Ephesians 4:1-6
Grace, mercy and peace are yours from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Eph 4:1-6 NIV) "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. {2} Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. {3} Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. {4} There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Dear Friends:
Introduction: A few years ago I walked into a church for a pastors’ meeting and my eyes were immediately drawn to a large banner hanging in the fellowship hall. It read, “Christianity! A Whole New Way Of Looking At Things!” That is the truth of the Scriptures I hope to share with you today.
When you, by God’s grace, became a Christian your view on the world changed too. Before you became a Christian you may have cared about the general welfare of others. Now that you look at the world from the viewpoint of Christianity, you see that everyone has a soul in need of salvation through faith in Christ. There are only two kinds of people when it comes right down to it – believers and unbelievers. By the peace of God, which the Holy Spirit has worked in your hearts, you are united to all believers in this world. This unity is what Paul is talking to the Ephesians about in our lesson for today. Let’s learn about this unity as we look at this theme:
Keep the Unity of the Spirit
1. Live In Peace
2. Share God’s Peace
Where the unity/peace comes from:
God has given us a wonderful gift. He has called us to be his own, and he has given us unity in the Spirit. This unity, this oneness, is not ours by birth, as though we were all from the same family, nor is it by friendship, nor even is it simply by membership in our church or Synod. No- we could all be friends, even family members, and members of the same church, and still not share in the oneness of faith in Christ.
This oneness, this unity, is a GIFT, something we have from Christ. The possession of this gift is ours already, not something we need to try to get, but it is something we are told to use and build on.
That is your starting point - whether you are the newest member here, or the one who has been here the longest - we are all united in Christ. So, let us look on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and not as strangers, or worse yet, opponents of each other.
What does God expect of us?
1. Live In Peace
View yourself humbly (Php 2:3) What is humility? Paul calls on us to be completely humble. What is he talking about? Attitude: Philippians 2:3, “In humility consider others better than yourselves.” We understand humility before God. He is all powerful, we are powerless before Him. We know that by nature we were enemies of God, subject to his wrath and punishment. We were without personal worthiness. There was nothing in us worth saving, yet, God in his LOVE saved us. God in his mercy had pity on us and redeemed us by the blood of Jesus. This amazing love fills us with humility in the presence of God.
But we are not only humble before God, we are also to be humble before each other. We know personally very little about each other’s sins but we know a lot about our own sins. This leaves no room in our hearts for a self-righteous pharisaical attitude. We will not look down on others for we are sinners too. We can take an example from the Scripture. Consider the very important Roman official, the Centurion, who came to Jesus and said, "I am not worthy to have you come into my house…." Others considered him to be important, but he did not. When we look at others, let’s look at them as important, and not ourselves.
Instead, Paul says, bear with each other patiently – Be a model of Repentance and Forgiveness. Patiently dealing with one another, with a fellow sinner redeemed by Christ, we seek repentance and forgiveness. That is what Christ preached. Repent and be saved. Forgive those who have sinned against you.
Application: Do not for an instant think this is going to be easy. It’s against what the devil, the world and our own flesh wants to do. The devil seeks the opposite of peace: discord, anger, jealousy, mistrust, dissension, self-righteousness. The world regards some people as much more important than others, and wants you to do the same. Repent and turn from these divisive ways. And your own flesh will tell you to compare yourself with others, with you always coming out looking better. Live as brothers and sisters in Christ – not as enemies Forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you.
Transition: It takes a lot of hard work to Live in peace with other Christians. It will bring a tremendous amount of joy when you Share this peace with those who don’t know Christ.
2. Share God’s Peace
One Hope. Paul says we have "one hope," and that means we who believe in Jesus all have one and the same hope - the sure hope of sins forgiven and life eternal with Jesus. Do others want this, too? Hope is something we all want. Nobody wants to look forward to tomorrow and see hopelessness.
Illustration: People searching for a sense of hope for the future by gaining a sense of belonging in the present. If I am a part of something special now I won’t be alone in the future. Sinful Traps: Gangs, Drugs, Sex outside of marriage – all in the attempt to feel loved, needed, or at peace. These things don’t lead to true peace. These things lead to despair, isolation, shame and even suicide, the ultimate hopelessness. But WE HAVE A SURE HOPE!
God’s peace brings the one true hope to our heart and soul. God’s peace erases guilt and shame for it brings forgiveness through the blood of Christ. God’s peace removes despair for we have fellowship with our loving Heavenly Father, who will never leave us or forsake us. God’s peace removes loneliness for we know that even when we are alone in our houses we are united by this bond of faith with other Christians all over the world. Even if you have no biological family to call your own, you are part of the family of believers on earth and in heaven. Your fellow Christians are there to share your joys and sorrows.
There is only one way into this one hope that trusts in the one and only Lord Jesus Christ and that is through one faith and one baptism. That is why Paul stresses the importance of faithfully and accurately sharing the Word of Peace with all people.
This is the tool we have been given to work with to SHARE PEACE with others. Our chief tool in getting the job done is the Word of God we have been given. Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive the sins of all people. Believe in his name! His name brings peace and life to your heart and soul. We are visibly reminded of that forgiveness when someone is baptized. Baptism, God says, washes away sin and gives new life. One baptism, one faith and one Lord. There is only one God and he is over all and in all and through all.
Application: Every person you meet on the street, at work, in school, on the golf course – anywhere – fits into this group. God has loved EVERYONE. Jesus died for EVERYONE. Isn’t everyone worth OUR concern? Isn’t every soul worth the effort it takes to share the gospel? Yes! You are not alone in your efforts. God has called all Christians to be united in the spread of the gospel – this bond of peace. Sharing God’s peace with those around you is a wonderful mission for it is a mission blessed by Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit. We remember the old television show and now there have been two movies: “Mission Impossible.” God sent His Son Jesus into this world to do the Impossible Mission, that is, to save us all. The mission He gives us may also seem to be Impossible. But he tells us to go ahead - Share the message of peace through faith in Jesus, and leave the really "impossible" part up to God. The Holy Spirit will strengthen you to share the message of Jesus. As he has promised he will then do the work of bringing people to faith through the message you have shared. What a joy for all of us!
Conclusion: So, in conclusion, keep the unity of the Spirit. God has called you first of all to live in peace with each other. Ask God to help you forgive as you have been forgiven. Then, Share the joy of God’s peace with others. Ask God to give you the words to say and the person to share the message with. He will, and He will bless your efforts. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.
