The Unity

We have been going through the book of Ephesians.

Dr. Monroe titled the general title for the series as Our Great Salvation. And we've been going through the epistle of Ephesians chapter by chapter. Dr. Monroe preached on the plan of salvation and the power from chapter 1. And then he preached on the riches from chapter 2 verses 1 to 10. And then last week Pastor Pyle preached on the reconciliation, the latter portion of chapter 2.

And then Pastor Reeves, he preached on the mystery in chapter 3. And this morning Pastor Pierce preached the love from chapter 3 verses 14 to 21. Tonight we will look at the unity in chapter 4 verses 1 to 6. Now in chapters 1 to 3, the Apostle Paul explained the glorious truth of our great salvation, the reconciliation between man and God, and the reconciliation between men. In the light of this great salvation, in chapter 4 verses 1 to 6, Apostle Paul is going to tell us how to live our life in this world. So in chapter 4 verses 1 to 6, Paul explains how believers must live in the light of this great salvation.

So how must we live? We must walk in the unity of the Spirit. So let's read Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 6. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Verse 4, there is one body, one spirit, just as you were called into the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

What an incredible passage. So how must believers live in the light of this great salvation? We must live in unity. We must walk in unity. So first, the exhortation to walk in the unity of the Spirit. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, Paul says. One of the themes in the book of Ephesians is the idea of a spiritual walk. It is a picture that Paul uses to describe our manner of life. How are we to live in this world? It first appears in chapter 2 verse 2 where he describes how we used to live before salvation.

We used to live reflecting the world, following the patterns of the world. Later in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, he tells us about a new walk, the new manner of life, reflecting our new regeneration and the transformed life in Christ Jesus. Paul says we are created in Christ Jesus to do the good works which he prepared in advance for us to do so that we may walk in them.

Not like the world, but in a new way, specifically designed for those who are in Christ to ultimately reflect the one and only triune God. So in Ephesians 4 verse 1, Paul exhorts all believers to take this walk seriously. He says I urge you, we have to take this walk, we must take this new way of life seriously.

We must live this new manner of life. Later in chapter 4 verse 17, Paul would say do not walk like the Gentiles. And then later he would say we must walk in love. We must walk as children of light.

And in wisdom, we read that in chapter 5. But why should we take this walk seriously? He says I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Why should we take this call seriously? We should take this call seriously because we are called into it. Notice what Paul says.

He says we were called into it. Walk in a manner worthy of the calling. Our manner of life must match the calling into which we were called.

Now what calling is he referring to here? He is referring to the great salvation that had been explained in chapters 1 to 3. Now see we are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sealed by the Holy Spirit. Not because of what we did or we have done or we will do.

It is because of His love. And through this salvation, get this. Through this salvation, we are given a new identity individually and corporately. Individually, we all were spiritually dead, children of wrath, chapter 2 says. But in Christ, that identity changes. Now we are children of God. And we say hallelujah.

But there is more. There is a new identity corporately too. So corporately speaking, before Christ died on the cross and created the reconciliation, brought reconciliation to us, there were two groups of people. The Jews and the Gentiles. We read about that in the early chapters of Ephesians. Two rival groups who took their identity from the group to which they belonged. Not from Christ, not from God, but the group to which they belonged. But now in Christ Jesus, the scripture says there is no Jew, there is no Gentile, there is no American, there is no Indian, there is no Asian, there is no African, there is no male, there is no female, there is no free, there is no slave.

Might I add, there are no Republicans, there are no Democrats. But far beyond all that, we are given a much far superior identity, members of the body of Christ, the church. We are given that new identity. And this united church becomes the model of reconciliation, model of unity manifesting the manifold wisdom of God for the whole of creation. That is what Pastor Reeves preached about when he talked about mystery. Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known. This united church becomes the model of reconciliation. The church shows the world what it means to be reconciled to God and to one another. The church shows the world that wages war regularly with each other, what it means to have unity. The church is called to prove to the world that unity is possible among diverse people groups, not through our schemes and plans and policies, but by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, since we are called into this high and holy calling to demonstrate to the world that the unity that the Lord procured for us, we must walk in a manner that matches this calling. But the question is, okay, how do we do that? Well, Paul is going to explain to us about that.

