Ephesians 4:1-3 (The Life of a Christian is Consistent with its calling)
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· 1 viewThe Chritian life is consisten with its calling
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Intro
Intro
God has called us to live consistent lives that are worthy because of what He has done through Christ..
Ch. 1-3 has been defined as the riches we have in Christ
Eph. Ch.1-3
Ch. 1 -The blessings of grace from God, Thanksgiving and praying for the saints.
Ch. 2- God’s power manifest into the Salvation of Gentiles and Jews, Union between Jews and Gentiles in Christ
Ch.3 The Gentiles rise from poverty from death to riches- Paul prays that there spiritual strength , God is able to answer prayers by the working of the Holy Spirit in us
The problem we face is that if we only focus on our knowledge we will lose our desire to live worthy of our calling as children of God
Revelation 2:1–4 ““To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
From Legalism to Love
I want us to take some time to listen to an article written by an individual that has evaluated his life and others lives and determined what is unconditional love
WHAT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IS
This transitory nature of conditional relationships is usually something people can only see with the passage of a sufficient amount of time. Teenagers are young and just discovering their identities, so it makes sense that they are constantly obsessed with how they measure up to others. But as the years go on, most people realize that few people stick around in their lives. And there’s probably a reason for that.
As most people age, most of them come to prioritize unconditional relationships—relationships where each person is accepted unconditionally for whoever he or she is, without additional expectations. This is called “adulthood” and it’s a mystical land that few people, regardless of their age, ever see—much less inhabit.
The trick to “growing up” is to prioritize unconditional relationships, to learn how to appreciate someone despite their flaws, mistakes, bum ideas, and to judge a partner or a friend solely based on how they treat you, not based on how you benefit from them, to see them as an end within themselves rather than a means to some other end.
Unconditional relationships are relationships where both people respect and support each other without any expectation of something in return. To put it another way, each person in the relationship is primarily valued for the relationship itself—the mutual empathy and support—not for their job, status, appearance, success, or anything else.
Unconditional relationships are the only real relationships. They cannot be shaken by the ups and downs of life. They are not altered by superficial benefits and failures. If you and I have an unconditional friendship, it doesn’t matter if I lose my job and move to another country, start playing the banjo—you and I will continue to respect and support each other. The relationship is not subjected to the coolness economy where I drop you the second you start hurting my chances to impress others. And I definitely don’t get hurt if you choose to do something with your life that I wouldn’t choose.
People with conditional relationships never learned to see the people around them in terms of anything other than the benefits they provide. That’s because they likely grew up in an environment where they were only appreciated for the benefits they provided.
Parents, as usual, are often the culprits here. But most parents are not consciously conditional towards their children (in fact, chances are they were never loved unconditionally by their parents, so they’re just doing all they know how to do). But as with all relationship skills, it starts in the family.
If dad only approved of you when you obeyed his orders, if mom only liked you when you were making good grades, if brother was only nice to you when no one else was around, these things all train you to subconsciously treat yourself as some tool for other people’s benefits.
You will then build your future relationships by molding yourself to fit other people’s needs. Not your own. You will also build your relationships by manipulating others to fit your needs rather than take care of them yourself. This is the basis for a toxic relationship.
Today through God’s word we will see that a Christians life is consistent with its calling, and by that calling we will have a greater understanding of what unconditional love is
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Who wrote this text: Paul (Prison Epistle)
Written in A.D. 62
Written to Gentile Believers
Prompted for the edification of the church
Key themes of this text- The practical living of a believer because of the riches found in Christ (previous three chapters)
Three Characteristics to living Consistent Christian Life from Ephesians 4:1-3
1. It is a Lifelong Journey 4:1
a. There is an imploring from Paul?
Urge-
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains (25.150 παρακαλέω; παράκλησις, εως) parakaleo
to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled, either by verbal or non-verbal means—‘to encourage, to console, encouragement.’
In a manner worthy
Axios- pertaining to being fitting or proper in corresponding to what should be expected—‘proper, properly, fitting, worthy of, correspond to.’
To walk- walk/live- Peripateo- behavior-traversin/ up and down
to go about doing
Of the call- Klesis- accepting the summons that is of God unto Salvation
You have been Called- Summons from God
Why is it almost seems one can be a focus on doctrinal purity.
b. What is a worthy manner, is this a warning against the power and work of Christ and taking it for granted.
Illustration- Jared and the journey
who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.
2. It is Authentic 4:2
and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Being honest with you who are- Humility, Humility leads us to understand what we are capable of if there is no humility
Sports Athletes
Once you know who you are, have a spirit of gentleness, being even tempered
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We are to to play second fiddle without complaining or perversely seeking to be commended for doing so- Alistair Begg
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;
Patience and Endure- both terms here mean longsuffering, it is given twice to ensure us that to be authentic with one another it will be will not be a quick transaction
Endure- uncomfortable
In love- here it is Love- agape- to love with strong affection, concerning love
You will have to show up!
3. It Unifies Us 4:3
In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
The reason we Love is because we trust in the work of God
The Holy Spirit is at Work
New American Standard Bible Chapter 16
5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the aHelper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.
Have we become uncomfortable with what He may be doing today
Conclusion
What has Christ done :
God’s Character Gentle and Humility seen through the life of Jesus
New American Standard Bible Chapter 2
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but aemptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and cbeing born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God’s Grace: This is good for you it is from God. Isolation is a detriment to the life of a Christian
Gospel: You are free to obey. Romans 6:6-7
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for the one who has died is freed from sin.
To love people is to bear with them, there is only one who did this bringing glory to the father… it was Jesus. So today if we are going to love others it only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. Today you can know Him and today you can make the decision today to devote you live to Him.
What are we called to do: Because of Christ we walk worthy as bear with one another in love
From this text we understand that Gentleness and Humility are necessities to bear with one another.
These two things are never removed from the life of a Christian, therefore we must begin by praying the same words David did. Yes we there are times we are in need of a reset (solution when nothing else is working)
Psalm 139:23–24 (NASB 2020)
Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Please look to Christ He has done the work we respond in obedience
Lets be honest we know when we are not being Humble, false sense of Humility
Lets be honest we know when we are being harsh and difficult
Action: We Know we are called to live consistent lives to the Calling from Christ so therefore, Daily walk worthy of your calling because of the richness of Christ, be a man and woman of humility and gentleness and do so with the love that you have known through Christ eagerly aware of the work of God and trusting Hos work is good and will only bring continual riches!
To love people is to bear with them, there is only one who did this bringing glory to the father… it was Jesus. So today if we are going to love others it only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus.
Today you can know Him and today you can make the decision today to devote you live to Him.