Unity of the Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Paul is writing to Ephesians - still fighting the battle of Jews vs Gentiles..circumcised vs uncircumcised
This wasn’t a battle over the color of the carpet or which kind of coffee that they should serve...
You have the people of God, whom He called from the beginning to be the people that would proclaim the coming messiah to the whole world…
And you have the outsiders…
The jews were convinced that from their people would come the savior…with military power to redeem them…
Well they were right, but the good news of great joy was for all of the people…
So, Paul writes:
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Paul makes it clear that they were not included in Christ, they were separated from Him!
They were not citizens, no covenant, and not hope..
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Paul is saying that now they are brought near by the blood of Jesus…
The single thing that unites all christians all over the world, since the beginning, is Christ!
Sometimes, we get to bickering about things, even the things of God: communion, baptism, ministry roles, etc, that we forget that one thing unites us all…Christ Jesus!
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
So, He has taken the two groups, divided the barrier, and made them one group!
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Jesus came to both sides with the news of peace…
Note here that the reason that there is peace among them is through Christ!
This isn’t peace between the church and the works of the enemy…we are in a war as he will say later in chapter 6…
This is specifically peace among those who believe in Christ and His work on the cross!
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Remember, He is talking to Christians who have already put their faith in trust in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit.
38 Peter replied, “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.
So, it is implied that the people who He is talking to has already received the Holy Spirit!
Those who don’t know God, are drawn by the Holy Spirit, they put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross and then they receive the Holy Spirit..
The HS is the unifying piece/person that holds the body together in communion with the Father
The HS is the person who continually reminds us that we are in God’s kingdom! That we are a part of His family!
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
So the HS convicts first of sin, which draws us to repentance, then He convicts us of righteousness..
He is the one who reminds us of what Christ has done on the cross and who we are in Him!
The HS reminds us that we are in communion with the Father!
So, we together as the church, as the body, are all connected through the work that Christ did and through the HS in all of us!
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
Those who were separated, which is all of us except those who are jewish..
But are now citizens and now more than that, family!
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
The house of God is being built together by His body!
22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
So, where does God dwell?
In each and every member of His body…
So, how important is it that we are together, as the body?
We are a dwelling place for the HS!
We will jump down to chapter 4!
Paul is going to go further into what it looks like to be the Church!
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Paul tells us how to live together…through humility, gentleness, being patient and bearing with one another…
Why?…well we are a dwelling place for the HS…
And…
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
because we are united around Christ, through the HS…
We are invited into the unity of the trinity….
the word trinity literally means tri unity…
Now, we are not God, but we are called to be united with Him!
And, Paul tells us to make every effort to keep this unity!
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.
There is one!
Do you know how many religions are in the world…for sure at least 4,000….but some estimate 10,000 religions in the world…
But Paul tells us, there is one Lord!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
There might be 10,000 religions in the world, but every single person, will bow at the feet of our Lord Jesus!
Do you know how many christian denominations there are in the world?
Over 45,000!
But tells us, there is body and one baptism!
There are 2.18 billion christians on the planet! If all are true followers of Christ, all are bound together by the unity of the HS!
So, how important is it that we meet together?
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 took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 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 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip his 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 people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
So, how important is it that we are together?
How important is it that we grow together, as God’s dwelling place?
So, how are you do your part as the body of Christ?
How are you growing, and how are you helping others to grow up?
