Let us recall that within the context of Ephesians 4:1-16 that the Apostle Paul addressed the realities of spiritual unity as they relate to the universal body of Christ. This unity is a spiritual grace which the Holy Spirit evokes from within us based upon our relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is not something a local church family can work up at will, nor do we have the burden of producing this spiritual entity out of our own abilities. Instead, spiritual unity within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is one of the eternal riches we already possess by means of our position in the Son of God. Therefore, we have the responsibility to protect and nurture this blessing of spiritual unity within the context of this great community called the church.
This is an incredibly important, significant, vital issue within the body of Christ in today’s world. It behooves us as followers of Jesus to once again grasp the depth of the meaning and role this grace of spiritual unity fulfills within the church, and how it also impacts virtually all of our relationships in life. And may each of us embrace this truth with a renewed fervency: experiencing the reality of spiritual unity within the church is directly related to each of us being in right fellowship with the Lord Himself.
Last week we examined the place of unity within the church (vv.1 – 6). We considered three reasons why this issue of spiritual unity is so important to the spiritual health and strength of every New Testament church fellowship:
1) because this unity is the essence of the church;
2) because without unity, the Great Commission is frustrated; and
3) because of the hostility of this world towards the church.
Now, as we move into the second portion of this message, we will consider Paul’s exhortation to us to promote unity within the church (vv.1 – 6). Without question, spiritual unity is an absolute necessity for any local church to be a healthy and mighty church. Yet, such truth causes us to raise the inevitable question of how a group of people who are so diverse with regard to our backgrounds, our life experiences, our perspectives of life in general, and furthermore, who assemble together on a volunteer basis, can actually “dwell together in unity?!”
The ability, and motivation, to promote unity within the body of Christ begins with this understanding: we must first experience the grace of unity (vv.1 – 3). This experience is rooted in the saving grace found only in Jesus Christ (v.1). Read v.1 carefully. Paul began this chapter by referring to himself as “the prisoner of the Lord.” He did not use this expression to convey any sort of negative connotation whatsoever. He simply was expressing that Jesus Christ had so transformed his life that he owed the Lord a debt of gratitude which could only be fulfilled by following Him in devoted obedience. His experience of God’s saving grace by means of his own personal declaration of trust and faith in Jesus as His Savior and Lord compelled him to understand and embrace the truth that his life fully belonged to Christ. He could do nothing less than live such a life of gratitude and service unto the Lord Jesus.
Then, let us study the heart of this verse in the next phrase: “I… beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,” In particular, let us focus upon the phrase, “walk worthy.” I am sure most of us have heard this phrase used before in sermons, or in teaching settings. Or, perhaps we recognize it from reading this passage, and others, which Paul wrote and are recorded within some of his NT letters. But, what does it actually mean?
The term “walk” is often used in the NT to refer to the day-to-day attitudes, conduct, and life of a believer. The word for “worthy” conveys the meaning of “balancing the scales— what is on one side of the scale should be equal in weight to what is on the other side.” In other words, Paul exhorted his readers to not just “talk the talk” of the Christian life, but to “walk the walk” of this life of faith!
Consequently, “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” serves as an exhortation for our day to day lives to correspond to the high and sacred position we have been given by grace as a child of God and a joint heir with the Lord Jesus. Our everyday lives are to match in a complimentary manner our spiritual position in Christ (John MacArthur, Ephesians, p.119).
I like Warren Wiersbe’s thoughts on this teaching. He interpreted it in the following manner:
The word “beseech” indicates that God, in love, urges us to live for His glory. He does not say, as He did to the Old Testament Jews, “If you obey Me, I will bless you.” Rather, He says, “I have already blessed you— now, in response to My love and grace, obey me.” He has given us such a marvelous calling in Christ; now it is our responsibility to live up to that calling (Be Rich, p.94).
