Granted, there are some differences between Christians so when we talk about unity that isn’t the same thing as uniformity. Regardless of these differences, we are Christians first and everything else second. That may sound startling to many people in today’s world but as Christians, we are (or should be) unified through one Spirit overcoming not only such things as our cultural and ethnic differences but also the efforts of the world in trying to keep us from being united.
In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, there is a long section about John the Baptist. In the text, John sees Jesus and proclaims Him “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. John goes on to tell us that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Fast forward to Acts chapter 2 where Peter gives a sermon that pierces the hearts of those hearing it. When they ask what they shall do, Peter tells them repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit. So Jesus is not just the agent of our forgiveness but is also the vehicle by which we receive the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was possessed only by those individuals selected, chosen or called by God which would typically be prophets, priests or kings. The people shared in this through their association with these anointed (ordained) people rather than having possession of the Holy Spirit themselves. This is why Old Testament Judaism was a pilgrimage religion where the faithful went to Jerusalem three times per year (up until the time the Temple was destroyed).
As time goes by, there began to be a promise in the Old Testament that one day God’s Messiah will show up and God’s Spirit will be available to all (see Joel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah). We see this coming to fruition in in the first chapter of Acts with Jesus telling the disciples to wait until they receive the Holy Spirit (which occurs ten days after Ascension).
Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified! 2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. 5 Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard? NET
The Galatians are second guessing their commitment to Christ. Although their experiences as Christians have come through the Holy Spirit that they received at conversion, they are now being led astray as a result of false teaching. Paul is setting them straight.
It should be noted that no one can become a Christian without the work of the Holy Spirit in their heart both prior to conversion and in their Christian lives thereafter. This can be problematic for some as there are people who worry that they aren’t saved if they don’t feel the Holy Spirit but just because you don’t feel the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean that you aren’t being guided and transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. NHEB
Going back to verse 4, there is both an inward and outward calling as while we hear an outward call to salvation by hearing the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is working on our hearts. The changes brought about by the Holy Spirit are necessary because as Paul told us at the beginning of chapter 2, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We need to be brought back to life so that we can live into this hope. Yet, there is still more that the Holy Spirit does (and will do) for us.
Ephesians 1:18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, BSB
At the end of chapter one, Paul is praying that we will be enlightened in order to know the hope of God’s calling. So the New Testament promise is that while something happens to our past, there is still more to come in the future. (As A.W. Tozer puts it, we are “saved from” but also “saved to”). While we don’t have everything yet that we have been promised, such as eternal life, no more tears and an end to suffering, we have the Holy Spirit as a pledge that this hope we have will turn into our future.
2Corinthians 1:21 Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, 22 placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come. BSB