The Prisoner of Christ and the Unity of the Spirit

Ephesians 3 - 4:1-6

In chapter 3, Paul closes the first half of the Book to the Ephesians. And we now see this parenthesis. The great mystery of God has now been revealed.

You now have a New Life in Christ (slide 3). You are made worthy.

And now we are about to give out of what we have, and out of what we are… We are about to work out of our salvation. We are about to do… out of the realities that we believe.

We are about to live out our faith as Christians. We are about to start walking in a worthy manner.

What have we seen so far?

(slide 4) We see who we are.

We have come to understand and to grow into the reality that we were dead in our sins and trespasses, that we were objects of divine wrath, but Christ made us alive.

By grace we have been saved, through faith in Christ. By grace, we are the saints of God; we have been reconciled to God; we have peace with God; we have been brought near to God; we are blessed with every spiritual blessing; we are chosen; we are adopted; we are redeemed through the blood/life of Christ; we have been forgiven; we now have a living hope; we are sealed by the Spirit of God; we are under the Authority of Christ; and we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works...

And it’s not like we are to read this once, nod, and move on… No, no, no… This is something that changes us and this is something that we grow in.

There is a need and a prayer to be found in chapter 3:16 (slide 5)- That we are to grow, that we are to be strengthened… Paul prayed that our inner man, our spiritual man, would grow in power… That we will be strengthened, rooted and filled… With all that God is, all that God has done, and all that we are in Christ.

There is a prayer and a great desire that Christ will dwell in the hearts of the people, that we will be rooted and grounded in love...

That we all may be able to comprehend… with all the saints… what is the breadth, length, and height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ… which surpasses knowledge… that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God...

And here is the reality: We don’t fully understand, and we will never fully grasp this love and these riches.

There is so much more to this Person than you will ever know. There is more love to discover, more grace and mercy to find, more riches to to dig through and unearth…

There are ocean depths still to be searched and there is a galaxy, and a universe that has not really been touched...

They say… only 5 percent has be known...

But there is this God… That is deeper and wider and vaster...

You will never plumb the depths or get to the ends of these riches. You will never know the fullness of God or His love…

But we can continue to grow in it… forever.

The Holy Spirit will continue to reveal and fill us with greater revelation and the fruits of it… As we ask, seek and knock...

And as we do so… The Love of God captures us, fills us, controls us, compels us, holds us… The Love of Christ motivates us and persuades us… casting out all fear.

This love takes us captive, and we becomes slaves/bond-servants to Jesus.

This love took Paul prisoner… This is what happened to Paul.

Chapter 4:1 - I, the prisoner of the Lord...

As for Paul… He lets it be known… “I am Christ’s prisoner; I am Jesus’ slave...” In light of Who Jesus is and what He has done for me… He is Master and I am His slave for life...”

Where else can I go and who else can I serve?

Who is higher and better than Jesus?

Listen Church: You are going to serve somebody. It might be you, or somebody else. It may be Satan. But you are going to serve someone...

How about serving the Maker of heaven and earth? How about serving the Creator and the Sustainer of everything? How about the One Who took my hell away, died and came back from the dead...

Do you have anyone that comes close to this Person?

This Person and His love captivates us and leads us onward… onward to live… for Him… together...

And this leads us to... unity.

Verse 1-2 - I implore/urge/beg you… out of these riches, based on these things we just talked about… I beg you to walk/live in a worthy manner… (slide 6)

In your daily life, in your daily conduct… live out of this grace and live out of this love towards one another...

Live out of what Christ has done for you…

Listen: This is not payback. We are not bartering.

“You gave me your life, I will give you mine, and we will call it even...” No, no, no… We are not doing that, and we are not earning it… no, no...

Romans 12:1-2 - We are laying down our lives as living sacrifices… We are worshipping. We are living out of these realities. We are living out of the Gospel. We are living out of love, forgiveness, and mercy…

Verse 2 - What is flowing out of the Gospel life? Humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance for one another in love...

God has made Paul a servant. God has cultivated this in him.

What has He made you? What has He made us?

The Gospel that Paul received changed his life, and now Paul is a prisoner and a servant to Christ. He is captivated and he is serving Christ and serving others...

What does the Gospel do? This is what it does: It changes us!

As Christians: We come to God on His terms, on His standards, through Christ… and then we are to act like the new persons that we are…

What do we do? See life, see people, through the eyes of God. See life and people through the grace, mercy, and love that you have received in Christ...

What is that going to produce? Humility/lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering.

1. Humility - (slide 7)To think and or to judge with lowliness of mind and heart.

I read that the Greeks and the Romans did not have a word for humility. This was foreign to their way of thinking and living. They exalted pride, like the world system always does.

This is what Satan exalts...

But to receive this Gospel and to be like Christ… You cannot even begin the Christian life without be made humble.

When we begin with a proper and right view of ourselves: I am man and not god. I am sinner, not the Savior. I am not righteous and not good… Yet Christ died for me… not because of my goodness but because of His grace… I don’t deserve anything but judgment...

