Eph 4:1-16 WALK IN UNITY, GROW IN MATURITY
We are at a turning point in this book, moving from doctrines to the practice of the truth.
• Chapters 1-3 on the DOCTRINES – who we are as the church of Christ and 4-6 talks about our CONDUCT – how we ought to live as the church.
• 1-3 talks about the TRUTH we ought to know and 4-6 our REPONSBILITIES as Christians.
Hence we see this keyword used repeatedly by Paul: WALK.
• 4:1 “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
• 4:17 “… you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”
• 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…”
• 5:8b “Walk as children of light…”
• 5:15 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…”
We are to live out the TRUTH of who we are, as Christians and as the church of Christ.
• WHAT we know needs to be translated into HOW we live.
WALK IN UNITY
Paul issued a call to be united in Christ. 4:3 “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• We are ONE body in Christ, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free; whatever the race, culture or background, we have become ONE in Christ.
• We are brought together by one Spirit to be the one body (Church) under one Lord, united in one faith through one baptism and worship the one God and Father of all.
THEREFORE live like one. There can be no division in the Body of Christ. WALK in unity and in the manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
• This unity is not for us to CREATE but for us to LIVE OUT. That’s WHO we have become in Christ. We are to PRACTICE what we PROFESS to be in Christ.
• This is God’s will for all Christians, everywhere and across the generations.
From the text, this is the will and desire of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We are bought by the Son and brought together by the Spirit to be ONE under the Lordship of Christ to worship the one true God our Father (4:4-5).
This unity is not for us to PRODUCE but GIVEN because of our faith in Christ.
• Paul has already stated this ONENESS as the work of God in Christ in chapter 2.
• Eph 2:14-16 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
• He was referring to the hostility between the Jews and the Greeks. It has now been destroyed because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
If this unity is a blessing from God, then our responsibility is to MAINTAINESV, KEEPNIV, PRESERVENASB it.
• ESV “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• NIV “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
• NASB “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
God has made us ONE, so live like it.
• We see Paul’s emphasis on the ONENESS – one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all.
• WALK LIKE IT. Show the world that we are redeemed and united in Christ, no longer Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.
• We do not seek to produce this unity; we just need to PROTECT what God has given us.
This is the difference between the old and new covenants.
• The OT stance is, “Keep the commandments and you will be blessed.” The NT stance under the new covenant of grace is, “You are blessed, so keep the commandments.”
• Obey God and walk as one people under God because God has made us so in Christ.
We are to WALK IN UNITY so that the image of Christ is not tarnished and the message of the Gospel is not compromised.
• We are made one and we show that, through our love and grace with one another.
The truth is, we can never “destroy” this unity of the church, theologically speaking, because that’s what God has given us through Christ.
• The church will remain one and will be perfected when Christ returns.
• BUT UNTIL THEN, we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling of God” and not “spoil” the testimony of Christ.
• This is not easy and it will be a lifelong endeavour until we see Christ again.
That’s the PRAYER OF JESUS in John 17 before He was arrested.
• FOR THE DISCIPLES - John 17:11 “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
• FOR US - John 17:20-23 20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just 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 have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
The Body of Christ reveals Christ, and therefore a broken, fragmented body stains His image and undermines the Gospel.
• This can happen among Christians in a local church or among churches in the community. Our fights matter, they destroy our witness for Christ.
• Pray as Jesus did and make every effort to guard the unity God has given us.
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In talking about unity, Paul inserted one line: “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (4:2)
• He highlighted the qualities that are needed for unity to happen.
WATCH YOUR ATTITUDES
Paul speaks from experience, having wrestled with getting the Jews and Greeks together and dealt with strife and divisions in the Corinthian church.
• Paul’s context was challenging. He has to unite two very diverse groups with different cultures, traditions and histories.
• Even having a meal together at the same table and eating food that was offered in the temples were issues.
• To bring them together, plus the slaves and free, the upper and lower classes, we can imagine Paul’s challenge.
• For us, we are more homogenous, and yet we struggle to keep the unity.
Paul’s first advice is to watch ourselves. Not to find faults and point fingers but to check our hearts. to be humble, gentle, patient and tolerant.
• He did not just say, bearing with one another, but bearing with one another IN LOVE.
• Incidentally, he mentioned LOVE 3 times in this passage: bearing with one another IN LOVE (4:2), speak the truth IN LOVE (4:15) and build up the Body IN LOVE (4:16).