How do we do that? We maintain the peaceful unity in the local church. Paul gives us three attitudes and two actions that we must have to preserve the unity. The three attitudes and the two actions. The second is the attitudes and the actions that preserve the unity of the Spirit. In the three unity, the first one is humility. Look at what Paul says, a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience. It is no surprise that the first in the list is humility.

Why do I say that? Earlier Paul did say, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. It is God who does the calling. Now we did not decide one day to come to Christ and start building the church for Him as if we are doing Him a favor.

No, He calls us into it. He called us into it not because we are worthy, but because of His grace in spite of our unworthiness. We are saved, not as a result of works that no one may boast. Now see, we don't have any reasons to boast in terms of our salvation and our membership in the body of Christ. It is a privilege to be part of the church, a privilege to be part of the church. Our response, humility, not only toward God, but also toward one another.

But the question is, okay, what does it look like? What does it mean to walk in humility with each other? What does that mean? Let's look at what humility is not. Then we will look at the supreme example of humility. So first, what humility is not. I am taking this from the spiritual formation curriculum at Dallas Theological Seminary. I think it explains the attitude, the negative attitude, which displays what humility is not.

Does that make sense? The first one, expecting others to treat us like gods. I exist to be served, you exist to serve me. Consumerism mindset. Acting as if we are better, further advanced, or more virtuous.

Oh, I'm better than you. That's what humility is not. Judging others harshly for the faults that we ourselves possess. Refusing to receive correction, guidance from our community and unwilling to make amends.

Who are you to correct me? That type of attitude. Having to be the only one who has a credible idea or a plan. You know, I've done all my research. I know, I know much better than you and my plan is this, my opinion is this. If you don't take my opinion and my plans, you are going down the drains. That type of attitude.

I'm the only one who has a credible plan, idea. Saying or behaving like our custom, race, culture, let me add, political persuasion are superior to others. Being legends in our own minds.

Oh, I'm great, I have so many gifts, I have all these talents, you don't know how good I am. I'm a big deal kind of attitude. That's not what humility is. But our supreme example for humility is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, isn't he? Although he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God something to be grasped, held onto, made a big deal about. He existed in such glistening glory and magnificent beauty and infinite power. He had all the reasons for all of creation to bow down before him and worship him for eternity.

He had all the reasons for that. Yet, he humbled himself, took the form of a servant. He came down to this filthy earth and then on that night when he was betrayed, he got up from the seat of honor, stooped down.

Before that, he wrapped that towel around his waist, stooped down, looked at the smelly feet of those unworthy men, washed their feet. This is our Lord. He didn't stop there, then he laid his life down on the cross to die for sinful, depraved, unthankful, ungrateful, unworthy people like us. This is our head.

He is our example. The church is this Jesus's body. When we come to his body, yes, the first attitude that we need to have is that of humility.

Listen to the Lord himself. He says in John chapter 13 verse 14, If I, then your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. That is humility. Is that our attitude toward one another? One that of humility? Willing to wash the feet of another? Willing to serve even if they are unworthy of any grace?

At least in our mind. Is that the attitude that we have when we come to the body of Christ? Willing to be a servant of all.

One of my friends back in India, he said this. Do you want to know what it means to be a servant? Let someone treat you like one. Humility. The next attitude is gentleness. With all humility and gentleness.

And then the third one is patience. Gentleness is also listed as the fruit, one of the aspects of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians chapter 5. Gentleness is the opposite of being harsh or rude. It is being considerate, showing courtesy. Several scholars, several commentators, they define gentleness as strength under control.

Not coming down with a heavy hand. Now see, gentleness is not weakness. The most powerful person in the entire universe said this. Come learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly.

