Preserve Unity!
Ephesians 4:1-16
Focus: God calls Christians to live a life worthy of their calling by preserving the unity of the Spirit among
Christians.
Function: To challenge Christians’ selfish tendencies towards division and strife& to re-examine how
fervently we are striving for unity.
How many of you are the “only child” in your family? Life for me had been wonderful!
I had two loving parents whose lives seemed to revolve around me; whose only aim in life seemed to be to
keep me happy. I had grandparents who spoiled me rotten– that’s what Grandparents do, my mother now
tells me. The house was all mine! My room was all mine. The toys were all mine! I was the center of the
universe! And things were good.. . . and then the most awful & unexpected thing happened!
On a cold January morning when I was five years old, my Mom & Dad came to pick me up where I had
spent the night at my grandparent’s house and introduced me (for the first time) to Debbie . . . my new
baby sister! I didn’t realize at first what happened. I was happy to meet her- she seemed harmless
enough. But I soon came to realize that my previous way of life was in jeopardy. Now, instead of having
everyone’s full attention all the time, I would have to share it with my new sister. And I really couldn’t see
what all the fuss was about– she couldn’t do very much. She couldn’t run around, play ball, couldn’t do
anything but fuss & cry all the time. As she grew though, you might have expected things to improve, but
they only got worse! Before she could even walk- she was following me around the house– wherever I
went! When I’d want to go outside and play, Mom would want me to take her with me? She had toys of
her own, but what she really wanted was to play with mine all the time. She never respected my privacy
and she just assumed that if something was mine- it was hers, too. But that didn’t quite seem fair, because
her toys were all girl toys (dolls & stuff) and so I couldn’t really play with her stuff. Cat fights & squabbles
became a routine event at our house with my Mom playing referee all the time. And again, it just wasn’t
fair- there was no way for me to win a fight. When my sister got mad she would come at me with arms
flailing, but I couldn’t really fight back- partly because she was five years younger than me and partly
because she was a girl. So, she’d dig her fingernails into me or punch me with her little fists and all I could
do would be to hold her down on the ground until she gave up . . . or Mom came in and broke up the fight.
Why is it often so difficult for brothers and sisters to get along?
There’s just something about being family that makes it tough for us to get along with each other
sometimes. That’s true for spiritual families, too, isn’t it? Often, Christian brothers and sisters squabble,
fuss & fight . . . and usually over the most trivial of matters. Why is it that we just sometimes have a tough
time getting along as family?
Well, if you’re visiting this morning, we are right in the middle of a study of the book of Ephesians. Paul is
writing to the Christians at Ephesus to encourage them to BE the CHURCH that God wants them to be!
The church is family, members of God’s household together. They have been ‘blessed with every spiritual
blessing in Christ’ and been given the power from God to change their lives– they have gone from life ‘in
the world’ to life ‘in Christ’ and that has made all the difference! He has shown them the purpose of the
church; ‘that the manifold wisdom of God should be revealed to the world.’ and (as we talked about last
week) it all hinges on whether or not you know the love of God in Christ Jesus (3:14-21). And in today’s
text, he turns towards what all of this means for individual Christians . . . the ethical section/ the “So What”
part of his letter.
Eph 4:1-16
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Paul is languishing under Roman guard in prison; from where he writes many of his letters. He regards
himself as a prisoner ‘for the sake of Christ’ and he’s continuing his work of ministry EVEN under difficult
circumstances. Vs. 1 stands as an introduction to this entire section– He’s still going to talk about the
church and will continue building a theology of the church (so to speak), but his primary emphasis in Chpt.
4-6 are going to be on holy living . . . on living the Christian life. He calls us to “walk worthy”; to live our
lives in such a way that is reflective of this call of God that he has given us. He has saved us. We are
Christians . . . so ACT like it, he says! Well, how?
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The very FIRST thing Paul mentions towards this ‘holy living’ is unity among believers.
Paul says, I want you to walk worthy of your calling by PURSUING UNITY!
Oh, but that’s SO difficult today! We all love the idea of unity . . . but its really hard to practice. We
remember Jesus’ prayer in John 17 where he prays for unity among believers who would come after him.
