The High Call of Unity
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Since we’ve been in this series and have journeyed through the letter to Ephesus, we’ve learned more about who we are in Christ, what that means and how it’s applied in our daily lives...
As we dive into the fourth chapter, we continue to learn how to live this life that God has put before us...
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
This isn’t the only time that Paul said something like this when he wrote the various churches.
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
There is a common thread that runs through all of these things that Paul said.
“There should be a distinction between those who follow Jesus and everyone else.”
Paul referred to it as walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Some of the things that mark followers of Jesus are:
humility
gentleness
patience
bearing with one another in love
bearing fruit in every good work
increasing in the knowledge of God
standing firm in one spirit
in unity, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel
One of the most common reoccurring charges in scripture is the charge or command to walk in unity.
It’s what Jesus prayed for in John 17.
It’s found all throughout the NT.
It’s the High Call of Unity
This morning I’m going to share three ways in which unity can be developed, applied, and practiced in our lives.
1. Unity through relationship with God
1. Unity through relationship with God
It is in our spiritual nature to operate in unity
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, urges the church to walk in this manner.
After this charge is given, Paul then qualifies the statement.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Why does he do this?
Because the charge is impossible in our strength, Paul points to the unity that is interwoven in our “spiritual DNA” as a saint, as a child of God.
Since we are filled with the Spirit of God we can live in unity with other believers.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
This is not a call to compromise truth.
How do we apply this and walk it out daily?
We realize that unity of the Spirit can only come from being submitted to the Holy Spirit.
We cannot live out of my flesh and expect to see the fruit of unity.
We lean into the grace of God to walk in unity.
We stop seeing others through the lens of our camp and instead see them through the lens of the Kingdom.
2. Unity through discipleship
2. Unity through discipleship
Unity is a mark of maturity
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
What do apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers do?
If they doing what they should be doing, they are equipping the body first and foremost through discipleship that comes from the infallible word of God.
They mentor, teach, preach, instruct, demonstrate, serve, love, edify, encourage, correct, protect and challenge the church to grow, not simply to grow in number but to grow in MATURITY!
The more mature we are as believers, the more we will walk in the unity of the faith.
Immature people LOVE to argue,
They love to cause drama.
They love to stir things up.
Maturity is marked with unity!
3. Unity expressed through family
3. Unity expressed through family
Unity advances the Kingdom and adds to its strength.
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.
This is the were unity takes action.
This is a picture of one body, with many parts, each different, but working together.
This is an example of the world-wide church but also the LOCAL CHURCH!