The Old Testament describes him this way. He did not break a bruised reed. He did not quench, snuff out a smoldering wick. You know, our tendency when we see a lamb which is about to go out, a wick that is about to go out, is to just to kill it. And I see my girls do that all the time. When we light this candle in the room and the one which is about to go out, my younger one comes.

That's generally our tendency. But this is not what Lord Jesus does. He doesn't snuff it out. He comes gently, protects the wick, so that can burn brighter. A gentle person never looks at a weak or struggling person with contempt. Our third attitude is patience. Patience is also listed among the fruit of the Spirit. Patience is defined as a state of being able to bear up under provocation. Are we patient with one another?

Are we gentle with one another? In 2006, I developed a passion for playing drums. So I picked up drum sticks, both of them, and I practiced as many days as I could in a week. Now, one of the members of the church that I used to attend back in India had a music ministry where he took young musicians, discipled them, took them under his wings.

Trained them to play in a band and he would send them out to help church plants in South India. So I came to know about him. I saw him one day and I went up to him and I said, I want to join your band. I can be a drummer for you. And he said, no. Then I started pestering him for the next three or four months.

Every single time I see him, I'm practicing drums. I think I can play drums for your band. Would you take me? He said no. After more persuasion and much more pestering, he decided to give me a chance.

Okay, fine. Come and play. So in 2006, I got the opportunity to play drums for an opening set.

I don't know all those musicians out there. Opening set, to play in an opening set for a concert is a big deal. So I was given the opportunity to play for the opening set for the 2006 Christmas concert.

A lot of people come in for the church. It was a ministry. And this was a face melt drum entrance and a very cool song. And I was so proud of myself that I practiced really well and I can do it. And on the day of the concert, I started counting one, two, three. And I completely forgot what the beat was.

And by the count four, I lost my place. I did not know what I was doing, but I had to play. So I played, but I started the wrong beat.

It was so bad that my mentor, he was the lead guitarist of the band. He turned around and he said, I think the drummer got off the wrong foot. So he had to restart the song. Can you imagine doing Calvary Church concert and then the first song, sorry, we got off the wrong foot. We need to restart that song.

And that's what happened. I was so embarrassed, angry and so sad that I didn't realize that I ended the song a measure sooner than the rest of the band members. So the bass player leaned over me and said, you got to wait for us, you know.

I thought he was just going to be furious. He was just going to catch me by my neck and throw me out of the band and then out of the church later. But he never put me down.

He never did that. He never made fun of me. And most surprisingly, he invited me again to play as a drummer, play drums in his band. And we did several worship concerts together. He gently corrected me when I was full of myself.

He patiently taught me what it means to worship the Lord over the next few years. He was humble enough to not say, how dare you destroy such a great ministry. How dare you do that. You spoil my name. You spoil ministry. You are a hindrance to ministry.

Get out. No, it was not about him. It was about the ministry. It was about the body of Christ. Every believer is called to walk with all humility, gentleness and patience because these attitudes will preserve the unity visibly in the church. But there are there may be some here who might say, well, you have no idea how difficult it is to deal with that person.

Or you have no clue what it is like to be around that individual or that particular group or that particular generation. Well, look at what Paul says. With all humility and gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. These are the two participles in the verse. Present participle, which means that you have to continue doing that.

The first one is bearing with one another in love. This means to endure even under pressure, even when you don't feel like it. To tolerate, not to give up loving each other, to put up with each other, however annoying that that person is. That takes the Holy Spirit, by the way. In Colossians, Paul would go further to say, if you have any complaints against each other, forgive them. Because the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive one another. Are you frustrated with slow spiritual growth of a fellow believer, a brother or a sister? Are you aggravated with someone because they don't have the same passion for politics or sports as you do?

Does it annoy you to see a brother or a sister in Christ who does not dress, eat, speak the same way you do? Paul says, bear with one another in love. The second action that Paul would tell us is to make every effort to keep the unity. Now the Greek word there for eager is a verb that means to be diligent, to make every effort to do your best. It is not a passive action, it is an active action.

