The Application of the Body of Christ #5
Ephesians 4:1-6 The Worthy Walk
Important:
1. Vs 1-6 must be addressed before any discussion of Spiritual Gifts of leadership or any other kind for that matter. (7-16, I Cor. 12) A proper consideration of what a worthy walk looks like would preserve the church from the aberrant leadership that so often characterizes what we call “church” today.
2. Had the church at Corinth believed the Truth contained in these verses (seen clearly in our Lord Jesus), I Corinthians 12 would have been unnecessary. Isaiah 57:15 makes it plain that the Dwelling Place of the High and Lofty One is only those who have a humble and contrite spirit. James makes it plain (James 4:6) that “God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
3. Given Paul’s “therefore” in verse 1, we must consider that what follows is the “outgrowth” of what has preceded it. While we do not want to take the time to re-teach all of Ephesians, we must keep in mind that the book is all about the revelation of the Will and Purpose of the Father in Heaven as revealed in chapter 1. Ephesians 3:9b-10 is especially pertinent to chapter 4 in that it says,”....God Who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent (or for the purpose) that now the manifold Wisdom of God MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” In other words, all that God is doing in and by Christ Jesus is more that just about us! As I have said elsewhere, humanity doesn’t have front row seats in the drama of redemption!
4. The summation of and reason for the necessity of the Knowledge of Christ is found in Paul’s glorious prayer, 3:14-21. In Vs 19 we read, that we may “know the Love of Chrit which passes knowledge; that you may filled with all the fullness of God.” (Recall Col. 1:19, 2:9-10) Therefore:
I. Vs 1-6 Walking worthy of the Father’s Calling.
Vs 1 Walk #4043 per-ee-pat-eh-o To tread all around. To walk at large, more than taking a walk on a path. This is walking about as proof of ability or evidencing a worthiness of the name. (See 3:14-15) This is a walking about in public, not a walk in the woods to enjoy the scenery!
Worthy #516 ax-ee-oce Literally, appropriately. Translated worthy (3x) as becometh (2x).
Therefore, keeping 3:14-15 in mind, this is walking in such a way that displays the fact that we bear the Father’s family name, that name upon the foreheads of the redeemed out of all ages! (Rev. 14:1, 7:3, 21:3-4)
Vs 2 This is the “heart”, the “divine mind-set” of this worthy walk. In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul describes this in greater detail. And in 2:5-8 he teaches us that the very Mind of Christ that is the source of such radical behavior, this mind which Paul says, we already have! (I Cor. 2:16) This mind can be none other that the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, for such “otherly” thinking is completely alien to fallen humanity!!
Remember Vine’s discussion of meekness?
“It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself; but the Lord was 'meek' because he had the infinite resources of God at His command. Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all.” W .E. Vine Expository Dict. Of N.T. Words
The characteristics described in Vs 2 are the manifestation of meekness.
Colossians 1:9-11 is nearly identical to our Ephesians passage. But notice that in Colossians, the very reason Paul is praying for them is that through the knowledge of God, they might “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Now notice, “strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” IT REQUIRES DIVINE POWER TO BEAR SUCH GOD-LIKE, CHRIST MINDED CHARACTERISTICS IN FALLEN HUMANS!!! I think the last phrase proves that in that to please God, such behavior must be with joy!!!
Vs 3 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Keep in mind that all of this is in the context of the collection of redeemed fallen humans that make up the church, God’s “testimony” to the principalities and powers. It is not the unity of doctrinal thinking or the unity of agreement about anything that is meant here.
The “unity of the Spirit” is the “common” operation of the Holy Spirit among the adopted children of God that produces His fruit in their hearts. (Gal 5:22-23) This unity can be checked by the behavior of His people in the conflict of ideas that are bound to occur. Remember that Grace and Peace come through the multiplication of the True Knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ! (I Peter 2:2) A common “statement of faith”, a common “mission” nor any other human construction, can bring about this “unity in the bond of peace” It requires the Divine Power that is given to us in the Gift of the Spirit.
Vs 4-6 THE “ONES”!!!
