There Is One Spirit
Ephesians 4:4
Introduction
“Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless.”— Charles Spurgeon
The Holy Spirit is present in the first chapter of the Bible and plays a major role in all of the story of the Bible - and your life. Last week we looked at ‘one body’ — the Church. This week, we turn to the divine power behind that body: There is one Spirit.
When Jesus told the disciples that the Spirit would be sent to help them (John 14:18), he used the Greek term
“parakletos” - counselor, comforter, helper, friend, and advocate. Literally, “one called alongside.” I need all the help I can get! We are not able to make it without the help of the Holy Spirit - whether we recognize that or not!.
Dwight Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. “Well,” he said, “I need a continual infilling because I leak!” We tend to be weak on our own. The Enemy tends to tempt us in the weakest areas. The Spirit provides all the strength we need.
Paul’s message to the Ephesians contains one dozen truths about the Holy Spirit! Let us listen with our ears and hearts!
1. We are Marked by the Spirit
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…
When we hear and believe the truth of the Gospel, we are marked with a seal…. A guarantee. John Stott wrote, “A seal is a mark of ownership and authenticity.” He mentioned the idea that cattle are branded with a seal to indicate to whom they belong. That is external - but God’s seal is in the heart to mark them as his own. We belong to Jesus!
2. He is a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Ephesians 1:17-18 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better….that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…”
The goal of this gift of wisdom and revelation is the personal knowledge of God. Satan has blinded the mind of unbelievers, but God’s light shines in our hearts. This is much more than bare knowledge of God, it is a personal knowledge of him in experience, which involves a two-way relationship.
3.He Provides Access to the Father
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
John Stott mentioned that access is the continuing relationship into which reconciliation leads. United together in Christ we all have access and by one Spirit come to the Father.
4. We are United by being a Dwelling Place for the Spirit
Ephesians 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
We are, together, a temple where God lives by his Spirit. The Jerusalem temple was an exclusively Jewish edifice ... Gentiles were forbidden to enter. But now Gentiles are not only admitted; they are constituent parts of the temple of God. F. F. Bruce observed, "No privilege is bestowed on the people of God in which Gentiles do not enjoy an equal share." This solidarity is the emphasis - the Spirit unites all believers together!
5. He Reveals the Will and Word of God
Ephesians 3:5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
Paul calls this a “mystery” - the prophets knew some of the plan of God, but it was fully revealed in Christ. The mystery was that the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, Members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (vs 6). The prophets were men who “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). All along God planned for his people to be united together.
6. He Strengthens us With Power
Ephesians 3:14,16-17a I kneel before the Father … I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Paul’s prayer is that they may be ‘fortified, braced, invigorated’, to know the strength of the Spirit’s inner reinforcement. (Stott)
7. He Unites Believers and Brings Peace
Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
8. He Can Be Grieved
Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we allow the old self with its ways to hang around. The old ways of bitterness, anger, wrath, slander, and malice must be removed and replaced with Kindness, compassion,
9. He Fills Believers.
Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
This filling is an expression of God’s presence in our lives. An Expression of God’s gifts to serve Him and others.
We are to be “under the influence” of the Spirit!
10. He Inhabits our Singing and Worship
Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord…”
F. F. Bruce wrote, “The meetings of those early Christians must have been musical occasions, as they not only sang and made melody to the Lord, in their hearts as well as with their tongues, but addressed one another for mutual help and blessing…”
11. He Provides a Weapon for Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
John Stott: God’s written word, whose origin is repeatedly attributed to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit…. He still uses it to cut through people’s defenses, to prick their consciences and to stab them spiritually awake. … We may use it both in resisting temptation…and in evangelism … God’s word has cutting power, being ‘sharper than any two-edged sword’ (Heb. 4:12).”
The Scriptures and Prayer go together as the two chief weapons which the Spirit puts into our hands. (Stott)
12. He Surrounds our Prayers
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Bruce: “‘Praying in the Spirit’ means praying under the Spirit’s influence and with his assistance.”
Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Stott: “Without prayer we are much to feeble and flabby to stand against the might of the forces of evil.”
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit brings life, unity, strength, and direction to the body of Christ. Are you allowing Him to guide, empower, and transform you?
2. Scott Bayles: “we will only experience the unity of the Spirit when we welcome the…Spirit into our lives, acknowledge the presence of the Spirit in the lives of every believer, and use the presents of the Spirit to serve one another and build up the body of Christ.”
3. The Holy Spirit is for every believer (Acts 2:38-39 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”)
4. If you want to receive the gift of the Spirit today, I’d love to pray with you. Come talk with me after service—or come forward now as we stand and sing.
___________________
To watch videos of sermons from Forsythe Church of Christ:
https://www.youtube.com/ForsytheChurchofChrist
Our church website is http://facoc.org
Forsythe Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3T2VA3IW7IRDB
To receive sermon notes in your email inbox, subscribe here:
https://forsythesermons.substack.com/
To receive John Dobbs’ newsletter with photographs, books, Christian thoughts, and miscellany, Subscribe Here:
https://johndobbs.substack.com
To receive a daily picture, passage, prayer, subscribe here:
https://holylens.substack.com/
John Dobbs is the author of several books. Find them on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-E.-Dobbs/author/B0CZLPDWHL
___________________
Discussion Questions
1. When you think about the Holy Spirit, what emotions or thoughts come to mind? How has your understanding of the Spirit changed over time?
2. What does it mean to be “marked with a seal” by the Spirit? How does that affect your sense of identity in Christ? Ephesians 1:13
3. According to Ephesians 1:17-18, the Spirit gives wisdom and revelation. Can you share a time when the Spirit helped you understand God more deeply?
4. Ephesians 3:16 speaks of being “strengthened with power through His Spirit.” What do you think it means to be strengthened “in your inner being”? What does that look like in real life?
5. What does it mean to “grieve” the Holy Spirit? Can you think of attitudes or actions that do this? What does this mean for how we view spiritual unity in the church? Ephesians 4:3
6. According to Ephesians 5:18, we are to be “filled with the Spirit.” How is being filled with the Spirit different from simply believing in Jesus?
7. Ephesians 6:17 calls Scripture “the sword of the Spirit.” How does the Spirit use the Word of God in spiritual battle? What are some ways we can train ourselves to wield this “sword” better?
8. What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18)? What does “praying in the Spirit” mean to you? How might your prayer life change if you leaned more into that kind of praying?
9. What are some ways the presence of the Holy Spirit should affect how we treat other believers? How does the Spirit promote unity among us?
___________________________
“What we need is not more learning, not more eloquence, not more persuasion, not more organization, but more power from the Holy Spirit.” - John Stott
___________________________
Resources
One: Unity in the Spirit - sermon series by Scott Bayles https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/one-unity-in-the-spirit-sermon-series-from-scott-bayles-23779
There Is One - sermon series by Roger Hasselquist
https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/there-is-one-sermon-series-from-roger-hasselquist-23269
Seven Ones Equal Unity - sermon series by David Owens https://sermoncentral.com/sermon-series/7-ones-equal-unity-sermon-series-from-david-owens-23678
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. Eerdmans, 1984.
Fox, Michael. Complete in Christ. Xulon Press, 2007.
Liefeld, Walter L. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Ephesians. InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Stott, John. the Bible Speaks Today: The Message of Ephesians. InterVarsity Press, 1979.