You have to go forward to do that. You don't just sit back and wait for that to happen. No, you make every effort to maintain the peace. If you see something that hinders the peace or the unity of the Spirit, you intervene, you step in and you make peace. You maintain the unity. Now also notice here the unity is not something that we create. Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. It has already been created for us by the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

We read that in chapter 2. What are we called to do? Make every effort, be diligent, be eager, be intentional and make it a priority to maintain the unity. What the Spirit has created in the universal church, we now live out visibly in the local church with utmost priority and diligence.

Let me say that again. What the Spirit has created in the universal church, we now live out visibly in the local church with utmost priority and diligence. And we do that in the bond of peace. Earlier Paul would say, bearing with one another in love. And the next phrase he would say, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The underlying motivation to bear with one another, to be eager to maintain peace, to be eager to maintain the unity is love.

It is not indifference. Oh, you are different from me? You know what, you can do whatever you do there, don't come on this corner of the church.

You can do whatever you want in that corner of the church, not here. No, it is love. You are different, yes, but I still love you.

You are different, yes, but you are part of us. It is this love that preserves the bond among the brothers and sisters. We as believers in Jesus Christ are urged to live in a way that reflects our great salvation and to demonstrate to the world the unity that the Lord procured for us.

How do we do that? With all humility, with gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another, even when it is difficult, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But why is this unity so important? Why does Paul make a big deal out of it? He does, by the way. This is the first thing that he says in terms of walking.

How do we walk? First, walk in the unity of the Spirit. It's very important to Paul. It is very important to the Christian faith because the Christian unity reflects the one and only triune God. The basis for Christian unity is the triune God.

And that is what Paul is going to turn to. Turn with me to verses 4 to 6. There is one body and one spirit, just as you are called to the one hope that belongs to your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. After exhorting the believers to maintain unity and explaining how to do it, Paul abruptly moves into talking about the seven elements of Christian unity.

One body. There is no Gentile church, there is no Jewish church, there is no Indian church. No, there is one body, one church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The idea of a church based exclusively on a particular people, group or culture is an anomaly.

That is why I don't get the idea of having clique groups in the church. Oh, you don't belong to us. It becomes a them and us. No, it is a we. We are the body of Christ. The one spirit. All believers in Jesus Christ are indwelt, are sealed and filled by the same Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit who regenerated me, sealed me, fill me is the same spirit who fills, who indwells, who seals, who fills every single believer in this sanctuary. And we have one hope. We are all going to the same location. We are going to the same destiny, to the Father's house. Why do we compare ourselves with each other? Why do we bicker and quarrel? We are on the same boat, so to speak. We are going the same direction.

Why do we fight and quarrel and why is that it is the case that people do try to create division in the church? But if we know that we have one hope, Paul did pray in chapter one, the eyes of their heart opened that they might understand the hope to which they were called. We have one hope. The inheritance that we have among the saints, we share the inheritance and the power available to us, those who believe. We have the same power.

One hope. And then he goes on to one Lord. This goes without any explanation. We have one head. We don't have multiple heads. We have one head.

We are different parts of the body connected to that one head. The one Lord Jesus Christ. We don't serve different masters, but we have one master, one Lord. And then he says one faith. I think this is the subjective faith in the one Lord that saved us in the first place. No one comes to Christ. No one is saved without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. No one is placed in the church without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that is what saves us in the first place. So we have one faith, one baptism. This is probably referring to the water baptism, which is symbolic of believers death to the old self and the new life in Jesus Christ. The old identity as the children of wrath is gone. The new identity in Christ, children of God has come. We have one baptism, one initiation right into the church. And then as children of God, we all have one God and one father who is over all, through all and in all. We are the family of God. Are we different?

Oh yeah, look around in the room. We are all different. But yet we are still family, the eternal family, much more important than our earthly biological family.