Vs 6 I want to start in reverse order, for this “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” is the ultimate goal for which Christ came! The place that Jesus went to prepare for us is the Glorious Presence of the Father! Re-read John 14:1-13 in context with Hebrews 10:11-22 & bask in the Divine Relationship that is God. Believe and receive it now by faith and long for it’s ultimate fulfillment in Glory at the return of our Blessed Jesus for us!
Vs 5 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The “One God and Father of all” overshadows all the other “ones”. All that the church believes, that which leads to the behavior that is the testimony to the principalities and powers, comes from and points to the God Who is One. And remember that the “Son Who is Given” is “the Mighty God, Everlasting Father”, fitting for the One Who said, “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30) All the other “ones” must grow out of the humble pursuit of the knowledge of the God Who is One, in dependence upon His Revealing Spirit. (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Note: The one baptism is non-negotiable. It is the baptism into Christ (Romans 6:3-4) that assures our being found in Him. The method of the external witness to this truth is the point of contention. (Dunk, sprinkle, or pour) It is here that the “worthy walk” comes into play! In our mortal bodies, it is our handling of these “things that differ” that manifest if our walk is worthy of our calling!!
It is when these “things that differ” become the starting point in so called fellowship, rather that the pursuit of the Knowledge of God and His mandate of meekness, that divisions and strife occur.
Vs 4 “One Body and One Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.”
Paul does not leave room for a Jewish body and a Gentile body. He has dealt extensively with that in Ephesians 2. In Vs 15 & 16, He states that, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the dividing wall of separation, (the law through His fulfillment of it) “so as to created IN HIMSELF ONE NEW MAN from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God IN ONE BODY through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity.” (Separation) By extension, there is no room for a white body and a black body, nor a baptist body and and a presbyterian body. There is One Body because every member is birthed by the One Spirit of God unto One hope of our calling!!!
We get lost in the things of this earth, buildings, scriptural mind games, all things that of this earth that will soon grow dim and be done away with in glory. The “one hope of our calling”, that glorious inheritance we have in our Elder Brother Christ Jesus should occupy our thinking rather that the size of our buildings, color of our carpet, and purity of our denominational or nondenominational doctrine!
This “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”, must predominate in all considerations of the rest of Ephesians 4. It’s all about ONE.
Ephesians 4:1-6 The Worthy Walk
Important:
1. Vs 1-6 must be addressed before any discussion of Spiritual Gifts of leadership or any other kind for that matter. (7-16, I Cor. 12) A proper consideration of what a worthy walk looks like would preserve the church from the aberrant leadership that so often characterizes what we call “church” today.
2. Had the church at Corinth believed the Truth contained in these verses (seen clearly in our Lord Jesus), I Corinthians 12 would have been unnecessary. Isaiah 57:15 makes it plain that the Dwelling Place of the High and Lofty One is only those who have a humble and contrite spirit. James makes it plain (James 4:6) that “God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
3. Given Paul’s “therefore” in verse 1, we must consider that what follows is the “outgrowth” of what has preceded it. While we do not want to take the time to re-teach all of Ephesians, we must keep in mind that the book is all about the revelation of the Will and Purpose of the Father in Heaven as revealed in chapter 1. Ephesians 3:9b-10 is especially pertinent to chapter 4 in that it says,”....God Who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent (or for the purpose) that now the manifold Wisdom of God MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” In other words, all that God is doing in and by Christ Jesus is more that just about us! As I have said elsewhere, humanity doesn’t have front row seats in the drama of redemption!
4. The summation of and reason for the necessity of the Knowledge of Christ is found in Paul’s glorious prayer, 3:14-21. In Vs 19 we read, that we may “know the Love of Chrit which passes knowledge; that you may filled with all the fullness of God.” (Recall Col. 1:19, 2:9-10) Therefore:
I. Vs 1-6 Walking worthy of the Father’s Calling.
Vs 1 Walk #4043 per-ee-pat-eh-o To tread all around. To walk at large, more than taking a walk on a path. This is walking about as proof of ability or evidencing a worthiness of the name. (See 3:14-15) This is a walking about in public, not a walk in the woods to enjoy the scenery!
Worthy #516 ax-ee-oce Literally, appropriately. Translated worthy (3x) as becometh (2x).
