Ephesians 4:1-16 by Wong
Ephesians Overview
Ch 1-3:
– Our spiritual wealth in heaven which God has secured for us
– How God sees us in Christ
Ch 4-6:
– Our spiritual walk here on earth
– How the world sees Christ in us. So we can reflect our Lord Jesus Christ
Doctrine must be expressed in duty of believers.
Must be seen in practice expressed in our daily behavior.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV)
The work of glorifying God is impossible with our own selves but by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit enables us to serve in a way that glorifies Him & brings us to maturity.
High View of God: God is always the one who provides what we need.
Ch4 v1
– It is God’s appointment
– Live a life consistent with our calling to Christ
v2
– We have a very high calling, the highest possible
– Yet we need to be careful that it must not make us feel proud or superior
– Salvation by grace not works, thus we should be humble, gentle & patient
– This is the very attitude of our Master
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV)
v3
– Manifest the good works
– These are the fruits of the spirit
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV)
v4-6
– Unity in church is not something we create for ourselves, but by God Himself
– Our part is to preserve it & promote it
– We share a common hope of His calling
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:7-16 NIV)
– We are all given gifts that are unique & different spheres of service
– Spiritual gifts are given to believers as a result of our victorious Lord’s victory at Calvary. Employ our spiritual gifts consistently with how Jesus obtained it – humbly.
– Find out our place of service in the body of Christ. Can view the church as a field of work. To start doing what God wants us to do. Contribute to the needs of others. Practice hospitality. Rebuke when necessary. Encourage disheartened. Help the weak.
– God is no man’s debtor. God blesses those who bless others.
– The goal of every gift is the church can continue to give to each other & reach maturity.
– As we obey Him, God will manifest His likeness
Conclusion
– We are precious in the eyes of God
– Each one of us has a calling, a high calling, the highest calling from God