It is supposed to be that way. The seven elements of Christian unity mentioned here reflects the unity that there is in the Trinity. Now did you notice the triune God throughout these passages in verses four to six? God the Father chose us to become his children through his one and only son Jesus Christ. And through one baptism, which symbolizes our faith in Jesus Christ, we are in Christ, our one Lord, called into the same hope. And through the indwelling of the one Holy Spirit, we are brought into the same body. The church, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The basis of Christian unity is our triune God who saved us.

And Paul would talk about this triune God, the Trinitarian salvation in chapter one. As we walk in unity, as we do everything possible to maintain the unity of the Spirit, we reflect the unity that exists within the Trinity. The triune God calls us, he saves us and he calls us into this high calling. So we must walk in a manner that matches our calling.

How do we do that? With all humility, with gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. As we walk in unity, we reflect the unity that exists within the Trinity between the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Now isn't that what Jesus prayed in John chapter 17?

Let me read that quickly. This is John chapter 17 verse 20 and 21. This is Jesus' prayer for us. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.

He's talking about us. We who believe through the word that has been now codified in the Bible. That they may all be one, just as you Father are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us.

So that, look at this, the word may believe that you have sent me. As we walk in unity, we demonstrate to the world that unity is possible. The reconciliation that has been bought for us by the precious blood of Jesus. As we walk in unity, we reflect the unity that exists in the Trinity. Are you taking this walk seriously?

Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling. Is maintaining the unity of the Spirit important to you? Is that a priority? Or is that something you do when I want to do it? Is that a priority?

Are you serious about this walk? Peter O'Brien says, I think I have the quotation on the screen. There it is. Since the church has been designed by God to be the masterpiece of His goodness and the pattern on which the reconciled universe of the future will be modeled, church is the model of the reconciliation which is going to come in the future, and we've been designed to showcase God's masterpiece. If so, believers are expected to live in a manner consistent with this divine purpose. To keep this unity must mean to maintain it visibly. The world should be able to see that unity amongst us visibly. If the unity of the Spirit is real, and we believe it is real because the Scripture teaches us that.

Christ sacrificed broad reconciliation. The Holy Spirit creates that unity for us. So if the unity of the Spirit is real, it must be transparently evident and believers have a responsibility before God to make sure that this is so. To live in a manner which mars the unity of the Spirit is tantamount in saying that His sacrificial, Jesus' sacrificial death by which relationships with God and others have been restored is of no real consequence. If we do not live in the manner that matches our calling, then we are basically saying, I don't care what Jesus did on the cross for the body of Christ. I don't care about this unity.

That's not important to me. It is tantamount in saying the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is of no consequence. May that never be said about Calvary Church. This is my prayer for every single one here. May we be serious about this walk, just like Paul would want us to do. He urges us to do it. There's an urgency to do that, to be active, to be proactive, to bear with one another, with humility, patience, gentleness, and maintaining the unity of the Spirit.

How are you living your life? Are you living in a manner worthy of the calling? Now, I realize that there are some here who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Let me say this. Are you looking for reconciliation in the world? True reconciliation only comes through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Everybody is talking about racial reconciliation. That is possible only in Jesus Christ. That is possible only in the church.

And we have a responsibility to maintain that peace that has been given to us. So if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, please do know this. There is no salvation apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only one who can save you. He's the only one who can bring you to this body, the body of Christ.

It's an identity that the worth of that is way higher than anything else. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you. Surrender your life to Christ as the Lord leads you even today, as the Lord speaks to you.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Come to Christ. Be reconciled to God. Be reconciled to one another. Be in Christ by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And be part of this glorious body, the body of Christ.

Let me pray. Father, we thank you so much for this reconciliation that you have given to us. The reconciliation that we have with you, our Holy Father. And the reconciliation that we have with each other. And thank you so much for this new identity that you have given to us, children of the living God and members of the body of Christ.

So please, challenge us to take that seriously. That we will walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have called us. Help us to see membership of the body of Christ to be a privilege. That we will not take church flippantly. That we will be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. We pray all this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.