• It’s tough. We can do the right thing without love.
These are all attributes that we understand, so no need to expound them.
• We quarrel and fight, all these are missing. We are proud, rude, impatient and intolerant. We display the opposites.
• We find it hard to lovingly put up with all that is disagreeable in other people.
Yet these are the qualities exemplified by Christ!
• Matt 11:29 JESUS: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
• Phil 2:3-4 Paul tells the Philippians to cultivate the MIND OF CHRIST: 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.
Cultivate these, Paul says, and be “eager to maintain the unity”, “make every effort to keep the unity”; “be diligent to preserve the unity.”
• We don’t cruise into unity; we work at it. We work at it until we see Christ.
It starts with us. That’s how Paul puts it. Watch your attitude. Checking your heart.
• This applies to conflict situations whether in church, at home, in school or at work.
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After talking about unity, Paul enters into the next section with a conjunction – BUT, meaning it is a continuation of the same subject.
• We want UNITY and strive to KEEP that unity BUT we are all different!
• We are all gifted differently on purpose! Our unity is in diversity.
There is no uniformity in this Body of Christ. Paul stresses the different gifts and functions in this ONE Body. We have to recognise this because that’s God’s intention.
• We can be different by DEFAULT – meaning we are of different races, cultures, upbringings, intellects, and talents, AND we are also different by God’s DESIGN.
Paul set our UNITY in a context - that it is in DIVERSITY that God made us ONE.
• That this unity is set in diversity and it is intentional. God has a design and purpose for it to have so many different members.
• We have already covered 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 12) so we know. Here Paul stresses the ONE PURPOSE for which the gifts were given.
• That is the BUILDING UP of the Body, for the proper growth or maturing of the Body.
Paul borrows a line from Psalm 68:18 to give a picture of a victorious King returning to distribute the spoils of war.
• It’s like the triumphant Christ having won the victory on the cross and now dispenses gifts to His people.
• The next line in parentheses (vv.9-10) could be Paul’s way of describing Christ’s incarnation (to lower regions of the earth) and His ascension to above the heavens.
• Being in parentheses means that’s not his main point.
The main point is that the victorious Christ now pours out His gifts for His children.
• They are given to BUILD UP THE BODY and they are to use them for that purpose.
• Paul highlights FOUR gifted people here - apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds-teachers – which have to do with the teaching of God’s Word.
Their primary role is not to do the work of the ministry but to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.
• The mindset to pay the pastors to do the work is incorrect. They are there to teach and equip the saints with the Word of God so that they can do the work of ministry.
4:13 “UNTIL we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ….”
• UNTIL we come to a clear understanding of our faith and of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and be like a grown-up man reflecting the character of Christ.
• 4:14 “SO THAT we may no longer be children, [an immature child] tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”
That’s God’s objective! GROW IN MATURITY
It might not be the goal of many today. We want a big church, a rich church, a popular church, a church with many facilities and provides many social services.
• All these are fine and good but still not the primary purpose.
• God: “I want a mature church – a church that understands the truth (faith) and my Son (knowledge of Christ) and lives like Christ (stature of the fullness of Christ).”
God’s concern is our MATURITY IN CHRIST. All the gifts work together for this purpose – to BUILD UP THE BODY of Christ. To edify the Body (1 Cor).
• 4:13 – Until we attain “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” (4:13) and again in 4:15.
• 4:15 “15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ…”
Are we maturing in Christ? Do we know more of Him today than before? Are we behaving more like Christ?
Conclusion:
So let us WALK IN UNITY. Make every effort to GUARD that unity.
• We do that with humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance in love. WATCH OUR ATTITUDES.
Use our different gifts to edify one another so that we can all GROW IN MATURITY.
• Mature in our faith, knowing Christ and becoming more like Him.
When we do that well, the world will know that God loves them and Jesus Christ is their Saviour and Lord.
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Let us pray.
We thank you, heavenly Father, for bringing us together as a spiritual family, redeemed by your Son and now in fellowship with You and with one another.
We are blessed to be able to serve you and live for you, to be a part of this community of faith, and to grow together in Your Word and in the likeness of Christ.
Mould us in humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance, so that we can shine Your light well as a church and glorify Your Name.
Let us do it faithfully until the day we see you again.
This we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
