Unity of the Body of Christ

Intro:

Five Fingers Make a United Fist

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus. “These five fingers,” says Lucy. “Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.” “Which channel do you want?” asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, “Why can’t you guys get organized like that?”

Review:

Chapter 4 begins our transition from doctrinal to application of Paul’s letter to Ephesus. What we learn about God is now going to be zoomed in to many different applicable areas of our lives. The doctrine of God is the foundation to erecting the temple of the Lord of our lives.

1. The Individual Responsibility Towards Unity

A. THE EXHORTATION (v 1)

Ephesians 4:1 NASB95

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Paul begins with reminding the Ephesians that he is in chains, a point he has already made in the previous chapter. In chapter 3, remember that he states, that

Ephesians 3:13 NASB95

13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

Paul is reminding them that his chains are because of his faith in Christ, his stand of courage for the church, which is also part of the motif of suffering that all believers face in this earthly life. With the backdrop of the imprisonment of Paul, he instructs the church as to how they live in society and with each other. The theme of this entire chapter is unity within the body of Christ. That unity has been gifted to them as believers in Jesus and tribulations ensures that unity is necessary as they endure sufferings and hardships together.

We saw such a tribulation during the COVID phrase of history where churches were being forced to close and entire congregations were threatened by authorities if they continued to meet and worship. On other continents, church link arm in unity as they all face the danger of arrest, beatings, and even losing their lives. It fuels their unity because they, like Paul, consider it all part of God’s plan for His people.

Paul then moves to his exhortation for them. This is their individual responsibility towards the body. Every believer in Christ that belongs to a local body is a vital part of that body’s health and function. The church cannot have drifters, loafers, nor absentees. We all have a responsibility to the benefit of the body of Christ.

This Paul’s message to them in v 1. Notice with me the play on words of Paul’s exhortation or instruction. He uses some form of the GK term KALEO three times in this verse. First, he state I call you to something, which is his exhortation. Paul’s role as apostle and preacher is to take the word of God and lead God’s people to application of it. This exhortation is a calling of the church to action towards heavenly things.

What is his exhortation? To live their lives in a way that is fitting to the calling on their lives. The second and third usages of the KALEO is in reference to their identity as “those called to a calling.” Now in some points, Paul uses calling in the sense of a calling to certain function in the church. The role of apostles Paul would say the Lord Jesus called him to serve in such a way. But generally, there is the effectual call of God to all believers. This is the Lord Jesus drawing you to himself in salvation.

2 Timothy 1:9 NASB95

9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

Romans 8:30 NASB95

30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Paul then is speaking in v 1 about the effectual call of God on all believers in Jesus who belong to the church. This calling is one that compels us to live lives of holiness and godliness in relationship to the Holy Father and Holy Son and Holy Spirit who saved us. This is why Paul says that our “walk” must be worthy of the calling or fitting to the calling to salvation by the Lord.

Consider with me for a second the importance of the relationship between a nut and a bolt. The nut is machined to the exact dimensions of the threads of the bolt. With some force, you can force a nut on a bolt but it makes it unusable because it ruins the threads of these two items. But when a nut that fits a bolt is used, it serves its proper function. Those threads of the bolt interlock with the threads of the nut to create a beautiful cohesion. When Christ saves us, our new lives in Christ are fitted to the heavenly walk of Christ. Holiness fits the new man in Jesus and it is produces in his or her life because the Spirit of God lives within us. An absence of holiness reflects an absence of the Spirit.

Peter emphasized this in his letter to the churches. In 1 Peter, he looks back to the OT to remind the church they are a holy people who belong to God in salvation:

1 Peter 1:15 NASB95

15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

Application: Are you reflecting godliness and holiness as people called to new life in Christ? Do people see Christlike virtues and characteristics in you every day as a parent, as a shopper in local stores, as a taxpayer?

As you ponder these things, consider the character of the Christian life that Paul refers to. He gives us some examples to live by.

