Ephesians 4:1-6, “Walking in Christian Unity”
March 13, 2016 ~ Ephesians 4:1-6, “Walking in Christian Unity”
Read Ephesians 4:1-3... Paul urges us to live our life [our walk] in a manner worthy of the calling we have received, i.e., we are to live so that what we do and why we do it aligns with the teaching of God’s Word.
As a Christian, your calling is from God, it is secure, and it is eternal, and it is meant to bring glory to the Father and the Son, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, as we live as slaves to God, proclaiming and sharing the message of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ, to everyone who will listen.
Verse 2... Four mandatory characteristics for those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ.
1. humility- seeing yourself in relationship to God
2. gentleness- submitting to God’s control and pleasure 3. patience- serving according to God’s timing and will
4. bearing with one another in love- relating to one another out of Christian love [agape], unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial love that desires the very best for the other person, even for those who persecute you
Verse 3... Unity is not something added to our Christian fellowship [koinonia], it is the standard by which God’s presence and power is displayed in our lives, by which we are able to keep unity in the Body of Christ.
Colossians 3:15-17, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
We must choose to allow God’s peace to have authority in our lives, as His Word sinks deep into our heart and mind, so that we might honor and obey Him.
Everything that relates to salvation, the church, and the kingdom of God, is based on unity in Christ.
Read Verses 4-6... True Christian unity is created as we allow the Word of God, through the Holy Spirit’s power & presence, rule our heart & mind, our actions & words.
There is (v. 4) only one body of believers; composed of every person who has or will trust in Christ as Savior and Lord (see 1Corinthians 12:12, 20, 27).
There is no Gentile, Jew, male, female, slave or freeman body of believers. There is only Christ’s body, and the unity of that body is the heart of this passage in Ephesians 4.
There is (v. 4) only one Spirit--the Holy Spirit of God who lives in every believer. The Spirit of God is the unifying force in the body of Christ.
The Spirit is given as a pledge by God; He is (Ephesians 1:13-14) the divine engagement ring of promise, marking us for eternity, ensuring that every believer will be at the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven (referred to in Revelation 19:9).
When believers live and walk in agape love, in obedience to God’s Word, in the power of the Holy Spirit, our doctrine and our relationships will magnify and proclaim (v. 4) the one hope of our calling, and that is to be Christlike (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:1-2).
We have different gifts, ministries, and places of service (cf. Romans 12:3-8); but (1Corinthians 12:7), “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good,” so that we walk like, talk like, and model Jesus Christ (1John 2:5-6).
There is (v. 5) only one Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Romans 10:12, “The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him.”
There is (v. 5) only one faith in true Christianity; this faith is based upon the body of doctrine revealed in the New Testament that has been (Jude 3), “once for all entrusted to the saints,” exemplifying the character of God. All that leads us to, nurtures us in, and guarantees to keep us for an eternity with, Jesus Christ, is the one faith we have as the people of God.
There is (v. 5) only one baptism - this is talking about spiritual baptism, when we are placed into the Body of Christ by work of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:7-8; 1Corinthians 12:13).
Water baptism is the means by which Christians declare Christ as Savior (Acts 2:38), “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Water baptism doesn’t save us, but is our public confession and testimony of identification with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
There is (v. 6) One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. God’s oneness is foundational to Christianity.
Deuteronomy 6:4, “The LORD our God, the LORD is One.”
1Corinthians 8:6, “for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for Whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things came and through whom we live.”
Christians are one people, with one calling, under one God who is over all, and through all, and in all.
But none of this is possible until you ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save your soul, only then do you come into the family of God as a child of God.
John 1:11-13, “He [Jesus] came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s
will, but born of God.”
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, do it today, do it now; for only then can you live for God’s pleasure, by God’s Spirit, having one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father, who is over all and through all and in all.
Admit that you are a sinner, we all are!
Believe that Jesus came to save you, because He did!
Confess your sins to God, repent of your sins, for He is faithful and just and will forgive you of all your sins: past, present, and future.
Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Demonstrate new life from God: pray (talk) with Him continually, read His Word daily and apply to your life what you understand, serve in a local church where the Word of God is taught, honored, and obeyed.
Encourage your brothers & sisters in Christ toward love and good deeds, while reaching out with the Message of Salvation to anyone who will listen: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior and Lord, was put to death for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He is coming again, to take us to be with Him in heaven, forever, according to the Scriptures!
1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
And all God’s people said? Amen!
- Pastor Mike