He prays, " 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so
that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21 NIV) God’s plan was that all believers would be
ONE! Unified! It was never his design that when someone says, “I’m a Christian” we’d have to ask “what
kind?” Denominations are certainly NOT what God intended! And it seems a crying shame that so many
throughout the world CLAIM to serve the same Lord and yet cannot work with one another. Its even more
shameful (in my opinion) that many in churches of Christ cannot get along with one another. Jesus’ prayer
may explain why we’ve not been as successful at evangelism as we’d like: we can’t get along with one
another, so what kind of testimony is that to the world? How we need to understand and have that unity of
Spirit and bond of peace today!!! But how can we get it?
By what means should we seek unity? I suppose there are at least three options . . .
1. Sociological factors
This is where we try to gather folks into the church who pretty well are just like us. They look like us, talk
like us, walk like us. Etc. That way there won’t be any disagreements. We’re all from the same culture; the
similar backgrounds; interested in the same things. And you just MIGHT be able to get a homogenous
enough group to have some sort of ‘unity.’ But, folks, that’s NOT Biblical unity . . . that’s unnatural
uniformity! God created each of us different and unique and (I believe) for a purpose. In fact, I’d suggest
that trying to achieve unity on this basis is sinful! God calls all kinds of people from all kinds of different
cultures and all kinds of different backgrounds into his Kingdom. To not recognize that fact is to go against
the will of God! The biggest challenge in the 1st century church perhaps was in getting Jewish Christians
and Gentile Christians to come together . . . but they did! They worshiped together, ate together and loved
one another.
Gal 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.(NIV)
2. Doctrinal opinions
This is where we only accept folks who agree with us on all of the important ‘issues’-- the problem is in
getting folks to agree on what those fundamental ‘issues’ are. Do we have to agree on every issue in order
to have unity? Then we’d have a lot of churches of one! If not, on how many of them must we agree in
order to have unity? Does the fact that we disagree on even one of them mean that we must break
fellowship? Well, you say, let’s just go by the Bible and do what it says- then we can have unity on what
the Bible says. Okay, I agree with you, but let’s at least admit that it’s a lot harder than we would like to
think it is. For example: I believe it is wise to pool our resources together with other churches to sponsor a
missionary in the field. You might strongly believe that would be wrong- that a missionary needs to be
under one church or one Eldership. Does the fact that we disagree mean that we must break off our unity?
Or you might think that because Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper by taking ‘a cup’ that we need to only
use one cup today in the assembly- just pass it around as is the practice of some churches. I don’t think
that example is particularly binding on us today- the point is in remembering Jesus and partaking together-
NOT on the cup. If we disagree over this issue, can’t we still find some way to worship together? You see
how difficult trying to achieve unity on this basis can be?
3. What Paul calls us to in this text is unity based on Theological fact.
4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one
Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
I. Unity should be motivated by Theological Oneness
By that I mean, b/c there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism! That’s the way God
designed it! That’s the way it is! God is one! Jesus is one with God! They are one with the Spirit! And if
we’re to be one with them, we are to be one with each other! For example, my sister and I are vastly
different - in fact we’re nothing alike. She was the athlete in the family. I would just as soon sit at home
and read a book. She is extremely competitive. When I got out in the neighborhood for a round of
kickball, I just wanted to have fun. I didn’t care who won. We’re different- but we’re family- we’re brother &
sister NOT because we’re alike, but because we have the same FATHER! You and I are brother & sister,
not because we’re alike or even think the same on the same things, but because we have the same
Father! If people have the same Lord, believe the same gospel, have experienced the same reality of
being baptized into the same Christ, should they not live out this same unity? The Bible says so. Wouldn’t
it be a sin not to?
II. Towards Unity, each person has a part to play!
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: "When he
ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." 9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that
he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than
all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
God has given each of us gifts– that’s the point of another one of Paul’s ‘asides’ here in vs. 8-10. The God
who ‘descended’ to this world in the form of Jesus, taking on the very nature of man in the flesh is the
same Jesus who ‘ascended’ back into the heavens after his resurrection from the dead– this all powerful &
mighty God has given gifts to men. And at least some of these ‘gifts’ include the roles of apostleship,
preaching, evangelism, shepherding and teaching. We shouldn’t get too hung up on this list- Paul doesn’t
claim that its an exhaustive list– there are certainly a number of other gifts he gives Christians and a
number of other roles in his church (like deacon) that aren’t mentioned. But its good to be encouraged that
we ALL have a part to play in the work of the church! Too many times the impression some churches give
is that people come, listen to a preacher and do little else. Their picture of the body of Christ must be one
big mouth with a lot of little ears! But his point is to emphasize that all of these different functions (or body
parts) all work together for the common goal . . .