This grace of unity is one of our inherited riches through the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. It can be summarized in a three-fold statement, for this great salvation involves…
Ø justification from our sin (v.1a)— We are no longer condemned in bondage to the chains of sin and our past; we are now released from the claim that sin once had upon us. By means of His sinless death, Jesus has declared from the courts of heaven that we are no longer guilty and deserving of the penalty of sin. Jesus has paid our sin debt fully, freely, and with finality.
Ø our identification with the Savior (v.1a)— Our position in Christ, in the family of God, has been appropriated by saving, believing faith in Him. Our lives have been redeemed by the shed righteous blood of the Lord Jesus. They are now hidden in Him. They are to be characterized by His matchless love and amazing grace!
Ø our transformation as saints (v.1b)— It can never be emphasized enough that when we surrender our sins and souls to the Son of God in exchange for His forgiveness of sin and His redeeming love and life, everything changes! Our everyday lives and conduct should accurately reflect the following: that we…
§ have been redeemed, and belong to the family of God, as evidenced by this spirit of unity (4:1 – 16);
§ have been resurrected from our past grave of sin, as evidenced by a life of purity (4:17 – 5:17);
§ have been reconciled to God, as evidenced through a life of harmony (5:18 – 6:9); and,
§ have reason to rejoice in this life, as evidenced through a life lived in victorious joy (6:10 – 24).
The ability and motivatino, to promote unity within the body of Christ demands that we must experience the grace of this unity. It’s rooted in the saving grace found in Jesus Christ and involves the sanctifying grace of the Lord Jesus (vv.2 – 3).
If we are going to preserve and nurture the spiritual unity we have already been blessed with as a direct result of our position in Christ, then there are some graces that will be manifested through our own personally consecrated lives to the Lord Jesus. Let us take a few moments to better understand what Paul meant by these terms.
First, he spoke of “lowliness.” This refers to the Christ-like character trait of humility, when one does not think too highly of himself \ herself, nor too lowly of oneself. This involves knowing ourselves, accepting ourselves, and being
ourselves in Christ to the glory of God. This grace is recognized as we put Jesus first, others second, and self last. Genuine humility is always becoming of a Christian under every circumstance of life.
Second, there is the mention of “gentleness.” This refers to “power under control,” not weakness. This trait was exemplified in the life of Moses (cf. Numbers 12:3), and most certainly, through the life of the Lord Jesus in its most perfect form (cf. Matthew 11:29). Such a spirit of gentleness speaks of using one’s influence, power, and authority in life not as a means of taking advantage of others for one’s own benefit, but instead, of using such influence, power, and authority in a manner which benefits everyone around us; which brings out the best in the lives which surround our own.
Third, Paul then referred to the trait of “longsuffering.” This word conveys to us more than a slowness to anger. It is the ability to both endure and persevere in the love of Christ through disappointments, discomfort, and hurt without fighting back or seeking revenge for the sake of the Gospel and the sake of influencing others with the truth of the Gospel. A longsuffering spirit is always directed towards the greater good of others.
The fourth phrase, that of “bearing with one another in love,” involves acknowledging and accepting that we are different from one another, and that our differences in backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives may sometimes create certain levels of conflict. This term speaks to an attitude of praying for one another with regard to our respective differences, weaknesses, and even the offenses we may recognize in each other. This grace is something we can manifest only as we are walking in surrendered intimacy with the Spirit of God; i.e., as our efforts are being energized by His grace and agape love.
A fifth term thatPaul mentions is “endeavoring,” which means to make an earnest effort; to continually give diligent attention to something. It refers to an on-going, fervent eagerness to maintain, guard, and nurture the unity of the Spirit. It is a task which we can never afford to neglect, nor take for granted, because it affects all of the relationships which encompass our lives. “The spiritual unity of a home, a Sunday School class, or a church is the responsibility of each person involved, and the job never ends” (Wiersbe, Be Rich, p.96).
