Ephesians 4 Part 4
Bible Study Time 10-9-05
Bible Study Time 10-9-05
The past few weeks we have been looking at Ephesians, Chapter 4, where the Holy Spirit begs us to walk worthy of our calling. This is critical because our conduct is a direct reflection on the Lord Jesus. Everything we do should declare the worth of our calling, and everything we do should declare the worth of Jesus Christ.
Although Paul’s prison epistles are well known for their clear presentation of God’s salvation, which comes by grace through faith, Paul never missed an opportunity in these epistles to emphasize the importance of a worthy walk. Paul said that he prayed for the Colossians that they might walk worthy of the Lord. He told the Philippians that their conduct should be worthy of the gospel of Christ. And then, here in Ephesians 4, he says that we should walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called.
When the President of the United States calls a person to serve on his staff, the one who is called knows immediately the significance of such a high calling. They know that they will constantly be in the public eye and that everything they do will reflect not only upon themselves but also upon the President.
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him as our personal Savior, God calls us to be ambassadors for Christ. As such, everything we do is dissected and analyzed by the world, and every deed reflects on the character of Christ.
At this point in the book of Ephesians we know our calling. We were chosen before the foundation of the world and predestined to become the Sons of God by Jesus Christ. We are seated in the heavens as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and we have the glorious hope of experiencing the exceeding riches of God’s grace now and throughout all of the ages to come. Therefore, Paul begs us to walk worthy of this high calling.
When Paul says that our conduct should be characterized by humility and longsuffering, we begin to understand that God is more concerned with who we are than He is with what we do. What we do is merely an indicator of who we are. Paul really drives this point home in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, where he says:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
As we continue in 1 Corinthians 13, we see that real love produces humility and longsuffering. Verse 4 says:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJ)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
We can be this kind of person only if the old nature is crucified with Christ, and we have become new creations by the power of God’s Spirit. We can be like Christ only as we yield to the Spirit of Christ within us. Therefore, Paul says in Ephesians 4 that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
On each day of the Feast of Tabernacles the priest would draw water from the stream of Siloah which flowed under the temple mountain. As he poured the water upon the alter, the crowd would erupt in loud jubilation and sing the words of Isaiah 12. This ceremony was accompanied by such ecstatic joy that it was seen as the very definition of rejoicing.
On one such occasion the Lord Jesus was there. It was the last day of the feast, and the priest had drawn the water in golden vessels. As he poured the water on the alter, the people sang, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.” At this point Jesus stood up and cried out, saying,
John 7:37-39
37 . . . "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
The crowd grew silent, spellbound by His proclamation. They sensed that these were the words of God, and many of them believed in Jesus. Of coarse, Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who brings peace and joy and life even as water gives refreshment to the the land which is parched by the sun. Jesus later told his disciples:
John 14:16-17 (NKJ)
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:26-27 (NKJ)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Lord Jesus promised the Spirit of God and with Him would come the peace that passes understanding. To walk worthy of the calling with which we are called, we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
However, if the Spirit of God is like living water, then the world is like oil. The Spirit of God and the world do not mix. Notice that Paul did not say we should strive for unity with all people. The world calls for peace, peace where there is no peace. God calls for peace and unity within the realm of His Spirit.
The things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural mind. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples that they should love one another, but then He went on to say:
John 15:18-20 (NKJ)
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you . . .
When the Lord Jesus addressed the disciples at their commissioning, He warned them that they would not receive a warm welcome from the world. In verse 11 of Matthew 10 He said:
Matthew 10:11-15 (NKJ)
11 "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out . . .
13 "If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
What did they have to do to be worthy? They had to receive the disciples and hear their words. They had to believe the gospel in order to escape the coming judgment.
Now the disciples did not know that Israel’s kingdom program was going to be set aside for 2000 years while God added believers to His Church in the heavens. As far as they knew, they were in the tribulation period which had to come before the setting up of the kingdom.
They knew from the prophets that God was going to miraculously preserve the faithful remnant during the tribulation period. However, this did not mean that they would not suffer at the hands of unbelievers. In Matthew 10, the Lord warned His disciples that they were about to enter a combat zone. Verse 16 says:
Matthew 10:16-17, 34 (NKJ)
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues . . .
