Ephesians 4:1-6
Having unity in the Spirit is worth any sacrifice.
1. Paul cared deeply about unity. (1)
He described himself as a PRISONER FOR SERVING THE LORD. At the time of this writing (62 A.D.), Paul was imprisoned in Rome, for having appealed his case to Caesar following his arrest in Jerusalem after false charges.
Paul had faith to see beyond the legalities and understood that he’d been imprisoned for SERVING THE LORD. His service to Christ required him to do the right things and to tell the truth. Evil people found his deeds inexplicable and his words unforgiveable because they confronted and condemned their sin.
Despite his own situation, the Apostle’s mind was on his Ephesian friends. He BEGGED the Ephesians to live up to their calling. We typically use the word calling to refer to God directing us to do a certain kind of ministry. The Bible uses the word more broadly than that.
For example, here Paul uses the word very generally, referring to the work of the Holy Spirit on all people to call them to receive salvation by faith in Christ. His logic is like this, “God has chosen us to be His people, let act like the people whom God would choose.” To live up to your calling is to live in a way that gives evidence of your alignment with God.
2. Sacrifices necessary for unity. (2-3)
To follow Jesus, we must sacrifice self-centeredness to practice virtues that maintain unity.
- Sacrifice your pride and egotism to be HUMBLE. Generally speaking, self-gratification should not be our primary motive.
- Sacrifice your self-righteousness to be GENTLE. Might does not make right, the ends do not justify the means, the process is just as important as the product.
- Sacrifice your short temper to be PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER. Be slow to anger. When anger is appropriate, do not allow it to become sin.
- Sacrifice your perfectionism to make allowances for each other’s faults. Perfectionism is not a virtue; it is a notorious fear of disappointing someone and too often leads to sin.
- Sacrifice your desire to be in control to truly LOVE. Love gives the beloved appropriate space for growth.
Learn what God has revealed about unity. Paul revealed four things in this passage.
- One, experiencing unity is worth making EVERY EFFORT. The Greek word translated as EVERY EFFORT describes a determination to overcome all adversity to achieve one’s objective.
- Two, God gives us unity through the SPIRIT. We don’t create genuine unity, but it is up to us to cooperate with God and with one another to maintain it.
_ Three, it is our job to KEEP it, not to create it. Unity occurs when we are all focused on God Himself.
- Four, peace is the virtue the binds us together. Peace is the glue for relationships.
3. Oneness is the basis of unity. (4-6)
The things we share are more important than all differences. We share:
- ONE BODY, the Church. For all its flaws and obvious disappointments, the local church is still the only place to serve God and to grow in spiritual maturity.
- ONE SPIRIT, the Holy Spirit, the source of our unity. The gifts of the Spirit are given to build up the faith of the individual believer, and through him, the church.
- ONE GLORIOUS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. One of the chief tenets of the Christian faith is an expectation of, and preparation for, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.,
- ONE LORD, Jesus Christ. All His disciples are focused on trying to become like Him.
- ONE FAITH, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, faithfully passed on by the Apostles, recorded for later generations in the Bible and taught by the Church. Having faith means we make a personal affirmation of the historic faith, not that we make up our own faith.
- ONE BAPTISM, the symbol of our entry by faith into the Kingdom of God. One aspect of the symbolism of baptism is our unity together.
- ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL, God the Father, Creator of everything. We have unity in our common identity as God’s children, created in His image.
The Apostle elaborated on God the Father.
- He is OVER ALL; His authority over creation is complete.
- He is IN ALL; though He rules from Heaven, God is very much present and involved in creation. He is both transcendent and imminent.
- He is LIVING THROUGH ALL; though some reject Him, God keeps open the possibility for forgiveness to the last moment, the end of history.
Keeping God’s unity in our church requires us to emphasize the things we share, and show grace for the points of difference. All of this requires a faithful recognition of what’s truly important; the list of “ONES” for example. We are to demonstrate their priority over self by regarding the unity of the Church as a real thing and a precious thing. We must sacrifice sin and selfishness, putting God first, others second, self-last.
Having unity in the Spirit is worth any sacrifice.
Part of our maturing process is to learn at least three things.
One, when it is necessary to exert our will and when it is better to compromise or give up. When we are standing for the truth and speaking only what is directed by God, it may be necessary to overcome opposition. If we’re not certain about those points or the truth hangs equally on both sides of a dispute, better to back off.
Two, what may be worth “fighting for” and what is better to surrender without a fight. Comparatively few things will require an aggressive approach. Jesus promised that the meek, not the mighty, will inherit the earth. Just whether a difference is worth reconciling. If it is a trivial matter, leave it alone.
Three, humility requires us to admit we can be wrong. None of us possess all the facts, which is why we need to converse with one another to learn more facts. Listening to others must be a higher priority than making our own points.
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