Living for God through Christ means bearing with one another in love. Bearing implies something that needs borne, lifted, supported, or carried. It is to be done together, with one another and for one another. It is to be done in love, humility, gentleness, and patience. What I want to do in today’s post is to flesh out what that means and then tomorrow show some ways that we can practically (as in actually, meaningfully, and purposefully) be buttresses to one another.
Ephesians 4 outlines three ways in which we are to bear with one another:
Bearing with our differences (verses 1-6). The Ephesian church was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. I think it is hard for us to appreciate the vast differences that they had to work through and the difficulties they caused. You can sense how challenging this was in Ephesians 2:14-16 (NIV) where Paul writes,
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Barriers, dividing walls, hostility, two groups. Now in Christ those walls have been removed, they are one group, and need to work together. They needed to recognize, own, and live in the unity that they had in Christ.
Likewise we need to keep from letting our differences blind us to the fact that we are united in Christ. We have different backgrounds and grew up with different traditions. Our age, sex, experiences and personalities color how we see things. Some of us feel free in Christ to do things that others feel constrained by Christ to avoid.
There is no denying that there is a massive amount of diversity in the Church. But we need to remember that we are one body. We need to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:3-6, NIV).
Differences tend to push people apart. Bearing with one another means we need to be like buttresses, channeling that outward pressure down and away from the walls of the church so that the body can stand.
Second, bearing with one another means bearing the work of the church together (verses 7-16). The diversity in the church is no accident, it is not haphazard. It is very intentional. Each member of the church is God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10, NIV). Each of us has been appointed an individual grace. All of us are united and share the same saving grace in Christ. But all of us have been apportioned grace that determines where we fit economically into the body of Christ. Paul says little further down in Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV),
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Flying buttresses are a great picture of this. They are separate from the walls, yet inextricably part of them and the whole, and add to its beauty. They do not touch the walls everywhere, but where they do the most good in bearing the weight of the roof and resisting the tendency of the walls to push outward. There are not one, but many, each designed to do their work in a specific place and at specific points. When all the buttresses are positioned correctly, they share the load of the roof and are able to allow an amount of light and openness into the cathedral that would otherwise not be possible.
Jesus is sovereignly building and advancing His kingdom, and the way He has sovereignly chosen to do that is with us and through us. It is not something that is done apart from us. This is why it is so important to be aware of your specific grace empowerment, how you are to be placed and at what point of the wall you are to connect to, so that the light of Christ shines into us and out from us, and makes an open and welcoming atmosphere that displays the glory and beauty of Christ and the hope of the Gospel.
Bearing with one another means bearing our differences, it means bearing the work of the Church together. Last, it means bearing our burdens and specifically our sins (verses 17-32). This is the same word Paul uses in Colossians 3:13 (NIV) where he says, Bear with each other and forgive one another.
As a buttress is designed and intended to stand firm and channel opposing forces away from the cathedral, so we are to use the Gospel as a buttress to mercifully channel the hurt and offence of sin away while graciously providing the strength to continue to stand, even when the storms of life come and beat against it.
Charlie Jones, one of the sweetest, kindest, most loving men I have ever met said, “Show me a person who says they can work with people all day and keep smiling and I’ll show you an idiot!” You know why that is funny? Because it is true! Nothing is more certain when you are living and walking and working with people than you will get hurt, offended, let down, abandoned, abused, disrespected, and even outright attacked.
When you are experiencing that you are not experiencing something unique. You are experiencing the reason why we need a savior! When we are hurt or offended we are not to react in kind, but respond with the Gospel. To forgive, to forbear, to endure, to put up with it. I don’t mean put up with it by ignoring it or calling it something it isn’t, but meaning not walking away, not being judgmental; I mean forgiving them as God in Christ has forgiven us.
A buttress’s job is to stand up and take the pressure of oppositional forces and channel them away. That is what the Gospel of grace is about.
If there is anything I have been learning about living for God through Christ it is that it is not about growing up and maturing into independence, but into interdependence. Hard times come not to build us up but to break us down so that God can build us up. That is how God works.
The first great lesson in life is learning that you are not enough. When you hear people say,
I can’t take it anymore!
This is too much!
I’m breaking apart!
I can’t do this anymore!
It doesn’t mean they have missed the point—that is the point! That’s where God comes and gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak; it is where He renews their strength so that they will soar on wings like eagles; run and not grow weary, and walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).
Life’s second big lesson is lea ring that Jesus is enough, and when you have Him, you will always have enough. And the way God most often delivers His strength and power is through you and me. We are the buttresses that help channel away the weight of suffering and deliver the strength, love, and hope of Christ where and when it is needed most.
Bearing with one another means serving God and one another as strategically placed buttresses, that together bear with our differences, bear the work of the church, bear with our sins, and bear our burdens.
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 
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