Ephesians 4:1-16
Fulfill the Purpose of God’s Call to Follow Him (v. 1)
God’s call requires us to listen closely and carefully. His sheep listen for the voice of the Great and Good Shepherd.
Our choice is demonstrated in our daily living
(vv. 1-3). It is directly related to our relationship to our divine
Lord (notice the Trinity in vv. 4-6)
I. Live in Unity, Not Conformity (vv. 1-6)
This is an epistle of Unity; the word appears in vv. 3, 13; the word “one” appears 7 times in vv. 4-6
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A. The Virtues of Unity (v. 2)
B. The Responsibility for Unity (v. 3a)
i. Diligence (frequent work)
ii. Preservation (natural result; normal gift)
C. The Nature of Unity (v. 3b)
i. of the Spirit
ii. Bond of peace
D. The Basis / Boundaries of Unity (vv. 4-6)
i. One body (OF Christ) = church
ii. One Spirit (FROM Christ) = Pentecost; Another Comforter
iii. One hope (TO Christ) = He calls us to Himself in heaven
iv. One Lord (IS Christ) = Jesus Himself
v. One faith (IN Christ) = salvation faith, not doctrinal system
vi. One baptism (FOR Christ) = water baptism, symbolizing personal experience of salvation
vii. One God & Father (OVER Christ)
1. Creator (“of all”)
2. Lord (“over all”)
3. Sustainer (“through all”)
4. Life (“in all”)
But unity is not uniformity or all being just
alike. It is much deeper. It is a common purpose. Not the same
function, activity, feeling, passion, or program. We share a
co-mandate (Lev 19:18; Mtt 5:43; Lk 10:29), co-mission (Mtt 28:19-20),
and co-vision (Acts 1:8).
II. Serve in Diversity, Not Divison (vv. 7-14)
A. Serve FROM divine appointment = “each one” (v. 7a); each has a gift
B. Serve WITH divine favor = “grace was given” (v. 7a)