Walking Worthy in Ephesians: A Chapter Overview
Beginning with this chapter and proceeding through the
rest of the epistle, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to walk in a
manner worthy of their
calling
calling
. Having described earlier
how Jesus attained unity between Jew and Gentile through
His death on the cross, Paul now pleads with them to
“walk
in unity.”
With humility, gentleness, longsuffering, forbearance
and love, they should be diligent to maintain the
unity
unity
of the
Spirit in the bond of peace. The
unity
unity
of the Spirit is then
defined as consisting of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one
Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God (
1 – 6
1 – 6
).
Perhaps as motivation, Paul reminds the Ephesians of
the gracious
gifts
gifts
Christ gave His church following His
ascension to heaven. Such
gifts
gifts
included the offices of
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, which
are designed to equip the saints for ministry and bring the
body of Christ to maturity.
In this way, the Ephesians should not be misled by
false doctrine, but instead by
speaking
speaking
the
the
truth
truth
in
in
love
love
they should grow in Christ as each member does it share
(
7 – 16
7 – 16
).
The last half of this chapter addresses the need to
“walk
in purity.”
Contrasting how they once walked as Gentiles in
licentiousness and greediness, they are reminded of the
truth which is in Jesus. This truth calls upon them to put off
the
old
old
man
man
with its deceitful lusts, to be renewed in the
spirit of their mind, and to put on the
new
new
man
man
that is
created in righteousness and holiness.
Therefore they are called upon to put away lying, anger,
theft, and all forms of evil speaking, lest they grieve the
Holy Spirit by whom they were sealed for the day of
redemption. Instead, they are to
speak
speak
with truth and
grace,
work
work
hard to help those in need, and be kind,
tender-hearted, and
forgiving
forgiving
just as God has forgiven them
in Christ (
17 – 32
17 – 32
).
“A Worthy Walk”
“A Worthy Walk”
Paul begins the section with the word “
therefore
therefore
.” It is a
word that prompts us to look back before pressing on. In
other words, Paul pauses to say, “In light of all the great
theological truths I’ve just shared, act in the following way.”
This chapter represents the literary hinge of Paul’s
letter. Think of the profound doctrinal principles he has
been developing so far in the letter:
•
Our adoption as God’s children (1:4-5).
•
The hope of our inheritance (1:11, 18).
•
The truth of Christ’s glorious rule (1:20-23).
•
The riches of God’s lavish grace (2:1-10).
•
Our unity with God and each other (2:11 – 3:13).
•
The glory of the Lord’s incomprehensible love (3:14-21).
We hear a lot about people who believe one thing and do
another, who
“talk the talk”
“talk the talk”
but don’t
“walk the walk.”
“walk the walk.”
Sadly,
many Christians never seem to put the two together, to
move from the talk to the walk, from faith to life, from
calling to commitment.
As we study the first
six
verses
of
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4
, let’s do so
with a dedication to rise above mere head knowledge and
put feet to our faith so that we walk in a manner worth of
our calling in Christ.
For
three
chapters
Paul has been emphasizing the
calling
calling
. We have been called by
God the Father
God the Father
, who
decreed His plan of salvation in eternity past.
We have been called by
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
, who implemented
the plan through His incarnation, life, death, resurrection,
and ascension.
We have been called by the
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
, who regenerated
us, sealed us, and empowers us to do His will.
Having set the stage in
chapters 1 – 3
chapters 1 – 3
, it’s as if Paul
raised a megaphone to his mouth, pointed a finger our way,
and shouted,
“And . . . Action!”
“And . . . Action!”
The time has come to apply the truth of our calling to
our lives. This is why Paul begins with the verb meaning “I
implore.” It’s the same word translated “
urge
urge
” or “
exhort
exhort
.”
There is passionate urgency in Paul’s tone. He earnestly
exhorts his readers not merely as an apostle with prophetic
authority but as “the prisoner of the Lord.” As one who has
been incarcerated for the sake of the gospel, his life has
become an example to follow of living a life worthy of the
calling.
What does Paul urge them to do? To “
walk
walk
.” This word
refers to a person’s
“
conduct
conduct
or
or
lifestyle
lifestyle
.”
The word walk
sounds so manageable. Just put one foot in from of the
other. Small ones if you have to, big ones if you can.
