Live It!
Ephesians 4:1-5
One of the themes in Ephesians is that Christ in a life in this wicked world must make a difference. You cannot have the King of Glory in your life and live as a secret agent for the Kingdom. You cannot be forgiven and receive the title deed of God in your heart by the presence of His life and not be changed. Change begins when you are saved and continues until you breathe your last on earth.
Ill. On May 22 of last year, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett of Cornwall England realized the sick world in which she lived. The 48 YO was returning from visiting her children when the riders of the bus she rode on witnessed the tragic and horrible. As the bus rounded a corner, they stopped for what first looked like an accident that just happened. As the bus rolled to a stop, Ingrid did what many would do at the sight of a body in the road. She jumped out of the bus to see if first aid could help.
She was immediately confronted with two young men, one with a knife, one a gun, both with bloody hands. This was not an accident, but a terroristic murder, Islam extremists bringing the battle to England.
Ingrid calmly talked to the agitated men to keep them calm and to keep them from focusing on the growing crowd that was surrounding them. She asked them why they killed the man, and then, how futile it was to engage in this kind of behavior. For 10 minutes, she spoke with the two men until police arrived, and they calmly gave up, something that was not part of their plan.
She says that it was her faith in God, His love for others, and confidence in His protection that God used to keep the young men from attacking others. Christ made a difference in her life. Paul said, “He should do so in yours.”
Eph 4:1 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…”
General rule, when you see the word therefore, you find out what it is there for. You realize that the next passage is talking about something that is a result of what was previously spoken.
All the blessed beauty of the gift God has been given to us as Gentiles. Christ has saved us, given us His Spirit, and adopted us into His family. He has removed from all barriers between us and God and has brought us near to God. He has removed the significance of any difference we have between us and any other believer. The unity we have with every believer in the world overpowers any difference we have with them, so we can be one together as the body of Christ.
Therefore…..
“I… as a prisoner of the Lord…”
Do you remember how Paul started the previous chapter? Eph 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles…”
Paul is going to get into some pretty tough teachings. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, but he is not appealing to that authority. He is appealing based upon the authority of Jesus Christ. He is saying, “I am just serving my Master.”
So based upon the things that Jesus had done for us, and we are indebted to Him…Based upon the authority that this isn’t Paul telling us that, but a slave of Jesus Christ… So these commands are from our commander, and Paul is delivering them to us as a faithful messenger…Because of what you received in salvation as an immeasurable gift….
“…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…”
The instructions begin with an emotional emphasis. “I urge you….”
That implication is that there is a possibility, and without effort, a probability, that you can fail to live to the reality of your calling. This is a common formula for Paul’s letters to both Churches and pastors. He explains our position in Christ and what that means. Then he urges us with great emotion to not only believe this new reality we have in Christ, but to live like it is true.
There are at least three problems with Christianity today that is blocking spiritual development and maturity.
1. Believers do not know what the Bible says. Thus we have a problem with people not knowing the truth.
2. If you do not know the truth, you cannot believe the truth.
3. If you do believe the truth, you are not live the truth.
Christians know stuff, but we are short on truth. When I say the term “systematic theology”, many will roll their eyes. However a good illustration of knowledge without systematic theology shows its importance.
Mat 27:5 “And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.”
Luke 16:31 says, “do ye likewise”.
Now those are two truths in the scriptures, but just because they are in the Bible never implies that you put those two together to come up with a practice. So don’t go out and hang yourself.
But, taking into consideration what the sum of what is truth, I urge you to live worthy of your calling, your salvation, your redemption. What does that mean?
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
I can spend the next six weeks preaching on this. But I shall not. However, I will preach on it today.
Humility – “the proper view of yourself before God, without comparison to any man.” A position of humility is to be seen between us and all men because we do not take into consideration of our worldly status or the worldly status of any other person.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul is telling those beloved believers in Corinth that our earthly bodies groan. There is something inside the saved person that just doesn’t fit comfortably in the sin-racked body. This changes our view of this body as we yearn for another “tent” that is perfected in eternity.
