Ephesians 4:1-10, “Paul Exhorts The Ephesians To Be Christ-like
And To Be In Unity In The Spirit”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study, we looked
at verses 14-21 of chapter 3.
1.1.1. In that
study, we saw Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesian church. In that prayer, Paul’s emphasis had to do
with the Ephesian’s “experience of God,” of receiving personally and
experientially all of the fullness of the Lord, of His power and His love in
their lives.
1.1.2. We saw that
this prayer of Paul’s for the Ephesians church was also one that all of us as Christ’s
people need fulfilled in our life. The
experience of God that Paul prayed for the Ephesians was not meant to be an
experience only for the exceptional Christian but rather that which should
entail “the normal Christian life” which every Christian can and should
experience, as it is available for all.
1.2.
In our study today, we are going to look at verses
1-10 of chapter 4.
1.2.1. In our study
today, we have now entered into the second half of the epistle to the
Ephesians. Here Paul acts according to
the style he used when writing his New Testament epistles to the churches, he
spends the first half of his letters telling the churches about the things that
the Lord has done for them and the second half detailing what their response to
what the Lord has done for them ought to be.
You could also say that the first half of Paul’s letters are doctrinal
and that the second half are practical.
The first half tells us of the things that God has worked into our life
and the second half tells us what we now are supposed to work out in our life.
1.2.2. In our lives
as Christians, it is the case that God always teaches us new things and then
the next thing that we know He places us into a situation in which we have to
apply the things that He has been trying to teach us. This is the purpose for the many trials that
the Lord places in our life. It would be
a shame and a great waste if we only learned great truths and never applied
them in our lives.
1.2.3. We discussed
at the beginning of this study of the book of Ephesians that the book taught us
many truths about the nature of the church, and in our study today we will look
at many things that Paul wants to communicate in that regard. In the New Testament epistles we see a
consistent theme in that the Lord is always teaching things to His children and
working out in the lives of His children (those who are genuine believers in
Christ) things, which are in relation to the church itself. In other words, in the New Testament the
apostles expected that what God was doing in His children’s lives He was doing
through the church. Each believer is
called into the church and functions as a living entity in a mystical type of
union with Christ as well as every other member, each one being under Christ
the Head. There is no Christianity discussed
or assumed to exist apart from the church and functioning within the
church. In our study today, we will look
at what constitutes the proper functioning of the individual members of the
body of Christ.
2. VS 4:1 - “1 Therefore I, the
prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling
with which you have been called,” - Paul
implores the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling
2.1.
Paul first of all reminds the Ephesians again of the
fact of his being a prisoner of the Lord.
I believe that Paul intends for the Ephesians to see by this his
submission to the Lord as God’s called and obedient servant. Therefore, Paul is implying by this that in
now admonishing the Ephesians concerning their individual conduct that he is
not asking them to do anything that he himself is not doing. Paul never admonishes us in his letters to do
anything that he himself is not presently modeling in his own life.
2.2.
Paul has described in the first three chapters the
incredible ‘calling’ that we as Christians have.
2.3.
The Greek word translated here ‘implore’ is
very strong and implies a strong entreaty and some have even inferred that the
word implies “to beg.” The things
that God’s word commands us as Christians to do or not to do should never be
taken lightly by us or thought of as being optional. It is absolutely essential that we as
Christians apply to our own lives the many exhortations to us as God’s people
from God’s word. To refuse to take
scriptural commands seriously is to sin and disobey and dishonor the Lord.
2.4.
What Paul implores us as Christians to do is to ‘walk
in a manner worthy of the calling’ that we have been given as Christians,
and lets look at three aspects of this admonishment:
2.4.1. We who are Christians by our faith in Christ
and His completed work upon the cross for our salvation have a ‘calling’
by the Lord into this Christian life.
2.4.1.1. The church
is not like some sort of a civic club that a person might join. It is not “a religious organization,”
but rather “a spiritual organism” consisting of those who have been
brought together by Jesus Christ who dwells within each member of the body.
2.4.1.2. Since the
fall, man’s nature has been very selfish and self-centered. We see in this world people all around us who
are living for self and exalting themselves as number one. However, we Christians must never be selfish
or self-centered in our concept or involvement in and with Christ’s church
because the church is not about us it is about the Lord.
2.4.1.3. Every club
or organization that a person might belong to, every job a person is employed
for, and every membership has certain requirements of its members. These rules are required for all who are
privileged to enjoy the benefits of membership.
In the body of Christ, God expects certain types of conduct from His
people and thus the New Testament authors give us many commandments which we
are to follow.
2.4.1.4. Since each
of us who make up the body of Christ have a special calling into the body of
Christ, we need to be faithful to the Lord in that calling and our
responsibility is to do His bidding and will in all that we do in our lives and
in the church.