Just walk! Walk in the right direction, walk in the right
way, and walk with the power of the Spirit . . .
but
but
walk
walk
.
Now, how should we walk? In a way consistent with our
calling, which Paul described in
chapters 1 – 3
chapters 1 – 3
. The word
“
worthy
worthy
” means “being fitting or proper in corresponding
to what should be expected.”
Paul calls his readers to live lives equal to the reality of
their calling. What does this actually look like? For the
next few verses, Paul paints a very clear picture of the kind
of lifestyle that is worthy of the calling.
He beings in
4:2
4:2
by laying down
five
stepping-stones for
a worthy walk, which we can summarize with five words.
Where do these stepping-stones lead?
Ephesians 4:3
Ephesians 4:3
shows
the destination: “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.”
That’s the goal of these deliberate steps in the Christian
walk. To avoid any missteps, let’s examine each step more
carefully. Stepping-stones from
humility
to
love
. . .
. . .
•
Humility
Humility
•
Gentleness
Gentleness
•
Patience
Patience
•
Tolerance
Tolerance
•
Love
Love
HUMILITY
HUMILITY
:
:
lowliness of mind
lowliness of mind
. For the Christian it means
putting Christ first, others second, and self last. Not a
popular formula, is it? It was no more popular in the first
century than it is today.
The word paints the picture of a crouching slave—
abject, servile, in complete subjection to his master. Yet this
is exactly the kind of attitude that accompanied Christ’s
incarnation and earthly ministry (
Phil 2:5-8
Phil 2:5-8
).
In fact, he described Himself as “gentle and humble in
heart” (
Matt 11:29
Matt 11:29
) and said that He came not to be served
“but to serve” (
Mark 10:45
Mark 10:45
).
GENTLENESS
GENTLENESS
:
:
As we see in Christ’s own self-description,
humility and gentleness go hand in hand. Whereas
humility is an attitude of mind, gentleness refers to the
outward manifestation of a person’s humble demeanor.
Gentle people are not harsh with others, don’t fight to
get their way, and don’t turn everything into a winner-
takes-all competition. Instead, they demonstrate
consideration for the needs and feeling of others.
Like humility, gentleness is a vital step toward unity
because it softens our sharp edges and keeps us from
scraping, cutting, and bruising those who get close to us. If
all of us in the church balanced our strength with humility
and gentleness, as Jesus did, then virtually all our conflicts
would disappear.
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
:
:
Of the three virtues we have considered so
far, the step of patience is the most difficult because it
comes to us in the hardest way. It means exercising
humility and gentleness in the company of disappointing,
frustrating, and downright offensive people.
It means sticking to something when everything within
you and outside of you is pushing you to give in. Patience
takes time to nurture, especially in our impatient world.
We pace the room if the microwave takes thirty seconds.
We zip through traffic if one lane is moving too slowly.
We stare at our watches if the worship service runs ten or
fifteen minutes over.
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
:
:
Yet patience is essential if the church is to
arrive at true unity. It allows all of us to learn at different
paces, to make mistakes, and to hunker down for the
lengthy, arduous process of steady spiritual growth.
TOLERANCE
TOLERANCE
:
:
Just as humility and gentleness form a
firm footing in our worthy walk, patience and tolerance also
work together. Patience predisposes us to endure all kinds
of circumstances; tolerance helps us endure all kinds of
people.
Tolerant people reach our with forgiveness,
understanding, and sympathy. They treat others with
grace—letting them grow with Christ in different ways and
at different paces. Tolerant people welcome others with a
warm embrace because their hearts have been embraced
by Christ (
1John 4:19
1John 4:19
).
Paul obviously isn’t talking about tolerating sin,
wickedness, immorality, and evil. That’s far from his mind,
and it should be far from ours as well (
1Cor 5:9-13
1Cor 5:9-13
).
TOLERANCE
TOLERANCE
:
:
Rather, Paul refers to showing mercy and
grace to others, letting others live their Christian lives in
ways that may not be exactly how we think they should.
This means allowing people to develop their unique
abilities without fear of being judged.
LOVE
LOVE
:
:
The final stepping-stone on the path to unity is
love—once again
agape
agape
or
unconditional love
unconditional love
that expects
nothing in return. In many ways, the previous four virtues
describe what real love looks like, which is why Paul says
we must have humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance
“in love.”