III. The Common Goal: For the Building Up of the Body
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and
there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the
whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part
does its work. (NIV)
You’ve been given a gift, a talent, an ability that not everybody has! And God’s given it to you for a
reason– for the building up of His body, the church. How are you using what God has given you for the
kingdom? Are you using it to build up or tear down? Or (maybe worse) are you not using it at all? The
using of our gifts towards the building up of the church helps us to mature- that’s the point in vs. 14. We
will “Grow Up” more and more into the fullness of Christ. Notice the fundamental characteristic present in
vss. 15-16 . . . LOVE! Love is the key to achieving Biblical unity!
Conclusion: See, I don’t think the problem is that we are so much unalike that we just can’t achieve unity. And I don’t think the problem is so much that we just can’t get in agreement on the ‘issues.’ I think the problem is a heart problem . . .
Do we really value unity in the church like Jesus did?
If so, why do we tend to focus on our differences rather than on commonalities? Do you do that in your
families? Do you pray for unity like Jesus did? Do you even really want unity?
Every family has squabbles and disagreements, right? Not every family is even alike? Right there in your
own family you might have Republicans & Democrats, obnoxious TN Vol fans & fanatic Alabama
supporters, those in a higher tax bracket and those in a lower . . . but you all still sit down at the same table at Thanksgiving and eat together, don’t you? You’re still family, right? Why? Because you love one
another! Love is present FIRST- and you know THAT whenever you disagree or fuss. And because there
is love, you can still sit down at the end of the day and enjoy just being family . . . even if you have to agree
to disagree on some things.
Why, in the family of God, do we allow fusses and honest disagreements to divide us so bitterly? Could it
be that there was never really LOVE there to begin with? I told you last week when we talked about the
love of God, that if we didn’t know that love- we wouldn’t understand the rest of the letter. This is what I
meant . . .
The kind of love God has for us is the kind of love that we’re to have for God and for each other! It’s the
kind of love that goes out of its way for someone else. It’s the kind of love that rejoices with someone else
over their celebrations. It’s the kind of love that bears itself out in action. It’s the kind of love that
demonstrates self-sacrifice. And it’s the kind of love that is unconditional- that says, regardless of what
you do, I’m going to love you- whatever it takes!
Folks, that’s a challenge for the church today! I’m not sure we exhibit this kind of love for our brethren! In
fact, I’m sure we don’t always!
Do we “bear with one another” as Paul says in vs. 2? In other words, do we “cut each other some
slack?” Do we “give each other a break?; the benefit of the doubt?” A more appropriate and accurate
translation of vs. 2 may be, “putting up with each other in love.” Sometimes its difficult to ‘put up with each
other’, but that’s exactly what God calls us to do!
Do we really “make every effort” to demonstrate this unity? In other words, “are we zealous” for
unity? Do we “strive for it?” Are we “working at it?” What kind of priority is it in our Christian walk? Too
often instead of ‘making every effort’ we sacrifice it at the first sign of disagreement. We jettison it at the
first airing of differences! Do we value differences over unity or over people? Isn’t there something about
us that wants to set ourselves apart from others? Isn’t this a form of egotism? Disunity originates in pride!
Are you ready for the test: this is the “Heart Test” for unity What is your initial response to the proposal:
“What if all believers did truly become one?”
“Praise God?” or “Ohh, I’m not sure it’ll work!” or “Ohh, there’s some I really don’t want to be one with.” I’d
suggest that if you’re reaction was more like the second– then there’s something in your heart that is
standing in the way of your pursuing unity among Christians. What is it? You need to get it out of your
heart today so that you can get your heart right with God!
Well, again I’ll suggest that if you don’t know the love of God, you’ve had a difficult time understanding how
we might even want to get along with one another. You need to know that love that surpasses
understanding!
God loves you so much he sent his Son to die for you. Won’t you accept that love this morning? Won’t
you commit your life to him this morning? How can we encourage you . . . as we sing this invitation song?