2.4.2. In the New
Testament when it speaks of a Christian’s ‘walk’ it means “the manner
in which we conduct ourselves.”
2.4.2.1. The Lord
wants to direct how each of us as Christians conduct ourselves and our affairs
in this world. We need to learn to
imitate Jesus Christ in His character and holiness, be holy as He is holy, and
walk in love just as He walks in love.
2.4.3. We are to
walk in a manner that is ‘worthy’ of our calling as Christians, and this
word ‘worthy’ is a word that refers to “balance scales when each side
is of equal weight.”
2.4.3.1. Having
studied in the first three chapters of this epistle all of the incredible blessings
and privileges that each of us as Christians have been given simply because we
are “in Christ,” it is imperative that in thankfulness and gratitude
that we respond appropriately to our loving heavenly Father for the things that
He has done in our lives. It is
imperative that we walk in a manner that is worthy of the incredible blessings
and privileges that we have received “in Christ.”
2.4.3.2. For
instance, we as Christians need to in our life walk in a manner that is worthy
of:
2.4.3.2.1.
Having received grace and mercy from God when because
of our sins we deserve only hell and judgment.
2.4.3.2.2.
Having experienced the “riches of God’s grace.”
2.4.3.2.3.
Having now in our present possession “every
spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.”
2.4.3.2.4.
Being “equal heirs with Jesus Christ,” sharing
in all that He has.
2.4.3.2.5.
Having received the “unfathomable riches of Christ.”
3. VS 4:2 - “2 with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,” - Paul tells the Ephesians to have all humility
and gentleness with patience and to show tolerance for one another in love
3.1.
In describing these characteristics that we as
Christians ought to allow the Lord to work in our lives, ‘humility,’ ‘gentleness,’
‘patience,’ and ‘tolerance,’ Paul speaks of both the character
described by Jesus in His Sermon On The Mount as being “blessed,” as
well as the “fruits of the Spirit,” which Paul in his letters describes
for believers.
3.2.
It is only by allowing the Lord to work into our lives
the very character of Christ that we will be able to apply any of the other
admonitions that the scripture gives for us as Christians to apply. As we allow the Lord to form the character of
Christ within our life the result will be to walk as Christ would have us to
walk and do the things that the Lord wants to do in our life.
3.3.
There are no Christians on this earth who are fruitful
for the Lord that are not also Christ-like in their character.
3.4.
Paul writes here to the Ephesians that it is with ‘all’
humility and gentleness with patience that we are to do these things. This then tells us that we Christians are to
display the furthest extent of humility and gentleness and do so in each and
every circumstance that we find ourselves in.
There is no circumstance that does not require us to show humility and
gentleness as Christians.
3.5.
In Paul’s day neither the Greeks nor the Romans had a
word in their language that conveyed the idea of ‘humility.” This is because ‘humility’ was not
considered a virtue by them but rather a weakness or character flaw. In Paul’s New Testament writings we
occasionally find him creating new words when the Greek language could not
convey what he intended to communicate, and thus this Greek word ‘tapeinophrosune’ which is translated ‘humility’
was one which Paul created, and it literally means “lowliness of mind.”
3.5.1. To be “humble”
means not to think too highly of yourself, or better yet, to think of others
and their needs over yourself. Jesus
taught His disciples about humility on many occasions but probably most
directly when on the night of His betrayal He their leader went and in the
manner of a menial servant washed each of their feet at the dinner table.
3.5.2. In
Philippians chapter 2, the apostle Paul taught that the whole experience of
Jesus’ incarnation is an example of ‘humility’ that all of us as
Christians ought to emulate: Phil.
2:5-10, “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in
Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied
Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the
name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in
heaven and on earth and under the earth”
3.5.3. This ‘humility’
is exactly what Jesus referred to when He said, “Blessed are the poor in
spirit” in His Sermon On The Mount.
3.6.
This Greek word “praotes” which is
translated here ‘gentleness’ can also mean “meekness.” This word must never be confused with “weakness”
or “cowardliness.” What it really
means is “power under constraint.”
The word was used when speaking of a mighty horse when it had finally
been broken and could now be ridden. The
horse was just as powerful as ever however it was now considered to be “meek”
because it was under control.
3.6.1. ‘Gentleness’
or “meekness” is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) which
the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of a Christian when he is submitted to
and led by the Lord.
3.6.2. In His
Sermon On The Mount, Jesus said that the “meek” were blessed and would
inherit the earth.
3.6.3. Jesus was “meek”
and yet he twice drove the money-changers out of the temple.
3.6.4. King David
was “meek” and yet he was a mighty warrior and when only a youth slew
not only Goliath the Philistine giant, but also a lion and a bear with his bare
hands.
3.6.5. A person who
is “meek” allows the Lord to guide him and he walks in obedience to the
Lord. He also thinks of others above
himself and never promotes himself.