Love looks out not for one’s own interests but for the
interests of others (
Phil 2:4
Phil 2:4
). All of these stepping-stones
together point the way to true unity.
Like a quiet clearing at the end of a garden path, “the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” marks a point of
progress in the walk worthy of our calling (
4:3
4:3
). Yet having
arrived, we must work diligently to preserve it.
We need to safeguard it from those vices that stand in
direct contrast to the five virtues just mentioned: a prideful
ego, a severe demeanor, an irritable spirit, a judgmental
heart, and a hateful attitude.
Unity needs to be a persistent and consistent goal of
every member of the body of Christ. Because Christ has
called us in peace (
2:14-15
2:14-15
), we must nurture the “bond of
peace” in our daily walk (
4:3
4:3
).
In a divisive, warring, hurtful world, the most
powerful testimony the church can give is genuine unity
prompted by true love and shown in the example of peace.
Sadly, however, there’s not a more divided church on any
continent or in any era of church history than there is in the
United States today. It’s nothing short of tragic. Every city
has its own stories of church splits—some of them are
legendary. Towns and villages have pastors that won’t talk
to each other, much less support or encourage one another.
As believers committed to walking in a manner worthy
of our calling, we should all cry out,
“What a shame!”
Because when unbelievers observe our disregard for unity,
they think,
“What a sham!”
So fundamental is unity to the Christian walk that
Paul shines a light on seven of its facets. These are
seven
things
that all believers share, regardless of denomination,
location, age, worship preference, or any other things that
might divide orthodox, Bible-believing, evangelical
churches.
In this list, note that these are present realities—they
don’t just exist in some ideal future when God finally breaks
down the barriers to church unity. Rather, these are
seven
pillars
upon which practical unity can be built.
Let’s briefly survey them
. . .
. . .
ONE BODY
ONE BODY
:
:
Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and
female, rich and poor, young and old—all of these
otherwise conflicting types of people have been placed in
“one body,” the church. There was never meant to be “the
old people’s church” and “the young people’s church.”
God didn’t establish a “rich people’s church” and a “poor
people’s church.” He didn’t have in mind a “black church”
and a “white church”
. . .
. . .
or a “traditional church” and a
“contemporary church.”
There is one body!
There is one body!
ONE SPIRIT
ONE SPIRIT
:
:
The same Spirit of God gives life to and
dwells in every believer. He calls us through various means.
He gifts us in various ways.
Yet He indwells all of us equally. There are not different
Holy Spirits for different people and different groups
(
1Cor 12:4-11
1Cor 12:4-11
).
One Holy Spirit gives all of us new life.
ONE HOPE OF OUR CALLING
ONE HOPE OF OUR CALLING
:
:
All Christians share the
hope of eternal life (
Titus 1:2
Titus 1:2
), which is centered in Jesus
Christ, who is our hope (
1Tim 1:1
1Tim 1:1
). That’s a common vision
of the future all Christians are expected to share.
One of the great divides among Bible-believing
Christians, however, relates to end-times events. Will there
be a Millennium? A Rapture before the Tribulation? How
will it all pan out?
Yet even in the midst of these great difference, all of us
share a common hope—eternal, sinless, painless, deathless
joy in the presence of God (
Rev 21:4-7, 22-27
Rev 21:4-7, 22-27
). We should
emphasize these grand truths that unite us rather than the
minor issues that divide us.
ONE LORD
ONE LORD
:
:
Paul already mentioned that all believers
share in “one Spirit,” commonly called the third person of
the Trinity. Paul then refers to the second person of the
Trinity: the “one Lord,” Jesus Christ.
All true Christians have been saved by grace through
faith in the person and work of the one Lord.
ONE FAITH
ONE FAITH
:
:
All Christians are united by one faith. In
this instance, the word “faith” probably means the body of
essential Christian truths, as used in
Jude 1:3
Jude 1:3
—“the faith
which was once for all handed down to the saints.” That is,
the basic Christian doctrines concerning the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit; the person and work of Jesus Christ, the
God-man who died for our sins and rose from the dead; and
other core teachings that unite Christians in the same faith.
