Unity of the Spirit

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Originally posted in  The Watchman's Bagpipes blog:

The tragedy is that men are trying to produce unity by telling us that it does not matter very much what we believe, that as long as we all come together and work together, and do not argue about doctrine, we shall all be one.  But the unity of the Spirit comes through understanding, not through discounting understanding and saying that the knowledge of doctrine does not matter. . . . 

Doctrine must come first.  The Holy Spirit's chief work is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.  So there is no value in our prayers if we do not believe in Him, in His unique deity, in His incarnation, virgin birth, miracles, atoning death, resurrection and ascension.  The Spirit glorifies Him, and we must therefore believe in Him and be "of one accord" in our doctrine.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Christian Unity: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16, p.79, 80