Ephesians 4
Introduction
It is common for Paul to set out theological matters at the beginning of his letters, then move to the practical application of that theology in the life of the church and the individual believer. For example, Romans 1-11 discuss Paul’s theology of the gospel. Romans 12 begins the practical application. Ephesians 4 begins Paul’s application. Our knowledge of theology through study of the Bible is not an abstract matter. What we learn propels us to live according to what we know. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the weight of our practice must equal the weight of our knowledge.
Living A Worthy Life
4:1-3
Paul begins this chapter with a plea, saying I “urge” you. This is similar to the beginning of the practical application in Romans 12:1, where he said “I appeal to you”.
He also adds his designation as “prisoner for the Lord” to give weight to his authority and the seriousness of the plea, so they will take it to heart and act accordingly.
The plea, then, is for the Ephesians (and us) to walk, or live, in a manner worthy of their calling. The “calling” here is the call to come to Christ in salvation. It is not a call to an office or ministry.
Romans 8:28 says “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Then, verse 30 says those whom he predestined he also called. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 says we are called through the gospel.
The church is composed of the “called out” ones, those who are called out of the world and into the kingdom of our Lord.
Having been called to Christ, and coming to him in faith in response to that call, we are to live for Christ. (Luke 9:23) Our life should be worthy of our call. We do not come to Christ and then live for the devil.
Paul gives us a few attributes that will characterize a worthy walk. First, is that we live with all humility and gentleness. (2) We have seen in most of our previous studies that God condemns pride and values humility. Paul told the Ephesians when he met with them in Miletus that they saw that he lived among them “with all humility”. (Acts 20:19) Humility is not thinking more of yourself that you should and not holding yourself out as being better than others. It is not insisting on your rights & putting others before ourselves.
Humility helps you avoid pride and the disfavor of the Lord for it. It also keeps you from feeling entitled to receive more from your church than other people. You will also be more willing to serve in a role that is not publicly acclaimed if you are humble.
Humility is not weakness. Moses was humble. (Numbers 12:3) But he was a strong leader who stood up to Pharaoh and led a nation across the desert.
Paul also says we should walk with gentleness. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Jesus said he was gentle. (Matthew 11:29) Gentleness is a great relationship builder. We need to be gentle with each other rather than harsh. No one enjoys having someone be harsh with them. Those who are suffering particularly need gentleness.
Gentleness does not mean we do not stand for correct doctrine or that we are not firm on moral issues. But even in these circumstances we can be gentle rather than harsh. I have a preacher friend in Louisiana USA who is the model of this. He has been confronted with many theological issues and some ethical ones in organizations in which he has been involved. He has always stood for truth and the Bible. But he has always been a gentleman about it.
Paul also tells us the walk in patience, bearing with one another in love. (2) Patience is the ability to face delay, inconvenience or even trouble without getting angry. We must exercise patience with those who are less spiritually mature than us and realize they may not always get it right. Sometimes we must be patient because our facility has an issue and it takes time to repair, causing discomfort. Sometimes we must exercise patience waiting for God to act.
And Paul says to bear with one another in love. This is another way to say be patient with each other. Our motivation is love. Since God loves us, we must love each other. We express our love for each other with patience, gentleness, and humility.
All of these behaviors are listed in Galatians 5:22 as fruits of the Spirit. Therefore, if you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit in you and are able to develop these attitudes and behaviors.
The goal of these behaviors, in addition to pleasing the Lord, is to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We have unity because Christ has reconciled us to each other as well as to himself. So, we do not create it. But we do need to preserve it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to be a good witness to Christ if we do not show love for each other. Fighting with each other, being harsh, critical, prejudiced, and demanding makes us look like the worst of humanity, not the best.
A Confession of Faith
4:4-6
Paul transitions here from exhortation to recitation of a creed (statement of belief). The emphasis is on oneness. There are 7 “ones” in this section. The number 7 in the Bible usually symbolizes perfection or completeness.
There is one body. That body is Christ’s body, the church. There are not two bodies, one Jewish and one Gentile. There are no characteristics that create more than one body. There can be only one.
There is also one Holy Spirit. He dwells in us and among us. When we live in submission to the Spirit, we will live in unity.
There is also one hope to which we are called. That hope is eternal life. There are not different hopes for different believers.
There is also one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. As the apostle Peter said, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Or, as Jesus said, ““I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Since there is only one Lord, there is only one faith, faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is not true that it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe something. Only Jesus saves. Whoever believes in him should not perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
There is also one baptism. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit when we are saved. We are baptized with water as a symbol, being buried with Jesus and raised with him to a new life.
There is one God and Other of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (6) He is sovereign and transcendent over all. He is omniscient and omnipresent.
Notice the Trinitarian statement here: there is one Spirit, one Lord (the Son), and one God the Father.
There is perfect love and unity in the Trinity. The Trinity worked in love and unity to bring us to salvation. The Trinity worked in love and unity to demolish divisions and create one body - the church. The members of the church must work in love and unity to accomplish the mission of the church and reflect the Trinitarian God we worship.
We do not honor the Lord by fighting and dividing.
No comments:
Post a Comment