Simply put, there are no legitimate “Christianities” but
only one true “Christianity.” Even though different
churches, denominations, and believers may have unique
perspectives and interpretations regarding nonessential
matters, all orthodox evangelicals agree on the essential
truths revealed in Scripture.
ONE BAPTISM
ONE BAPTISM
:
:
Regardless of the various methods of
baptizing, the age of a person when he or she is baptized, or
what words are used in the observance, all Christians
believe that baptism is the rite of initiation into the
Christian faith.
Through baptism we publicly proclaim our
identification with Christ—an outward expression [sign] of
an inward change [reality]. The methods may vary, but
every true Christian church practices this essential
ordinance.
ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL
ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL
:
:
As the last of his
seven
facets
of unity, Paul mentions the first person of the
Godhead: God the Father. As those saved through faith in
His Son and the regenerating work of the Spirit, all
Christians look to one Father.
If anyone would still doubt that all believers are truly
united with one another, Paul makes it crystal clear that the
one God is “over all and through all and in all” (
4:6
4:6
). As the
Spirit, the Son, and the Father are one, so we are also one,
we who were created in God’s image and re-created to be
conformed to the image of Christ (
Rom 8:29; 2Cor 3:18
Rom 8:29; 2Cor 3:18
).
What a wonderful reasons to walk in a manner worthy
of the calling with which we have been called!
Lesson Applications
Lesson Applications
for a
for a
Worthy Walk
Worthy Walk
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
•
We are aware that each of us is unique. We have
different temperaments, gifts, experiences,
convictions, interests, blessings, and different pains
and scars. Yes, one of the things we all have in
common is that each of us is completely different.
•
But surely people with so many different
backgrounds can’t live together in peace, can they?
Can Paul’s seven theoretical facets of oneness be
translated into lasting unity?
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
•
In order to maintain purity of doctrine and practice,
we need to break away from believers who aren’t
living up to our standards, don’t we?
•
Surely God cheers us on when churches split over
incidentals or when Christians shun one another
over a difference of opinion, right?
•
Wrong!
Wrong!
We need to repent of these ways of thinking
and to stop these ways of acting. None of these
things reflect a walk worthy of our calling. None of
them flow from a life of humility, gentleness,
patience, tolerance, and love.
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
Let’s look at where they could come from . . .
Let’s look at where they could come from . . .
•
Ask yourself, am I a gossip? Do I spread rumors? Do
I sow discord within the family of God?
•
Do I ignore the major truths that unite me with other
believers? Do I quickly lose patience with others?
Do I hold grudges? Harbor bitterness?
•
If you find yourself guilty of any of these charges, ask
yourself, “Why do I do these things?”
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
Application of Chapter 4:1 – 6
•
Where did you learn this? You didn’t learn it from
Christ. You weren’t moved toward disunity and
discord by the work of the Spirit. You didn’t become
a part of the church’s problem by pursuing
obedience to God the Father.
•
Where did this come from? It came from one or
more of three sources: the
world
, the
flesh
, and the
devil
. When you find yourself guilty of these things,
throw yourself upon God’s mercy and claim His
forgiveness. Then, commit to “the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace” (
4:3
4:3
).
Before next class, read the below verses in the
NIV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e.,
NKJV, NRSV, KJV, CEV, etc …
Chapter 4:7 – 16
Chapter 4:7 – 16
“Embracing a Full-Bodied Ministry”
“Embracing a Full-Bodied Ministry”
In the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of believers walking in unity, maturity, and purity. He encourages them to live in a manner worthy of their calling and to grow in Christ through truth, love, and righteous living. This chapter overview delves into Paul's exhortations to the Ephesians regarding spiritual growth and conduct as followers of Jesus Christ.
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Presentation Transcript
A Worthy Walk A Worthy Walk 4:1 4:1 6 6 Week 21 Week 21 22 June 2022 22 June 2022
EPHESIANS CH4 OVERVIEW Beginning with this chapter and proceeding through the rest of the epistle, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. Having described earlier how Jesus attained unity between Jew and Gentile through His death on the cross, Paul now pleads with them to walk in unity. With humility, gentleness, longsuffering, forbearance and love, they should be diligent to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The unity of the Spirit is then defined as consisting of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God (1 6).
