Therefore...

We have reached the literary HINGE POINT of this book of Ephesians. There is a distinct shift… We read in Ephesians 4:1 the opening word “THEREFORE”...

This is a very common and effective way that Paul communicates his points in his letters, a shift occurs that drives home the emphasis:.

There is an ARGUMENT and now he lays out APPLICATION

We’ve looked at the PRICIPLE now we dive into the PRACTICAL

After studying solid DOCTRINE we move to our DUTY

We have looked at what we should BELIEVE and now we will consider what our BEHAVIOR should be

As I have discussed earlier, this letter is a massive IF… THEN statement [reference slide overview]

When we look back… “therefore” we are looking at what is ahead in light of what we have learned in the first three chapters:

our adoption as God’s children (1:4–5)

the hope of our inheritance (1:11, 18)

the truth of Christ’s glorious rule (1:20–23)

the riches of God’s grace lavished on us (2:1–10)

our unity with God and each other (2:11–3:13)

the glory of the Lord’s incomprehensible love (3:14–21)

We have looked at some rich doctrine… our Our Wealth In Christ now in the second half we are challenged with Our Walk In Christ!

Warren Wiersbe summed it up well:

The Christian life is not based on ignorance but knowledge, and the better we understand Bible doctrine, the easier it is to obey Bible duties… When people say, “Don’t talk to me about doctrine—just let me live my Christian life!” they are revealing their ignorance of the way the Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer. “It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you live right” is a similar confession of ignorance. It does make a difference what you believe, because what you believe determines how you behave!

Paul says, “Therefore” and now things are going to get real… read with me verse 1

Ephesians 4:1 NLT

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Our Walk

Verse 1 is very clear that there is a calling for you and I as His children.

There is a pleading or begging coming from this apostle…

Consider it as God is stating to you and I through Paul:

He does not say “If you obey Me, I will bless you.” Rather, He says, “I have already blessed you—now, in response to My love and grace, obey Me.”

He has given us such a marvelous calling in Christ; now it is our responsibility to live up to that calling.

This “CALLING” is : urgently invite someone to accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new relationship to the one who does the calling

Called into His family into relationship with God and other believers IN CHRIST we accept the responsibilities that come with this NEW RELATIONSHIP!

Notice too we are called to “lead a life worthy or as the NASB puts it “walk in a manner worthy”

Walking worthy day by day, consistently, not at certain times, not for show, but as you go through life

I love here that Paul does not refer to himself as an Apostle, but rather as one serving and doing exactly what he is asking them to do and be!

Paul encourages them on the path they are to walk…

Ephesians 4:2 NLT

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

The Path

In Verse 2 there are five stepping stones as we consider the path you and I are called to walk… NOTICE: many of these correlate with the FRUT of the Holy Spirit. We are called to walk in the Spirit… these things reflect Him in our life, our walk… these are five things we are to “BE”

HUMBLE

Pride divides and elevates self

Humility draws people close…

Philippians 2:3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

GENTLE

Or meek… this is the opposite of self assertion, rudeness, or harshness

Scripture says a “gentle word turns away wrath” it puts cold water on a heated situation

Gentleness takes off our sharp edges, our abrasiveness (we don’t scratch others)

Yet we still deal with sin, even get angry with sin… Moses was known as the meekest of all men. Yet he got angry when Israel sinned against God. As did Jesus Christ!

PATIENT

It means exercising humility and gentleness in the company of disappointing, frustrating, and downright offensive people.

This is absolutely necessary for the church to achieve unity

It allows for us to be more comfortable with people as they learn these things too… it is really needed for the next step...

TOLERANCE

Like humility and gentleness work together so do patience and tolerance

I thought these words described it well: Patience predisposes us to endure all kinds of circumstances; tolerance helps us endure all kinds of people. Tolerant people reach out with forgiveness, understanding, and sympathy. They treat others with grace—letting them grow with Christ in different ways and at different paces. Tolerant people welcome others with a warm embrace because their hearts have been embraced by Christ

Paul is NOT speaking about being tolerant of sin or making allowances for sin… we approach people (difficult people) with the foremost of all the fruit of the Spirit offers and that is LOVE…

LOVE

Loving with no expectation in return!!!

Love looks out for others, puts others first, Love encapsules all of these things we are to “BE”

We are to be these things “because of love”… because of Christ love

This path will lead us to the destination and it can be difficult…

Ephesians 4:3 NLT

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

The Destination

Verse 3 gives a clear destination or end point for the church as a whole and YOU have a crucial role in this.

There is effort in this, it’s not easy!

“keep yourselves” this is a group effort though working together and each of you has a role...

A Christian’s conduct concerns both his personal life and his responsibility to other believers in the church.

UNITY in the SPIRIT is the destination! That is the GOAL church… so much so that our Savior would pray for it before He went to the cross for you and me!

Chapters 1-3 have shown the extent that God through His Son Jesus Christ went through for our UNITY with God and our UNITY with one another that we now have in the Holy Spirit!

Chapter 2 we learned it was Christ who Called us into His Peace… He is the One who brought Peace

It is this peace that is what BINDS us together

Sadly the church in America is more divided, fractured, disunified than any other place in the world.

We so quickly grow impatient, we exhibit arrogance, we become harsh with one another and have no tolerance for difficult people

God wanted His children, His church to be known by there Love… instead we break off the Bonds of Peace that Christ gave to pursue self.

Paul wraps up our section of verses today with a good reminder of some REAL TRUTHS we cannot ignore…

Ephesians 4:4–6 NLT

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Seven Realities

Verses 4-6 helps us see that this is not something in the future to attain to or hope for, or even something that we look back at… this is a very real and present reality. Paul list our seven realities that are true for ALL who are in relationship with Him, who are a part of His family.

1- Body with Christ as the head

2- Spirit the very Spirit of God in us

3- Hope the blessings of our inheritance

4- Lord there is no other Savior

5- Faith there is one way of Salvation (gospel Ch 1-3)

6- Baptism when the Holy Spirt seals us into God’s family

7- God there is no other God He is One!!!

It is no wonder that the destination, the goal, the striving should be for UNITY with God and UNITY with others!

Questions?...

Do you gossip?

Do you spread rumors?

Do you speak harsh, or quickly lose your patience with others?

Do you sow discord within the family?

Do you ignore the truths that unite believers?

Do you allow minor issues to divide you?

Do you only give of yourself when you get something in return?

Do you hold grudges, or let bitterness grow, or encourage resentment?

What is it that YOU need to do or change in your walk to preserve the unity?… THEREFORE…

IF… this doctrine is what we BELIEVE THEN… let’s commit to changing how we BEHAVE