34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
The Apostle John confirms that the world is at odds with the Spirit of God. I John 4 says:
I John 4:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
When we accept Christ, God separates us from the world and makes us His own. Paul told Titus that Christ gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Paul told the Romans that we as believers should not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds.
As God’s chosen people, we have been call out of the world, and we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We must do this in an individual sense. If we live in sin, we can not fellowship with the Spirit of God. However, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and He alone can bring peace to the heart that is troubled by sin.
We must also endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in a corporate sense as the Church which is the Body of Christ. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
It is such a blessing to fellowship with believers who share together the experience of walking with Jesus Christ. When we are worn down by the pressures of the world, we have the assurance that we have a haven of peace and rest and healing in the assembly of the saints.
In October of 1993, the survivors of the Black Hawk Down incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, had been pinned down throughout the night in an intense firefight. When morning finally came, a convoy was sent to rescue them, but there was only room on the vehicles for the wounded and the dead. Those with able bodies realized that they would be running along side the convoy in the midst of a barrage of gunfire.
In an incredible show of courage, they worked their way out of the city to the field hospital which had been set up in an empty soccer stadium. One can only imagine their sense of exhilaration and relief as they pulled into an environment that was relatively safe and peaceful. They were met by a well trained team of specialists who were responsive to their every need. How wonderful it must have been to escape the battle and receive the care they needed.
By the same token, we as believers need a designated place to go to escape the battle we face with the world. If we stay too long in the world without support, the results can be devastating for us and for the ones we love. Praise the Lord, God has given us the Body of Christ to lend us support and provide the spiritual therapy we need. Hebrews 10 says:
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJ)
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another . . .
But can you image how demoralizing it would have been for those battle worn soldiers in Mogadishu if upon their arrival at the hospital they had found the team of specialists fighting among themselves and unresponsive to their needs.
I’m sure we would all agree that such a thing would be inexcusable, but I’m afraid that too often our churches are not responsive to the needs of those who have experienced the horrors of doing battle with the world. Internal conflicts often serve to distract us and weaken our position.
We have a common enemy in the world, but the good news is that we can overcome the world if we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch_ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/
Although Paul’s prison epistles are well known for their clear presentation of God’s salvation, which comes by grace through faith, Paul never missed an opportunity in these epistles to emphasize the importance of a worthy walk. Paul said that he prayed for the Colossians that they might walk worthy of the Lord. He told the Philippians that their conduct should be worthy of the gospel of Christ. And then, here in Ephesians 4, he says that we should walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called.
When the President of the United States calls a person to serve on his staff, the one who is called knows immediately the significance of such a high calling. They know that they will constantly be in the public eye and that everything they do will reflect not only upon themselves but also upon the President.
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him as our personal Savior, God calls us to be ambassadors for Christ. As such, everything we do is dissected and analyzed by the world, and every deed reflects on the character of Christ.
At this point in the book of Ephesians we know our calling. We were chosen before the foundation of the world and predestined to become the Sons of God by Jesus Christ. We are seated in the heavens as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and we have the glorious hope of experiencing the exceeding riches of God’s grace now and throughout all of the ages to come. Therefore, Paul begs us to walk worthy of this high calling.
When Paul says that our conduct should be characterized by humility and longsuffering, we begin to understand that God is more concerned with who we are than He is with what we do. What we do is merely an indicator of who we are. Paul really drives this point home in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, where he says:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
As we continue in 1 Corinthians 13, we see that real love produces humility and longsuffering. Verse 4 says:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJ)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
We can be this kind of person only if the old nature is crucified with Christ, and we have become new creations by the power of God’s Spirit. We can be like Christ only as we yield to the Spirit of Christ within us. Therefore, Paul says in Ephesians 4 that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
On each day of the Feast of Tabernacles the priest would draw water from the stream of Siloah which flowed under the temple mountain. As he poured the water upon the alter, the crowd would erupt in loud jubilation and sing the words of Isaiah 12. This ceremony was accompanied by such ecstatic joy that it was seen as the very definition of rejoicing.