EPHESIANS CH4 OVERVIEW Perhaps as motivation, Paul reminds the Ephesians of the gracious gifts Christ gave His church following His ascension to heaven. Such gifts included the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, which are designed to equip the saints for ministry and bring the body of Christ to maturity. In this way, the Ephesians should not be misled by false doctrine, but instead by speakingthetruth in love they should grow in Christ as each member does it share (7 16).
EPHESIANS CH4 OVERVIEW The last half of this chapter addresses the need to walk in purity. Contrasting how they once walked as Gentiles in licentiousness and greediness, they are reminded of the truth which is in Jesus. This truth calls upon them to put off the old man with its deceitful lusts, to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and to put on the new man that is created in righteousness and holiness. Therefore they are called upon to put away lying, anger, theft, and all forms of evil speaking, lest they grieve the Holy Spirit by whom they were sealed for the day of redemption. Instead, they are to speak with truth and grace, work hard to help those in need, and be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving just as God has forgiven them in Christ (17 32).
EPHESIANS 4 Paul begins the section with the word therefore. It is a word that prompts us to look back before pressing on. In other words, Paul pauses to say, In light of all the great theological truths I ve just shared, act in the following way. This chapter represents the literary hinge of Paul s letter. Think of the profound doctrinal principles he has been developing so far in the letter: Our adoption as God s children (1:4-5). The hope of our inheritance (1:11, 18). The truth of Christ s glorious rule (1:20-23). The riches of God s lavish grace (2:1-10). Our unity with God and each other (2:11 3:13). The glory of the Lord s incomprehensible love (3:14-21).
EPHESIANS 4 We hear a lot about people who believe one thing and do another, who talk the talk but don t walk the walk. Sadly, many Christians never seem to put the two together, to move from the talk to the walk, from faith to life, from calling to commitment. As we study the first sixverses of Ephesians 4, let s do so with a dedication to rise above mere head knowledge and put feet to our faith so that we walk in a manner worth of our calling in Christ.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 1[Therefore], as a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 For threechapters Paul has been emphasizing the calling. We have been called by God the Father, who decreed His plan of salvation in eternity past. We have been called by Jesus Christ, who implemented the plan through His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We have been called by the Holy Spirit, who regenerated us, sealed us, and empowers us to do His will. Having set the stage in chapters 1 3, it s as if Paul raised a megaphone to his mouth, pointed a finger our way, and shouted, And . . . Action!
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 The time has come to apply the truth of our calling to our lives. This is why Paul begins with the verb meaning I implore. It s the same word translated urge or exhort. There is passionate urgency in Paul s tone. He earnestly exhorts his readers not merely as an apostle with prophetic authority but as the prisoner of the Lord. As one who has been incarcerated for the sake of the gospel, his life has become an example to follow of living a life worthy of the calling. What does Paul urge them to do? To walk. This word refers to a person s conduct or lifestyle. The word walk sounds so manageable. Just put one foot in from of the other. Small ones if you have to, big ones if you can.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 Just walk! Walk in the right direction, walk in the right way, and walk with the power of the Spirit . . . butwalk. Now, how should we walk? In a way consistent with our calling, which Paul described in chapters 1 3. The word worthy means being fitting or proper in corresponding to what should be expected. Paul calls his readers to live lives equal to the reality of their calling. What does this actually look like? For the next few verses, Paul paints a very clear picture of the kind of lifestyle that is worthy of the calling.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 He beings in 4:2 by laying down five stepping-stones for a worthy walk, which we can summarize with five words. Where do these stepping-stones lead? Ephesians 4:3 shows the destination: the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That s the goal of these deliberate steps in the Christian walk. To avoid any missteps, let s examine each step more carefully. Stepping-stones from humility to love . . . Humility Gentleness Patience Tolerance Love
