Walking in Unity as We Use Our Spiritual Gifts Ephesians 4:1-16
As the grand Apostle Paul approached the mid-point of the book of Ephesians, he moved his focus from doctrine (chapters 1-3) to duty (chapters 4-6). As Rev. Jonathan Smith informed us in a Sunday morning sermon, a well-balanced saint knows that we are exhorted to practice our lofty position in Christ Jesus. In this section of Ephesians, Paul is exhorting the believers to walk in unity, utilizing our spiritual gifts in a loving and humble way! Ephesians 4:1-16 may be outlined as follows: I. An Exhortation to Walk in Unity – Ephesians 4:1-6; II. Blessed in the Granting of Spiritual Gifts from Christ – Ephesians 4:7-16.
- An Exhortation to Walk in Unity – Ephesians 4:1-6
In verses 1-2, Paul began to build his super-structure of duty upon his doctrinal presentation in chapters 1-3. In Ephesians Paul explained in chapters 1-3 how all Christians are one in Christ, regardless of their ethnic differences. As he approached chapter 4, Paul began to explain how this Christian Unity should be practiced. Remember that our lofty position in Christ (chapter 1) demands that it should be practiced in our conduct (chapters 4-6)! To put it another way, Ephesians 1-3 emphasizes our calling; Ephesians 4-6 emphasizes our conduct.
The word “therefore” in verse 1 points back to the whole argument of Paul in the first half of the book. On the basis of God’s grace in reconciling sinners to Himself and to one another, Paul strongly exhorted the Ephesians to walk worthy of their high calling (v. 1). Christians should live worthy of their calling in every facet of their lives. In Ephesians, Paul was vitally concerned about unity being exhibited within the congregation. Christian unity can be achieved when Christian attitudes are maintained in our relationships.
In maintaining unity within the body of Christ, Christians are called upon to exhibit “lowliness or humility” (v. 2). Christians are called upon to have the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself to become a servant and to die on the cross. Another attitude Christians need to embrace in maintaining unity is “meekness.” Meekness refers to the ability to remain under control even when under attack. Another Christian attitude one should have is “longsuffering.”
Longsuffering is literally to be long tempered. He or she is not an irascible Christian (one who gets angry easily). The next Christian attitude to embrace is “forbearing.” Forbearing goes beyond doing to others as you want them to do to you.
Unity among Christians does not come automatically because we have been saved by grace through faith. As Christians, we still possess a sinful nature (Galatians 5:16-17) that responds in ways that would prompt division. Because of this fact, Paul urged the Ephesians to endeavor, or to be diligent, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (v. 3). True Christian unity can thrive in the body of Christ when we are diligent in maintaining it!
As we give our allegiance to practice these qualities, they will be bound together by peace, the active presence of goodwill. As Christians endeavor to maintain unity within the body of Christ, Paul shared that we possess some spiritual resources that promote Christian unity (vv. 4-5)! As Christians, we belong to the same body of Christ, the church. We all possess the same indwelling Holy Spirit. We have all received the same divine call to salvation. We all serve the same Lord and exercise the same faith. We have all identified ourselves as Christians by the ordinance of baptism (v. 5).
Christian unity according to Paul is not an organizational structure imposed externally; however, according to Paul, it is an organic association that joins believers together from the inside! The final item that all Christians have in common is that they worship one God who is the Father of all (v. 6). As Sovereign of the universe, God rules over all things. He is the active God of history, who works through all events. As the omnipresent God, He is involved in every aspect of His creation!
- Blessed in the Granting of Spiritual Gifts from Christ – Ephesians 4:7-16
In verse 7, Paul ascribes the giving of spiritual gifts to the ascended Christ, whereas, in I Corinthians 12:7-11, Paul attributes the giving of spiritual gifts to the Spirit. In supporting his point in verse 8, Paul quotes a prophecy from Psalm 68:18. In the psalm, God is pictured as a conquering warrior who receives the spoils of war. The psalmist went on in verse 19 to bless the Lord who daily loads His people with benefits. As Christ triumphed over sin and death, He, like a victorious general, distributed gifts to those who served with Him. As the Lord of the church, Christ gives Christians various abilities (gifts) to serve Him and to minister to others.
In verses 9-10, Paul explains the significance of verse 8. Christ ascended back to heaven only after coming down to earth in humility to die on the cross (Phil. 2:5-8). By dying on the cross, Christ won the ultimate victory over sin, death, and the devil. The triumph of God’s grace in the crucifixion and resurrection enabled Him to give gifts to those who accept His grace by faith. In verse 7, Paul stressed that Christ gave gifts to each Christian. In verse 11, Paul spoke of the gifts Christ gave to the gifted leaders in the church.
Paul listed four groups of church leaders. The apostles were the original disciples of Christ (Acts 1:15-26). They were called to proclaim the news of Christ and the church. Prophets were the spokesmen through whom God made known His word before the canon of Scripture was established. For the continuing ministry of the church, Christ gave evangelists and pastors and teachers (v. 11). Evangelists focused on the outward expansion of the church as they preached the Gospel and brought people to Christ. The pastor-teachers were charged with edifying Christians and building them up to spiritual maturity.
In verse 12, Christ gave gifted leaders to the church, and their role was to equip the believers. As they trained and developed the congregation, all Christians would be able to do the work of the ministry. Thus, the body of Christ will be built up. In God’s plan, ministry is the work of the whole congregation, not just the duty of a selected clergy.
In verse 13, the goal of teaching and edification is to cause people to be like Christ. In verse 14, when Christians do not receive spiritual nourishment, they do not grow up; thus, they will remain as spiritual infants. Like small rowboats caught in a gale, they can easily be tossed about by deception. Christians will fall prey to deceivers when they are not firm in their faith! To them, error can sound so true.
In verses 15-16, just as a child grows into adulthood, so God’s desire is that His children will reach spiritual maturity. This growth comes from consistent commitment to both truth and love. As we follow Christ’s example of truth and love, we will develop and become more like Him. In the body of Christ, all members are important to one another as we utilize our spiritual gifts in serving Christ, and as we minister to one another.
May God Bless!