B. THE EXAMPLES (vs. 2-3)

Ephesians 4:2–3 NASB95

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Before we look at these examples, we need to see first of all that they are grouped together in pairs. Its as if Paul is focusing on the inward heart that leads to outward action. To avoid legalism, he does not command “BE GENTLE” FORBEAR WITH OTHERS” for those our outward actions without an internal reasoning behind it. Instead, he gives us the inward heart and mind change that leads to the outward action in these examples.

Also, it should be emphasized that we are responsible to act towards godliness while acknowledging the work of the Spirit in us to accomplish this. Remember last week, Paul’s prayer for the church to be strengthened in the inner man “with power in the Spirit.” What we asks of His people, he enables us to accomplish.

Therefore, the first set of examples of Godliness is humility and gentleness. The first term that Paul uses which translates as humility is the inward lowliness of the mind. This is a humble inward opinion of one’s self, whereby a person considers others more important. The opposite of humility of mind is an arrogance and pride. This humility is exhorted in Phil 2 when the church is called to have a humble mind like Christ. To be of lowly mind is to die to your own desires and pleasures of this world in order to consider others. To have such a mindset is to know the depth of sin from which the Lord Jesus has so graciously rescued you and I.

The outward response to a lowly mind is meekness or gentleness. This outward expression is one who internally is low and therefore takes the posture of the servant. This is opposite to an arrogant and dominant personality. Gentleness is one way that humility shines forth. Christ displayed such actions when he stated on the mount of olives, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” Matt 26:39

Jesus said he did not “come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many”. Mk 10:45

Consider how important humility and gentleness is for not just the everyday Christian life but especially for the unity in the church. How can we be united, if in our thoughts, we are competing against one another as parents, as teachers, as theologians? How can we be united as a church if we are not displaying a dying to self action and a general desire to serve the needs of others with care and gentleness. Humility and gentleness are necessary for unity!

Secondly, there is patience and forebearing. Paul also mentions the internal mindset of patience or longsuffering. We looked at this aspect in our study in Christ love that suffers long. In that sermon I pointed out that “Suffering long is the mental, internal discipline to withhold and stand firm from the passions that may lead us to react negatively and ungodly in dire situations. One commentator describes it as “holding out before fuming and breaking into flames” (Rogers and Rogers, 379).

Its hard to disconnect the first group from the second. With Humility of mind comes a mind that is patiently suffering long. Outward actions of gentleness are actions that forebear or bear up with the weaknesses or offenses of others. The foundation of all these inward and outward characteristics of godliness is love. The love of Christ that we were just exhorted to dwell upon, it leads to acts of love flowing from humility and gentleness. To forebear is not to simply overlook an offense but to overlook and continue a outflow of love and kindness to another.

This was obviously a great concern for Paul to see these characteristics demonstrated with two cultures now making up one body of Christ. Think about fellowship meals with former Jews and Gentiles. Some foods alone could be offensive and stumbling blocks. This required patience, bearing with one another when offended, being reminded of the work of Christ to save sinners and display humility as Lord over all.

The last phrase in v 3 is a personal commitment to unity in the body. It was the group now as one unit who must be eager to see unity thrive among the church. I prefer the translation EAGER TO GUARD the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

To be eager is to be determined towards something and to stop at nothing until its accomplished. This is accomplished when Christians do not allow derogative conversations to continue for the sake of church unity. This is accomplished when sin in the church is not covered up but exposed and dealt with biblically. This eagerness projects itself into uncomfortable situations because unity in the church matters. Why- because believers in Christ are eager to guard or preserve unity because the Spirit leads us and our bonds of peace bind us to it. Notice Paul links us back to his prisoner reference in v 1 to all of us being shackled to peace with God and peace with one another. We are prisoners of peace because of Jesus so let us live like it with each other in the church.

How are you promoting or discouraging peace and unity in the church? Are you like a guard on patrol making sure that Christ is honored among God’s people? Are you doing so with Characteristics of Christ in you?