A final word worth addressing here is that of “peace.” As we allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts (cf. Colossians 3:15), we help to preserve and nurture the spiritual unity that is already ours in Christ. The late Henry Blackaby is a familiar name with those who have studied his renowned work, “Experiencing God.” He and his son, Mel, wrote a book together in the years just prior to his death entitled, A God-Centered Church. In one of the sections which Henry was assigned to address, he made the following statement. It is one which, I believe, will help us understand more clearly, and with more depth, the vital significance of this spiritual grace of unity. He wrote…
I have never known a Christian to be walking in true fellowship with God who was not at the same time walking in true fellowship with God’s people. Similarly, every time I have been involved with broken love relationships in a church, in a marriage, in a family, or in God’s kingdom work, I have witnessed someone who was completely out of fellowship with God.
Many have indicated that broken relationships among God’s people result in a broken relationship with God. I have found it to be the other way around; broken relationships with one another are a symptom of a previous broken relationship with God. It is our relationship with God that determines all other relationships in life (p.39).
The ability, and motivation, to promote unity within the body of Christ begins with experiencing the grace of unity (vv.1 – 3). It also involves our responsibility of embracing the ground of unity (vv.4 – 6). A close inspection of these verses reveal seven aspects to the foundational truth of the spiritual unity we possess in the Lord Jesus. Paul addressed them in the following order:
Ø “one body”— this speaks to the oneness of the Church as the family of God, which originated on the day of Pentecost. We are “many members, but one body.”
Ø “one Spirit”— every born-again, blood-bought believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit from the moment of regeneration.
Ø “one hope of your calling”— this refers to the imminent return of Christ for His bride, the Church. This hope is rooted in the resurrection of Christ, and focuses upon the glorification aspect of our salvation— that is, when we see Jesus, when we shall be like Him in His perfect righteousness, and we shall be with Him forever. There is no hope like this in any other world view or world faith! The believer who is living this life of faith in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and looking for the Lord’s appearing, will be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker!
Ø “one Lord”— our Savior has been given the name above every other name in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth! Acknowledging His Lordship over every arena of life is a giant step towards experiencing the glorious realities of our spiritual unity in Him. As each professing Christian acknowledges Jesus as the sovereign Head of His Church, there can be no schism within the family of God!
Ø “one faith”— there is only one settled body of revealed truth established and deposited by the Lord Jesus in His church, “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
Ø “one baptism”— this is in reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13), when, at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit places a new believer into the Body of Christ.
Ø “one God and Father of all”— He is our Creator, our Redeemer and Savior, our Sustainer, the Shepherd and Lover of our souls!
Looking back from verse six, we have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The triune God is sovereign in the Church. His presence is all that we need and all that we should desire. He is the Father of all of us who have accepted Christ; hence, we believers bear the same relation to Him and to one another. As we recognize Him as “above all,” we preserve [and nurture] the unity of the Spirit, for it is “in Him [that] we live, and move, and have our being” (cf. Acts 17:28) (Lehman Strauss, Ephesians, p.173).
Dear Christian, is your life and testimony a blessing, or a burden— a help, or a hindrance— a source of encouragement, or a source of discord— the fragrance of life, or the fragrance of death— to this great community called the church? Is your life contributing to promoting and nurturing the spiritual unity of this fellowship?
Or, does your own fellowship with God need to be renewed? Does your soul need to be renewed and revived by the Spirit and Word of God today? Does your attitude and heart need some kind of adjustment, some form of healing? Is the net of your life so torn and full of holes that you are no longer a “fisher of men” for the sake of the Gospel?
Beloved, if we are to experience the blessings of being a mighty church for the glory of God once again, then we must uphold the biblical responsibility given to us to promote unity within the church. And we can accomplish this only by…
ü experiencing the grace of such unity in Christ (vv.1 – 3), and
ü embracing the ground of such unity through the foundational truths of the Christian faith (vv.4 – 6).
Church, we must be in right fellowship with our Lord if we are to experience the blessings of being in right fellowship with one another. We must be one with Christ before we can experience the reality of this spiritual unity with one another. May the words we read in Psalm 133:1 sing out with joy from our hearts today— “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
This truth really is amazing: experiencing the reality of spiritual unity within the church is directly related to each of us being in right fellowship with the Lord Himself.