Walk In Unity, Grow In Maturity Series

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.