All of this leads us to and keeps us in humility.

Pride leads you away from God, away from grace and mercy. Pride led Satan to exalt himself, and it continues to led his followers… Not humility.

Listen:

God has the answers. God has the power. God has the gifts to give. God has the healing. God has the ability. God has the forgiveness. God is the Refuge and Living Water. God is my Victorious Warrior…

And He humbled Himself to die for sinners...

So, who am I to be prideful?

All that I am and all that I have has been given by God… What can I boast in?

I cannot create, save, or sustain myself… I cannot make my heart beat, save my last breath, tie my shoelaces, or think my next thought… without the grace of God...

What are we left with? Humility.

This is foundational for the rest that is commanded here.

2. Now, out of humility… We can be gentle/meek with one another. We can be self-controlled and kind to one another. We can now cast off rage and vengeance.

Meekness is not weakness,it is power under control.

The wild horse and the wild lion can be mastered by the Master, and they both are still powerful. But their power is under the Master’s Control.

If you are quick to anger with someone… If you are easily irritated by people, very defensive, cutting people off, yelling at people, looking down on people and elevating yourself in conversations and actions...

I have got to ask you to do something: You have got to stop and evaluate, and reevaluate your life, and see yourself before Almighty God and the Cross of Christ...

It is not our response, “hey I need to be more gentle… I will just need to just try harder....”

No, the reality is… I am not gentle or meek because… I am prideful in this moment… I am not gentle and I am not humble… because I have forgotten the Gospel...

And I am currently… not living out of it.

And in this moment… because you are not operating out of grace, mercy, love, and humility… You are not walking in a worthy manner.

Look to the Gospel. Remember the Gospel. Walk in a worthy manner.

Lets keep it going...

3. Long-suffering/Patience - The next attitude that flows out of humility is “longsuffering, or patience.”

What is the picture here?

The Christian is putting up with and enduring negative circumstances, at home, at work, or in the church… and…

We do not give in to them in sinful ways...

Paul endured hardship, affliction, ridicule, and persecution… in order to serve His Master, King Jesus.

He did not return evil with evil...

The Christian endures hardships that come through people… How? By seeing them through the eyes of God, and loving them through the love received...

Is there a time to confront? Yes. Should we hold people accountable? Absolutely.

But we do not treat them less than image bearers of God. We do not treat them less that ourselves. We do not treat them as though we have forgotten how Jesus treated us.

That’s when we start treating people as less… When what? When we have forgotten what Christ has done for us.

How can I tell if I am being longsuffering towards someone?

Ready? Check your gentleness and kindness meter. Check your attitude and anger meter...

Are you walking in a worthy manner?

This takes us back to the humility starting point and the Gospel foundation...

We have to go back and remember… “Am I missing something? Have I forgotten something?”

Whoa… whoa… whoa...

Jesus left heaven to be hated, rejected, spat upon and then crucified… And He never returned evil for evil, and or complained to the Father.

He endured for us.

Endure hardships for Christ and for one another.

And I cannot practice patience with those for whom He died for…???

Lastly...

4. Bear with one another in love.

1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things… have fervent love for one another... for love covers or will cover a multitude of sins.

Hatred stirs up strife, sows discord, slanders, gossips, takes vengeance and so on...

Forbearing love… takes offenses, bad attitudes, slips of the tongue, and similar abuses… and continues to show kindness, gentleness, patience, and a caring attitude.

Its not that we forget… We just choose to love… and put up with one another… in continuous love...

We are all sinners who have a Savior. We are all broken, but we have a Carpenter and a Great Physician. We are all lost, hungry and thirsty, but we have the Great Shepherd and Bread of Life.

We are all looking to Him. We are all walking with Him...

And as we do so… we are all brought together.

As we look to Him and abide with Him, looking to the Cross always, and trusting in His promises continually...

We will grow in humility, gentleness, longsuffering and forbearance… together...

Will will be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

As Christians, this is a passion and a desire. This is our constant concern… To be One.

We are bound to one another. We belong to one another.

But this unity does not come from the outside of the individual’s life… It comes from the inside.

When a believing individual is faithfully walking in a worthy manner… showing off humility, gentleness, longsuffering, and forbearance towards one another… The Holy Spirit will work unity in the hearts and lives of the church.

When we are of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose… There will be a bonding effect of the Spirit, in which God’s people will connect and there will be peace.

(slide 11)

Humility gives birth to gentleness, gentleness gives birth to patience, patience gives birth to forbearing love, and all of these… preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Verse 4-6 - There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all...

And as we all look to Him, draw near to Him, serve Him, worship Him, live for Him… showing humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearing love...

We too will be One together.

There are many individuals and many churches not walking in a worthy manner.

Today is the day, to look to the Gospel and be brought back together in Christ Jesus.

You have been made worthy. Walk worthy.

The Prayer:

Oh, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that each one of us would be grounded in love… Oh that we all would grow in the love of Christ and that each one of you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us… to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever… Amen.

Close.