In 1996, representatives from three tech industries–Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia–met to plan the standardization of a short-range radio technology that would enable mobile devices, computers, and other electronic devices to easily communicate with each other using a short-range wireless connection.  During this meeting, Jim Kardach from Intel suggested “Bluetooth” as a code name for their project in honor of King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson who was famous for uniting Denmark and Norway in 958. His dead tooth, which was dark blue/grey in color, earned him the nickname “Bluetooth.” The code name was only to be temporary, but the name caught on fast and before it could be changed, it spread through the industry, becoming synonymous with short-range wireless technology. We take for granted its significance and how much it impacts our lives. From smartphones to headphones and beyond, we rely on “Bluetooth” technology to free us from the tether of wired technology (Much like battery-operated tools free us from the nuisance of extension cords). 

     In His Omniscience, God sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost–God’s “Bluetooth” if you will–to unite all the members of His body called the “Church.” Ever since Pentecost, when a person repents and trusts in Christ as Savior, he or she is immersed into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in  I Cor.12:12-13: “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized (immersed) into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (cf Eph. 4:4).  In his discussion of spiritual gifts in Romans 12, Paul writes: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (vv. 4,5). God’s “Bluetooth” unites us with every other believer, and makes us members of one body. We become members of the “Family of God,” as brothers and sisters in Christ, and are enabled, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to communicate with and minister to one another. The phrase “one another” appears some 254 times in the New Testament, exhorting those of us in the body of Christ to: “love one another” (Jn. 13:35; 15:17; I Pet. 1:22), ” be devoted to and give preference to one another” (Ro. 12:10), “serve one another” (Gal. 5:13), “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2), “forgive one another” (Eph. 4:32), “submit to one another” (Eph. 5:21), “admonish one another” (Col. 3:16), “comfort one another” (I Thes. 4:18), “encourage one another” (I Thes. 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25) and “stimulate one another” (Heb. 10:24).God enables us to do all of this by His “Bluetooth,” The Holy Spirit, who is that invisible (“wireless”) connection tying us all together on one body. 

     In that body “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).  The creation of this body made up of all believers from every nationality and walk of life is something that took place because of God sending His Holy Spirit. Paul refers to it as “the mystery of Christ…to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”(Eph,. 3:4-6).  “Mystery” here refers to something that had been hidden (in the Old Testament) but is now being revealed. 

      We experience the beauty of the body of Christ when we join together with other believers to worship and learn from Scripture. We sense that invisible connection joining us together, no matter what gender, age, vocation, nationality, background or giftedness.  We experience “body life” as members of the family of God. There is a sense of unity in our diversity. 

     Since many of our founding fathers of this nation were followers of Jesus Christ, I think it is significant that the national motto that was chosen for the Continental Congress when a single country was created from the 13 colonies, was  E PLURIBUS UNUM, which means “out of many, one.”  That was what Danish King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson attempted to do with Scandinavia and that IS what God did through sending the Holy Spirit (God’s “Bluetooth”) to immerse each believer into one body, the church, enabling us to communicate with and minister to and work together with the other members in the body, each of whom He equipped in a unique way to serve for the “common good ” of the body (I Cor. 12:4-7,11). 

(NOTE: Our national motto was changed in 1956 to “In God We Trust” when signed into law by President Dwight.D. Eisenhower.)

Forever His,

Pastor Dave