What we will be judged by in the Judgment Seat of Christ is not our earthly tents. The beautiful will have no advantage over the homely. The geniuses will have no better bargaining angle than the mentally slow. We will be judged by what we DO in our earthly bodies.
2Co 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
So basically, we are not judged by what we are given, but what we do with what we are given. So we try to warn others of this reality.
1. The love of Christ compels us.
“2Co 5:14-16 “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Secondly, 2Co 5:16 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.”
How do we regard others? Simple. 2Co 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Either someone is in Christ or they need to be. That is our only evaluation of others.
You don’t like someone? That is not your prerogative, and you cannot be that way without being disobedience. Well, but you don’t like that person because they do this, or say this, or act like this…..
That is not as disqualifying in God’s family as the adoption through Jesus Christ. Humility is an imperative for the Church of the living God. Grudges, lack of forgiveness, prejudice, resentment, jealousy, and partiality is not permitted and will be dealt with by the discipline of the Holy God. All humility and gentleness. The right attitude and the right treatment of others. We are to treat each other with gentleness, protective consideration. Humility, gentleness, and patience, with patience, bearing with one another in love.
Christians are the most impatient people in our society. A businessman recently told me that 90 percent of the people he had the most trouble with, especially praying their bills, were fellow Christians. He said, in the business world, doing business with an unbelieving client was smoother and more pleasant than doing business with a Christian brother or sister.
We have represent our King better, especially in the way we bear with one another. We must show the patience that the Lord of eternity shows us. What is the purpose for this “…Humility, gentleness, and patience, with patience, bearing with one another in love?”
Eph 4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
To get along with each other. To show that the difference we have inside is real, clearly evident by how we love and care for each other.
Our unity should be supernaturally higher than that of the world. Our love for others must be supernaturally beyond what is seen in those who do not have the living Spirit of God inside their forgiven souls.
Look at what this living Spirit in us should reveal.
Eph 4:4-5 “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
The work of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice He made: All of this was is for unity.
Look at the “ones” that Jesus purchased so we can live in unity. We are one body, through one Spirit. We have been called to one hope, because there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. What does this mean?
It means this; if you are not obeying Christ, who are you working for? If you are not working for Christ, who’s whisper in your heart are you listening to? If you say something in your Sunday school room or on the phone about someone in the family of God, you are not being led by the Spirit of God.
Then who are you being led by? Satan is subtle, deceptive and destructive. His prompts seem harmless enough at the moment, and he even sells them as beneficial. You have heard it, it sounds like this: “I am only spreading this complaint around like a cancer because I am concerned”.
But once it leaves our mouth and is outside of being “…in humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the bond of peace…”, it leaves a path of pain, destruction, and eroded unity.
If you have a legitimate concern, in love, go to that persons seeking to strengthen the unity. Don’t get on the phone and spread poison. That disgraces our head, Jesus Christ, and works against what He died to create; unity, peace and love that can be modeled in a lost and dying world as refreshingly different than what they could produce.
Remember what Jesus did to purchase our peace. Remember what Jesus gave us to insure our peace. Now, He is saying, “Live it.” Live it in the crucible of human relationships in the Church. Live it in the marketplace when the irritation of other selfish people push us to ourlimits. Live it through His power in you, as His gift to you.
Eph 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ill. At one time, Daniel Webster was considered the greatest of all living Americans. He was outstanding as a statesman, lawyer, orator, and leader of men.
Twenty-five national leaders attended a select banquet in his honor. One man at the banquet asked Mr. Webster, "Sir, what is the greatest thought that ever entered your mind?"
Without hesitation, Webster replied, "The greatest thought that ever entered my mind was the thought of my responsibility to God." As he spoke, he wept, excused himself from the banquet, and went outside to get control of his emotions. When he returned he talked for thirty minutes about man’s responsibility to God.
