Ephesians 4.1-16
Delivered on Wednesday 15 October 2008 in Stockton Parish Church
Ephesians 4.1-16 - 'Unity in Christ'
Whenever you see the word 'therefore' in the Bible, your ears should prick up. It always marks a shift in focus, usually from praise or an aspect of theology to their consequences in the life of ordinary Christians.
That's what Paul is saying here. In Chapters 1-3 Paul tells us how and why we are Christians: because God chose us before the foundation of the earth, and because Jesus died for us, to forgive our sins, to lavish grace on us. Paul praises Jesus' greatness, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, above every other name. For we were dead in our sins, but Jesus died to give us new life, to lift us up, to unite us, to make one new humanity: the Church. The mystery of the ages, which God made known to us in Jesus, is that we, the Gentiles, have become heirs of the promise of life, that we have been given access to the boundless unsearchable riches of Christ. Why has God done this? For his glory, both in Christ and in us, the Church. He is at work within us by his great power. Now isn't that all absolutely amazing?
It is here that Paul says: therefore. Therefore, because of all God has done for us, because God has given us new life, Paul says, lead a life worthy of the calling you have received.
People sometimes accused Paul of saying that we could do whatever we like. Their reasoning went something like this: if God gives us life as a free gift, which we do not deserve, which we have not earned, then why not continue to sin, and then just repent afterwards?
Paul says: absolutely not. God has given us new life as a free gift, and he forgives us whenever we mess it up. But Paul tells the Colossians to live a life worthy of the calling they have received. That means humility, gentleness, patience, love and unity. Does that description sound like anyone to you? It's Jesus! God gives us new life in Jesus, and he wants us to live that life in Jesus. He gives us the Holy Spirit so we can follow Jesus, not so we can carry on as we lived before.
'Therefore, as a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.' That is Paul's introduction to the rest of the letter, as he fleshes out what it means to be given new life in Jesus, to be united in Jesus, to be the recipients of the revelation of God's mystery.
Paul begins the rest of the letter by stressing the importance of Christian unity:
'There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the 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 all.' (4.4-6)
Do you think we are united at Stockton Parish Church? Do you feel like we are all members of one body? Or are we trying to pull in different directions? Because the first implication that Paul draws from the new life we have in Christ is our unity. If you remember, that was what I spoke about two weeks ago, on the end of Chapter 2. Jesus died to unite us to one another. We have all been given the same new life, Jesus' life. On the deepest level we are all united with each other, with the Baptist Tabernacle down the road, with all Christians ever.
That is on the deepest level. But on the surface, things aren't always so good, are they. Paul admits that himself, in verse 3: 'make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.' Make every effort. He knows it's hard, but he also knows it's absolutely vital to live out the life we've been given, which includes our unity.
But the Church is not supposed to be filled with people who are all the same. How boring would that be! Notice Paul says: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one baptism, one Lord, one Father. He does not say: one kind of Christian.
In verse 8, Paul says that when Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at his Father's right hand, he gave gifts to his people. Different gifts to different people. In verse 11 he says that Jesus made some people apostles, others prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. Why? The next verse says: [read verses 12-13].
We all have to live godly lives, but God gives to each of us different gifts at different times. They aren't for our own glory, but for God's, and the building up of his people. Now I don't know what particular thing God has given you to share with the rest of us. This isn't about vicars, it's about all Christians. All of us together have to grow up, have to mature. And we can only do that by using the gifts God has given us.
Jesus knits us together, he unites us and gives us new life. Our response is to make every effort to maintain to the bond of unity, to help each other mature in the faith, to encourage and hold one another up. Pray: how can we do that every day?
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