Bars That Hold Us Together
Held together, one house for His presence.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows, T. Austin-Sparks, The Church of the Firstborn, Chapter 5
Photo Credit: Unsplash
The old tabernacle had boards and bars. The boards stood upright, the bars ran through them and bound the whole into one dwelling. T. Austin-Sparks notices the bars, then gently calls us to guard the unity that the Spirit gives. Not cliques. Not silos. Not my lane versus your lane. One people in Jesus held by one Spirit.
I hear his heartbeat in this. He is warning us about preferences that drift into parties, affinities that harden into factions. That always wounds someone. It always shrinks our witness. The apostle says to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. We do not manufacture unity. The Spirit already forged it in the crucified and risen Lord. We keep it by watching the bars.
He also speaks of pillars, each bearing a God given weight. We carry what the Lord gives, yet we carry with one another in view. Mutual care. Shared responsibility. No watertight compartments. Evangelists, teachers, pastors, servants, givers, encouragers, each one needed, each one answering to Jesus.
Thank you, Mr. Austin-Sparks, for the reminder. The test is this. Are we devoted to the Lord Himself, or to a personal thing. The bars correct us, steady us, and give regard to every member. In a world that loves labels, Jesus gathers us and holds us as one house for His presence.
Journal Entry - Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am the Spirit who binds you into one body in Jesus. I joined you to Him in death and resurrection, so your life is not isolated. You were placed into His body, fitted with purpose, supplied with my love, and knit together in peace. Keep the bond I have already given. Do not take sides for one against another. Take your place in the one new humanity that my Son purchased with His blood.
I do not ask you to create unity. I ask you to guard what I have made. Put on love that ties everything together. Let the peace of Jesus umpire your hearts when preferences rise and opinions press. When you feel the pull to move with your own circle, remember the bars. Consider the brother you overlook, the sister you would rather avoid. I am present to regard every member with the care of the Head.
You each carry a weight from God. Do not hide your gift, and do not prize it above your brother's portion. Your grace is for the whole. Speak the truth in love. Bear one another's burdens without pride and without resentment. Encourage the faint. Honor the quiet servants. Receive the words of those unlike you. My fullness flows as each part does its work in connection with Jesus the Head.
When you are tempted to make your ministry watertight, lift your eyes to His body. I joined you to more than your task. I joined you to a people. I will keep you tender. I will keep you clean. I will keep you responsive to Jesus. Abide in Him. Yield to me moment by moment, and I will express His patience, His courage, and His mutuality through you.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a moving truck strapped for a long drive. Boxes shift, the road shakes, and the only reason nothing topples is because the ratchet straps run across the load and hold it as one. Those straps are like the Spirit's bars. Left to ourselves, we slide into corners we prefer. With the Spirit's binding, we arrive together.
Today, when you notice a preference tug you toward your favorite circle, pause your next word and look for the person on the edge of the room. Walk to them first. Offer a simple, honest kindness. Inside, say, Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment of connection, and let Jesus in you do the drawing together. A small move, a steady strap, a protected load.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You for joining me to Jesus and to His people. Thank You for the unity You have already forged by the cross and the Spirit. I affirm that Your peace rules in my heart, and Your love ties everything together. I receive my place and my portion for the good of the whole. I rejoice that You regard every member, so today I gladly regard them too. Keep me resting in Your supply, speaking with Your kindness, and serving with Your joy. You have given all I need in Christ. I walk in what is already mine.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Numbers 3:36, Ephesians 4:1-6, Colossians 3:12-15, John 17:20-23, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:4-5, Galatians 6:2, Philippians 2:1-4, Hebrews 10:24-25, Colossians 2:19, 1 Peter 2:5, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6-11, John 15:4-5, Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 2:19-22, Romans 14:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Jude 20-21, Psalm 133:1, Proverbs 27:17