In Ephesians 4:2 Paul said that, in addition to exercising the virtues of lowliness and meekness, we also need to be longsuffering. These three virtues are wonderful. Lowliness is to be lowly; meekness is to give in without quarreling or fighting with others; and longsuffering is to suffer, to endure, the mistreatment of others. If a brother mistreats you, you should not say a word. Instead, you should suffer his mistreatment, not just for one week, but for a considerable period of time. This is longsuffering.
In the church life, we should all practice these three virtues: lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. If we do, there will always be peace. Not only in every church, but also in all the churches and among all the churches there will be no problems because all the saints are practicing lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. If these three virtues are here in the churches, the peace will be here and God will be manifested. These virtues are practical factors which are vital to the church life. We all must be lowly, meek, and longsuffering.
We must also bear with one another in love (Eph. 4:2). We should not forsake or turn away from one another, but bear with one another. If you discover one day that a certain brother has done something wrong, do not give him up or forsake him. Instead, you must bear him all the time. We all prefer those who are good in our estimation, but none of us likes to bear those who cause problems. We naturally love those whom we consider to be excellent and good, but this is not the church life. In the church life we must bear with all the weak and troublesome members. Although no one would want them, we would bear them. This is not easy, but for the church life we must do it. In our eyes, some of the saints may be like turtles, gophers, and even snakes. However, if we would bear these saints, eventually all of them may become lambs. This is the church life. None of us is able to do this, but Jesus is able. Does not Jesus bear you? Although at times you cause the Lord a great deal of trouble, the Lord Jesus always bears you.
In the church life, we all need to bear with one another in love. The brothers need to bear with the sisters, and the sisters need to bear with the brothers. If we all bear with one another for some time, then we all will be transformed. In the church life we should not forsake anyone or cast anyone out. Instead, we must keep them and bear them, even if they are false. If we keep the false ones, they may become the real ones. Some may say that, although the Lord Jesus bore Judas for three and a half years, he did not change. It is true that Judas never changed, but still we must admit that without Judas, the Lord could never have been betrayed and crucified. In the church life, we should not cast people out or forsake them. We must learn always to bear with one another in love and in the uniting bond of peace. The bond which unites all the believers is the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). This is the way to keep the oneness. This is the way for all of us to be kept in the oneness of the Body.
In this chapter we have seen that we need the human virtues transformed, strengthened, and enriched by and with the divine attributes. This is much higher than human morality. In the church life there should be no legality, but lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and bearing with one another in love and in the uniting bond of peace. Then we shall have the oneness, and this oneness is the genuine church life. This is the testimony of Jesus, the lampstand, golden and bright, shining in the dark age.