3.7.
‘Patience’ is another one of the fruits of the
Holy Spirit found in the life of a Christian who is filled with and walking in
the power of the Holy Spirit.
3.7.1. This word
means “to suffer long.”
3.7.2. Someone once
said that ‘patience’ is “to wait without complaint.”
3.7.3. We
Christians are to be patient with others.
In the body of Christ when we believe someone is slow to catch on, when
we perceive things in a different way than someone else, when people don’t do
what we hope or believe that should do, we need to be patient with them in the
same way that the Lord is patient with all of us. If God were not patient with all of us there
would be no one left alive on the face of the earth. However, God suffers long with each of us in
the same way we must suffer long with others.
3.8.
Paul tells the Ephesians here that they are to ‘tolerate’
one another, translating the Greek word ‘anechomai.’ However, this word means more than to ‘tolerate’
someone. Rather, it brings the idea of “forbearance”
and “endurance.” In 1 Cor.
13:4-8, Paul gives a definition of what walking in God’s agape love is like and
there he says that “love bears all things” :
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not
jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not
act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into
account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are
gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues,
they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. When we Christians are walking in God’s
agape love we will naturally “forbear” or “put up with” one another in
the body of Christ.
4. VS 4:3 - “3 being diligent to
preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” - Paul tells the Ephesians to preserve the
unity of the Spirit
4.1.
In this verse, Paul communicates the importance of “preserving”
what he calls the ‘unity of the Spirit.’
4.2.
‘Unity’ in the body of Christ is so important
that in Jesus’ high priestly prayer for His disciples just before going to
Calvary what was mostly on His heart was that His disciples then and on into
the future might be “one” :
John 17:20-21, “20 “I do not ask
on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their
word; 21 that they may all be
one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be
in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.””
4.3.
‘Unity’ in the body of Christ is critical if
the body is to be healthy. When you
consider the nature of the body of Christ you can then realize that it is just
like our physical bodies. If all of the
organs in a person’s body are not working together for the good of the whole
then the body is going to be ill and hampered from optimal and full functionality
as a result. Without ‘unity’ the
body of Christ is ineffective for the Lord.
4.4.
Paul tells us also in 1 Corinthians that if one person
in the body is hurting it affects the whole body. We in the body of Christ need to always be
open to ministering to any member in the body whom we discover is hurting. This is not just the responsibility of the
pastor it is every believer’s responsibility.
4.5.
“Lack of unity” is and has been a big issue or
topic of discussion in the world and in the church. However, in spite of the emphasis that has
been placed upon unity the reality of our experience is that there has been
little experience of unity.
4.5.1. Interestingly,
Martyn Lloyd-Jones has written that a greater problem in the church today than
a lack of unity is the ecumenical movement’s progress in leading churches to
seek unity at the expense of truth.
4.6.
Note here that Paul preceded this admonishment
concerning unity in the church having first written about the essential
character that all of us as Christians must strive to possess. This is because the unity that we in the body
of Christ are to have is not a unity such as people in the world may strive
for. In the world’s concept of unity
everyone is to agree to cooperate and set aside differences for the better good
of the whole. The world’s approach to
unity is simply to learn to tolerate people.
However, the unity that we in the church are to have is different as it
is a dynamic element produced by the indwelling Spirit of God within us. The unity that the church is to have is
internal unity as it is produced by the Lord Himself, thus it is not like
worldly unity that exists only on the external.
You have to walk in a Christ-like way and be in fellowship with Christ
in order to experience for yourself unity in the body of Christ. In the body of Christ we don’t do as the
world does and “tolerate” people, we love them unconditionally with
God’s kind of love.
4.7.
Note that Paul describes the ‘unity’ that is to
exist in the church as being ‘unity of the Spirit.’ ‘Spirit’ should be capitalized here
because it is ‘unity’ that is produced by the working of the Holy Spirit
through each member of the body that is at issue.
4.8.
When my wife and I were first married we realized that
marriage was a difficult arrangement.
Then, when we argued and fought with each other, because Christ is in
each of our lives and we have placed Him as Lord of our lives, we would always
eventually come to the place of coming to Christ and getting our hearts right
with Him, and this always resulted in us getting our hearts right with each
other and resolving our conflicts. In
the same way, in the church we all have Jesus in us and as each of us will
submit to Him as Lord and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will always
be in unity in the body of Christ.
4.9.
Paul tells the Ephesians that they are to be ‘diligent’
to preserve this unity. In other words
they are to take great pains to make sure that unity.
4.9.1. A unified
church is an incredible testimony to non-believers of God’s working in and
through our lives.
4.9.2. Let me ask
you Christian if you have taken it upon yourself to be ‘diligent’ to
preserve unity in the church? This is
something that each of us as Christians need to be committed to in our own
walk, and also when we are with others.