On one such occasion the Lord Jesus was there. It was the last day of the feast, and the priest had drawn the water in golden vessels. As he poured the water on the alter, the people sang, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.” At this point Jesus stood up and cried out, saying,
John 7:37-39
37 . . . "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
The crowd grew silent, spellbound by His proclamation. They sensed that these were the words of God, and many of them believed in Jesus. Of coarse, Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who brings peace and joy and life even as water gives refreshment to the the land which is parched by the sun. Jesus later told his disciples:
John 14:16-17 (NKJ)
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:26-27 (NKJ)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Lord Jesus promised the Spirit of God and with Him would come the peace that passes understanding. To walk worthy of the calling with which we are called, we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
However, if the Spirit of God is like living water, then the world is like oil. The Spirit of God and the world do not mix. Notice that Paul did not say we should strive for unity with all people. The world calls for peace, peace where there is no peace. God calls for peace and unity within the realm of His Spirit.
The things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural mind. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples that they should love one another, but then He went on to say:
John 15:18-20 (NKJ)
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you . . .
When the Lord Jesus addressed the disciples at their commissioning, He warned them that they would not receive a warm welcome from the world. In verse 11 of Matthew 10 He said:
Matthew 10:11-15 (NKJ)
11 "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out . . .
13 "If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
What did they have to do to be worthy? They had to receive the disciples and hear their words. They had to believe the gospel in order to escape the coming judgment.
Now the disciples did not know that Israel’s kingdom program was going to be set aside for 2000 years while God added believers to His Church in the heavens. As far as they knew, they were in the tribulation period which had to come before the setting up of the kingdom.
They knew from the prophets that God was going to miraculously preserve the faithful remnant during the tribulation period. However, this did not mean that they would not suffer at the hands of unbelievers. In Matthew 10, the Lord warned His disciples that they were about to enter a combat zone. Verse 16 says:
Matthew 10:16-17, 34 (NKJ)
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues . . .
34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
The Apostle John confirms that the world is at odds with the Spirit of God. I John 4 says:
I John 4:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
When we accept Christ, God separates us from the world and makes us His own. Paul told Titus that Christ gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Paul told the Romans that we as believers should not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds.
As God’s chosen people, we have been call out of the world, and we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We must do this in an individual sense. If we live in sin, we can not fellowship with the Spirit of God. However, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and He alone can bring peace to the heart that is troubled by sin.
We must also endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in a corporate sense as the Church which is the Body of Christ. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
It is such a blessing to fellowship with believers who share together the experience of walking with Jesus Christ. When we are worn down by the pressures of the world, we have the assurance that we have a haven of peace and rest and healing in the assembly of the saints.
In October of 1993, the survivors of the Black Hawk Down incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, had been pinned down throughout the night in an intense firefight. When morning finally came, a convoy was sent to rescue them, but there was only room on the vehicles for the wounded and the dead. Those with able bodies realized that they would be running along side the convoy in the midst of a barrage of gunfire.
In an incredible show of courage, they worked their way out of the city to the field hospital which had been set up in an empty soccer stadium. One can only imagine their sense of exhilaration and relief as they pulled into an environment that was relatively safe and peaceful. They were met by a well trained team of specialists who were responsive to their every need. How wonderful it must have been to escape the battle and receive the care they needed.
By the same token, we as believers need a designated place to go to escape the battle we face with the world. If we stay too long in the world without support, the results can be devastating for us and for the ones we love. Praise the Lord, God has given us the Body of Christ to lend us support and provide the spiritual therapy we need. Hebrews 10 says:
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJ)
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another . . .
But can you image how demoralizing it would have been for those battle worn soldiers in Mogadishu if upon their arrival at the hospital they had found the team of specialists fighting among themselves and unresponsive to their needs.
I’m sure we would all agree that such a thing would be inexcusable, but I’m afraid that too often our churches are not responsive to the needs of those who have experienced the horrors of doing battle with the world. Internal conflicts often serve to distract us and weaken our position.
We have a common enemy in the world, but the good news is that we can overcome the world if we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch_ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/
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