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 HUMILITY: lowliness of mind. For the Christian it means putting Christ first, others second, and self last. Not a popular formula, is it? It was no more popular in the first century than it is today. The word paints the picture of a crouching slave abject, servile, in complete subjection to his master. Yet this is exactly the kind of attitude that accompanied Christ s incarnation and earthly ministry (Phil 2:5-8). In fact, he described Himself as gentle and humble in heart (Matt 11:29) and said that He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 GENTLENESS: As we see in Christ s own self-description, humility and gentleness go hand in hand. Whereas humility is an attitude of mind, gentleness refers to the outward manifestation of a person s humble demeanor. Gentle people are not harsh with others, don t fight to get their way, and don t turn everything into a winner- takes-all competition. Instead, they demonstrate consideration for the needs and feeling of others. Like humility, gentleness is a vital step toward unity because it softens our sharp edges and keeps us from scraping, cutting, and bruising those who get close to us. If all of us in the church balanced our strength with humility and gentleness, as Jesus did, then virtually all our conflicts would disappear.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 PATIENCE: Of the three virtues we have considered so far, the step of patience is the most difficult because it comes to us in the hardest way. It means exercising humility and gentleness in the company of disappointing, frustrating, and downright offensive people. It means sticking to something when everything within you and outside of you is pushing you to give in. Patience takes time to nurture, especially in our impatient world. We pace the room if the microwave takes thirty seconds. We zip through traffic if one lane is moving too slowly. We stare at our watches if the worship service runs ten or fifteen minutes over.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 PATIENCE: Yet patience is essential if the church is to arrive at true unity. It allows all of us to learn at different paces, to make mistakes, and to hunker down for the lengthy, arduous process of steady spiritual growth.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 TOLERANCE: Just as humility and gentleness form a firm footing in our worthy walk, patience and tolerance also work together. Patience predisposes us to endure all kinds of circumstances; tolerance helps us endure all kinds of people. Tolerant people reach our with forgiveness, understanding, and sympathy. They treat others with grace letting them grow with Christ in different ways and at different paces. Tolerant people welcome others with a warm embrace because their hearts have been embraced by Christ (1John 4:19). Paul obviously isn t talking about tolerating sin, wickedness, immorality, and evil. That s far from his mind, and it should be far from ours as well (1Cor 5:9-13).
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 TOLERANCE: Rather, Paul refers to showing mercy and grace to others, letting others live their Christian lives in ways that may not be exactly how we think they should. This means allowing people to develop their unique abilities without fear of being judged.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 LOVE: The final stepping-stone on the path to unity is love once again agapeorunconditional love that expects nothing in return. In many ways, the previous four virtues describe what real love looks like, which is why Paul says we must have humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance in love. Love looks out not for one s own interests but for the interests of others (Phil 2:4). All of these stepping-stones together point the way to true unity.
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 Like a quiet clearing at the end of a garden path, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace marks a point of progress in the walk worthy of our calling (4:3). Yet having arrived, we must work diligently to preserve it. We need to safeguard it from those vices that stand in direct contrast to the five virtues just mentioned: a prideful ego, a severe demeanor, an irritable spirit, a judgmental heart, and a hateful attitude. Unity needs to be a persistent and consistent goal of every member of the body of Christ. Because Christ has called us in peace (2:14-15), we must nurture the bond of peace in our daily walk (4:3).
EPHESIANS 4:1 3 In a divisive, warring, hurtful world, the most powerful testimony the church can give is genuine unity prompted by true love and shown in the example of peace. Sadly, however, there s not a more divided church on any continent or in any era of church history than there is in the United States today. It s nothing short of tragic. Every city has its own stories of church splits some of them are legendary. Towns and villages have pastors that won t talk to each other, much less support or encourage one another. As believers committed to walking in a manner worthy of our calling, we should all cry out, What a shame! Because when unbelievers observe our disregard for unity, they think, What a sham!
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 So fundamental is unity to the Christian walk that Paul shines a light on seven of its facets. These are seven things that all believers share, regardless of denomination, location, age, worship preference, or any other things that might divide orthodox, Bible-believing, evangelical churches. In this list, note that these are present realities they don t just exist in some ideal future when God finally breaks down the barriers to church unity. Rather, these are seven pillars upon which practical unity can be built. Let s briefly survey them . . .
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE BODY: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, rich and poor, young and old all of these otherwise conflicting types of people have been placed in one body, the church. There was never meant to be the old people s church and the young people s church. God didn t establish a rich people s church and a poor people s church. He didn t have in mind a black church and a white church . . . or a traditional church and a contemporary church. There is one body!