4.9.3. If someone
else in the body of Christ is being divisive we need to take upon ourselves to
confront the person in love following Matt. 18 and remind them of the absolute
necessity that we all be in unity in the church. Then, we need to hold them accountable to
follow through with our counsel to them.
If the person is gossiping or speaking in an unfavorable way about a
brother or sister in the body then we need to hold the person responsible to
either stop gossiping or to go to talk with the person they are gossiping about
and confront them in the Matt. 18 manner.
Each of us are responsible for maintaining unity in the body of Christ.
4.10.
Unity in the body of Christ has something that binds
it together and Paul tells us that this element is the ‘peace’ of
God. What an awesome ‘peace’ from
God rests over every church that is unified, but what unrest is present in a
church that has allowed divisiveness to exist.
5. VS
4:4-6 - “4 There
is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of
your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one
God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” - Paul declares the unity that Christians ought
to have by stating the oneness of the Holy Spirit, our calling, our Lord, our faith,
our baptism, and our God
5.1.
To emphasize the fact that there is to be no excuse
for a lack of unity in the body of Christ, Paul tells us here that there is
just ‘one body,’ ‘one Spirit,’ ‘one hope of your calling,’
‘one faith,’ ‘one baptism,’ and ‘one God and Father.’
5.1.1. If there
could be multiple bodies of Christ then a person could make the excuse for
being divisive in the body of Christ that he is part of a different body of
Christ.
5.1.2. If there could
be multiple Spirits then a person could make the excuse for being divisive in
the body of Christ that he is part of a different Holy Spirit.
5.1.3. If there
were different hopes for our calling as Christians then a person could make the
excuse for being divisive in the body of Christ that he simply has a different
hope than some other group has.
5.1.4. Etc., etc.,
etc.
5.2.
The ‘faith’ mentioned here is the whole of
Biblical doctrine as contained in our scriptures.
5.3.
The ‘baptism’ mentioned is probably Spirit
baptism into the body of Christ that occurs whenever a person comes to
salvation (1 Cor. 12:13).
5.4.
The ‘hope of your calling’ refers to eternal
life and all of the many things that we Christians inherit simply because we
are in Christ.
5.5.
There seems a definite reference to the three persons
of the Trinity in Paul’s phrase, ‘over all and through all and in all.’ God the Father is ‘over all,’ Jesus is
‘through all,’ and the Holy Spirit is ‘in all.’ The emphasis here though by Paul would be the
unity of the three persons of the Trinity.
6. VS
4:7-10 - “7 But to
each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8
Therefore it says, “When He
ascended on high, He led captive a
host of captives, And He gave
gifts to men.” 9 (Now
this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also
had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended
is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might
fill all things.)” - Paul tells
the Ephesians that to each one of us as Christians that grace was given
according to the measure of Christ’s gift
6.1.
Paul here begins to speak of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit which each one in the body of Christ is given. The apostle Peter wrote about this in 1 Peter
4:10, “10 As each one has received a special gift, employ
it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
6.2.
The word used in the New Testament for a spiritual
gift given by the Holy Spirit to a believer is the same word as the word for “grace.” Each spiritual gift is undeserved and given
not because of anything we have done to earn it, for it is truly a gift. This is why Paul says here, ‘to each one
of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.’
6.3.
In these verses we see that Paul saw Jesus as
accomplishing three things after His death upon
6.3.1. He went and
freed the spirits of the people who were held in Abraham’s Bosom in Hades,
which we know from scripture is located in the center of the earth, leading
them up to heaven to be with the Lord.
6.3.1.1. Hades used
to contain at least two different compartments.
There was a place of torments for the spirits of those people who were
not God’s people in this life who were awaiting judgment. Then, there was a place referred to in
scripture as “Abraham’s Bosom” where the spirits of those who were God’s people
who had died were held.
6.3.1.2. It was the ‘captives’
in Abraham’s Bosom who were freed and led by Christ to go to heaven and appear
before the throne of God.
6.3.1.3. In New
Testament times if a person who belongs to God dies he goes straight into the
presence of the Lord. Abraham’s Bosom no
longer holds the spirits of men (see 2 Cor. 5:8).
6.3.2. He ‘ascended’
up to heaven.
6.3.3. He gave and
distributed spiritual ‘gifts’ to His disciples.
7. CONCLUSIONS:
7.1.
As we consider how this study applies to our life, we
need to first of all make a commitment of ourselves that we shall strive to
walk in a manner worthy of that calling that we have been called with as
Christians.
7.2.
Lets also follow Christ’s example and let humility,
gentleness, patience, and forbearance in love be unbroken in our relationships
in the body of Christ. Lets make this
our commitment.
7.3.
Lets be diligent to take it upon ourselves to ensure
that unity in the Holy Spirit is maintained, both in our life and in the lives
of those we are with in the body of Christ.