Therefore, keeping 3:14-15 in mind, this is walking in such a way that displays the fact that we bear the Father’s family name, that name upon the foreheads of the redeemed out of all ages! (Rev. 14:1, 7:3, 21:3-4)
Vs 2 This is the “heart”, the “divine mind-set” of this worthy walk. In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul describes this in greater detail. And in 2:5-8 he teaches us that the very Mind of Christ that is the source of such radical behavior, this mind which Paul says, we already have! (I Cor. 2:16) This mind can be none other that the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, for such “otherly” thinking is completely alien to fallen humanity!!
Remember Vine’s discussion of meekness?
“It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself; but the Lord was 'meek' because he had the infinite resources of God at His command. Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all.” W .E. Vine Expository Dict. Of N.T. Words
The characteristics described in Vs 2 are the manifestation of meekness.
Colossians 1:9-11 is nearly identical to our Ephesians passage. But notice that in Colossians, the very reason Paul is praying for them is that through the knowledge of God, they might “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Now notice, “strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” IT REQUIRES DIVINE POWER TO BEAR SUCH GOD-LIKE, CHRIST MINDED CHARACTERISTICS IN FALLEN HUMANS!!! I think the last phrase proves that in that to please God, such behavior must be with joy!!!
Vs 3 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Keep in mind that all of this is in the context of the collection of redeemed fallen humans that make up the church, God’s “testimony” to the principalities and powers. It is not the unity of doctrinal thinking or the unity of agreement about anything that is meant here.
The “unity of the Spirit” is the “common” operation of the Holy Spirit among the adopted children of God that produces His fruit in their hearts. (Gal 5:22-23) This unity can be checked by the behavior of His people in the conflict of ideas that are bound to occur. Remember that Grace and Peace come through the multiplication of the True Knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ! (I Peter 2:2) A common “statement of faith”, a common “mission” nor any other human construction, can bring about this “unity in the bond of peace” It requires the Divine Power that is given to us in the Gift of the Spirit.
Vs 4-6 THE “ONES”!!!
Vs 6 I want to start in reverse order, for this “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” is the ultimate goal for which Christ came! The place that Jesus went to prepare for us is the Glorious Presence of the Father! Re-read John 14:1-13 in context with Hebrews 10:11-22 & bask in the Divine Relationship that is God. Believe and receive it now by faith and long for it’s ultimate fulfillment in Glory at the return of our Blessed Jesus for us!
Vs 5 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The “One God and Father of all” overshadows all the other “ones”. All that the church believes, that which leads to the behavior that is the testimony to the principalities and powers, comes from and points to the God Who is One. And remember that the “Son Who is Given” is “the Mighty God, Everlasting Father”, fitting for the One Who said, “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30) All the other “ones” must grow out of the humble pursuit of the knowledge of the God Who is One, in dependence upon His Revealing Spirit. (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Note: The one baptism is non-negotiable. It is the baptism into Christ (Romans 6:3-4) that assures our being found in Him. The method of the external witness to this truth is the point of contention. (Dunk, sprinkle, or pour) It is here that the “worthy walk” comes into play! In our mortal bodies, it is our handling of these “things that differ” that manifest if our walk is worthy of our calling!!
It is when these “things that differ” become the starting point in so called fellowship, rather that the pursuit of the Knowledge of God and His mandate of meekness, that divisions and strife occur.
Vs 4 “One Body and One Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.”
Paul does not leave room for a Jewish body and a Gentile body. He has dealt extensively with that in Ephesians 2. In Vs 15 & 16, He states that, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the dividing wall of separation, (the law through His fulfillment of it) “so as to created IN HIMSELF ONE NEW MAN from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God IN ONE BODY through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity.” (Separation) By extension, there is no room for a white body and a black body, nor a baptist body and and a presbyterian body. There is One Body because every member is birthed by the One Spirit of God unto One hope of our calling!!!
We get lost in the things of this earth, buildings, scriptural mind games, all things that of this earth that will soon grow dim and be done away with in glory. The “one hope of our calling”, that glorious inheritance we have in our Elder Brother Christ Jesus should occupy our thinking rather that the size of our buildings, color of our carpet, and purity of our denominational or nondenominational doctrine!
This “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”, must predominate in all considerations of the rest of Ephesians 4. It’s all about ONE.