2. The Corporate Identity of Unity

Ephesians 4:4–7 NASB95

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Paul’s second point is about oneness or unity is the identity of the church. It is vital to stress such a truth to an already divided culture. He gives 7 statements regarding the oneness or unity of God’s people.

A. ONE BODY

The Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians were being told by Paul “get over your preferences and traditions and unify together under Christ. You are now called to one body. On a macro level, there is the ongoing sin of disunity prevalent in the universal church when we divide up by nationality, skin color, or economic status. We have cowboy churches, we have hispanic churches, we have video gamer churches. When we lump together people by commonality, we are actually excluding others who are not like them.

Welcome to the First baptist, evangelical-free, pre-trib, pre-millienial, paleo-friendly, decaf, AI assisted church of Bartlett.

On a micro level, we also dispel unity when we divide up the local church into categories. We have early service for those who like black coffee and hymns and want to miss the crowds at Cracker Barrel for lunch. Then we have second service for those who prefer a little more creamer in their coffee, a blend of the old and new worship songs, and video media used in the sermon.

When we divide up the body according to preferences we are communicating disunity. None of these people are being asked to sacrifice their preferences, die to themselves in order to love and care for others.

B. ONE SPIRIT

The Second example one is simple. We are all called to salvation and inclusion into the body of Christ by the one Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He is not talking a unified mindset among the people. He is talking about God moving a working through the third person of the Trinity to bring us to Christ. Therefore, when the work of the Spirit brings us into one body, that same Spirit will work through us to be unified. He qualifies this truth with our third component…

C. ONE HOPE OF CALLING

Because of the Spirit’s work in the church we are all sharing in the one hope of our calling. Again, our calling is salvation in Christ and we all circle around the hope we find in him. This means our hopes are not on different earthly measures in the church. We rally around the one hope of Jesus who promises to save and sanctify and keep his people til the end. In our unity, we exhort one another to have confidence in Christ and Christ alone, not other worldly temptations. If you hope is your finances, then the unified church comes together to help you focus again on Christ. The Structure of these first three form a triad, three connected ideas surrounding the work of the Spirit.

D. ONE LORD

The second triad of these verses, centers on the Lord Jesus. He is the only Lord and there can be no other. As Lord, this means that the allegiance of all the church, local and universal, should be submitted to him. Paul already said in Eph 1:22-23

Ephesians 1:22–23 NASB95

22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The Church across the globe belongs to Christ as his body and we live under his authority and leadership. This was extremely important confession for the church of the Roman era. For a time, Diocletian, who rule Rome, forced Christians to confess Caesar is Lord every Sunday. When they rejected due to conviction of having one Lord, they were persecuted.

1 Timothy 2:5–6 NASB95

5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

E. ONE FAITH

We are bound to this Lord by one faith. Much like our one hope, our one faith is a faith in the finished work of Christ. If Christ is the focus of this second triad of components, it is faith by which we unite together as one body. We all express and possess the same faith. There is not multiple ways to have faith.

What I love about the church is that we all have different stories of how Christ brought us to faith, but we all have the same faith. Its the point in which our diversity becomes unified. We might even differ in degrees of applicable faith and yet it all begins

F. ONE BAPTISM

The final component of this second triad is the application of our faith. Baptism is necessary in church membership because it is the outward proclamation of the inward faith we have in Christ. With our common baptism, we all confess that our sin has been put to death and our new life in Christ rests in Jesus alone.

Colossians 2:12 NASB95

12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

G. ONE FATHER

The final component is the summary to this creed or confession by Paul. It completes the confession of the unified church by highlighting the Trinitarian worship of God. Paul mentions the Father, Son and Spirit as the God as the subject of Christian worship. We see through the lens of the Trinity a unified godhead being one God in Three Persons. All three persons of the Godhead serve as the display of unity for the church. It is by their unity in the Godhead that we are led to unity as a body of believers, in the Son. Therefore the final