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE SPIRIT: The same Spirit of God gives life to and dwells in every believer. He calls us through various means. He gifts us in various ways. Yet He indwells all of us equally. There are not different Holy Spirits for different people and different groups (1Cor 12:4-11). One Holy Spirit gives all of us new life.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE HOPE OF OUR CALLING: All Christians share the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2), which is centered in Jesus Christ, who is our hope (1Tim 1:1). That s a common vision of the future all Christians are expected to share. One of the great divides among Bible-believing Christians, however, relates to end-times events. Will there be a Millennium? A Rapture before the Tribulation? How will it all pan out? Yet even in the midst of these great difference, all of us share a common hope eternal, sinless, painless, deathless joy in the presence of God (Rev 21:4-7, 22-27). We should emphasize these grand truths that unite us rather than the minor issues that divide us.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE LORD: Paul already mentioned that all believers share in one Spirit, commonly called the third person of the Trinity. Paul then refers to the second person of the Trinity: the one Lord, Jesus Christ. All true Christians have been saved by grace through faith in the person and work of the one Lord.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE FAITH: All Christians are united by one faith. In this instance, the word faith probably means the body of essential Christian truths, as used in Jude 1:3 the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. That is, the basic Christian doctrines concerning the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the person and work of Jesus Christ, the God-man who died for our sins and rose from the dead; and other core teachings that unite Christians in the same faith. Simply put, there are no legitimate Christianities but only one true Christianity. Even though different churches, denominations, and believers may have unique perspectives and interpretations regarding nonessential matters, all orthodox evangelicals agree on the essential truths revealed in Scripture.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE BAPTISM: Regardless of the various methods of baptizing, the age of a person when he or she is baptized, or what words are used in the observance, all Christians believe that baptism is the rite of initiation into the Christian faith. Through baptism we publicly proclaim our identification with Christ an outward expression [sign] of an inward change [reality]. The methods may vary, but every true Christian church practices this essential ordinance.
EPHESIANS 4:4 6 ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL: As the last of his seven facets of unity, Paul mentions the first person of the Godhead: God the Father. As those saved through faith in His Son and the regenerating work of the Spirit, all Christians look to one Father. If anyone would still doubt that all believers are truly united with one another, Paul makes it crystal clear that the one God is over all and through all and in all (4:6). As the Spirit, the Son, and the Father are one, so we are also one, we who were created in God s image and re-created to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29; 2Cor 3:18). What a wonderful reasons to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called!
Lesson Applications for a Worthy Walk
EPHESIANS Application of Chapter 4:1 6 We are aware that each of us is unique. We have different temperaments, gifts, experiences, convictions, interests, blessings, and different pains and scars. Yes, one of the things we all have in common is that each of us is completely different. But surely people with so many different backgrounds can t live together in peace, can they? Can Paul s seven theoretical facets of oneness be translated into lasting unity?
EPHESIANS Application of Chapter 4:1 6 In order to maintain purity of doctrine and practice, we need to break away from believers who aren t living up to our standards, don t we? Surely God cheers us on when churches split over incidentals or when Christians shun one another over a difference of opinion, right? Wrong! We need to repent of these ways of thinking and to stop these ways of acting. None of these things reflect a walk worthy of our calling. None of them flow from a life of humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love.
EPHESIANS Application of Chapter 4:1 6 Let s look at where they could come from . . . Ask yourself, am I a gossip? Do I spread rumors? Do I sow discord within the family of God? Do I ignore the major truths that unite me with other believers? Do I quickly lose patience with others? Do I hold grudges? Harbor bitterness? If you find yourself guilty of any of these charges, ask yourself, Why do I do these things?
EPHESIANS Application of Chapter 4:1 6 Where did you learn this? You didn t learn it from Christ. You weren t moved toward disunity and discord by the work of the Spirit. You didn t become a part of the church s problem by pursuing obedience to God the Father. Where did this come from? It came from one or more of three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. When you find yourself guilty of these things, throw yourself upon God s mercy and claim His forgiveness. Then, commit to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (4:3).
NEXT CLASS 29 June 2022 Before next class, read the below verses in the Before next class, read the below verses in the NIV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e., NIV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e., NKJV, NRSV, KJV, CEV, etc NKJV, NRSV, KJV, CEV, etc Chapter 4:7 16 Embracing a Full-Bodied Ministry
