Ephesians: Jesus Is The Unity Of The Church
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Ephesians: Jesus Is The Unity Of The Church
Ephesians 4:1-6 (ESV)
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
I'm sure most of us are familiar with the praise song, Blessings. Here are some of its great lines:
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
And the last line is even more power:
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
Laura Story wrote this beautiful song after her husband was diagnosed with a severe brain tumor. During her husband's battle with cancer, she went through episodes of fear, loneliness, and frustrations. Laura begged God for healing, but this healing never came. But this journey helped her see God's blessings from a new perspective, and these new insights are what she shares in her song.
I hope you won't miss the most powerful line in the song, "What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise." It definitely takes so much faith in God to have the same perspective, right? Yet, this truth is so much evident, especially in the Scriptures.
As we study the book of Ephesians this morning, we will also find the same principle being conveyed. This book was the first letter written by the apostle Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome around 61 to 63AD. There were four letters considered as Prison Epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. It is impressive to note that despite all the difficulties and challenges he went through, God, in His grace, allowed him to produce four outstanding letters that will serve as exceptional instructions for Christian churches throughout the existence of the Church from the first century until now.
When you begin to study the book of Ephesians, you will find the apostle Paul touching on so many precious doctrines that can help our lives today as believers. One good example is the topic regarding our riches in Jesus Christ. Meaning it emphasizes what we own in Jesus Christ. Here are three direct references about it:
"Riches of His Grace"
Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
"The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ"
Ephesians 3:8 (ESV)
8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
"The Riches of His Glory"
Ephesians 3:16 (ESV)
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
However, this morning, our primary discussion will be on the representation that Jesus is the unity of the Church. Before I begin with my main points, let me give two major divisions of the six chapters of the book:
A. Our Position in Christ (Chaps. 1-3)
B. Our Practice for Christ (Chaps. 4-6)
Now, here are the three essential elements regarding our unity in Christ:
I THE PROBLEM OF DISUNITY IN THE CHURCH
In this book, Paul spent the majority of chapters 2 and 4 talking about our unity in Christ. When you begin to read chapter 2, starting from verse 11, you will specifically notice the reason why there's a need to address this topic of unity:
Ephesians 2:11-14 (ESV)
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
If you examine these words, the primary concern was the racial bias between the Jews and Gentiles that was affecting the Church of Jesus. For some context, the Jews during those times had misinterpreted the covenant that God made with them. Instead of seeing it as accountability to reach the Gentiles and lead them to Jehovah God, they saw it as a preferential treatment to them over the Gentiles. They convinced themselves that God only loved them and not the Gentiles. So, they always looked down on the Gentiles to the extent that they would do the following:
A. They would not help any Gentile in need because they are not worth their time and efforts.
B. They were not to aid a Gentile mother who was giving birth because they would be responsible for bringing another Gentile into the world.
C. If the Jews traveled from the South to the North, they would not go through Gentile cities because it's getting Gentile dirt on them.
D. If a Jewish boy or girl married a Gentile, the Jewish family held a funeral.
With this level of prejudice, imagine what will happen in the Church when both Jews and Gentiles are placed side by side to worship God together. The presence of disunity in the Church is what Paul referred to in verse 14 as "the dividing wall of hostility."
Of course, even after two thousand years, the problem of disunity is still afflicting the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the problem is not so much on racial bias between Jews and Gentiles today, racial tensions are still very present in the Church. In addition to this tension, churches face political biases, cultures, denominationalism, traditions, and even theological preferences. Therefore, the Church should diligently watch out for all issues that are destroying the image of the Church before the world. The renowned evangelist and author Paul Billheimer once warned the Church by saying:
"The continuous and widespread fragmentation of the Church has been the scandal of the ages. It has been Satan's master strategy. The sin of disunity probably has caused more souls to be lost than all other sins combined."
I believe these words are worth paying attention to so that we as a church don't fall into the Devil's schemes and lose our efficiency in leading lost people to Jesus Christ.
II THE PROVISION OF UNITY IN THE CHURCH
Since the problem of disunity exists in our broken society, the Lord Jesus, by means of His blood, paid the price in order that He can reconcile both Jews and Gentiles or people who are hostile to each other into one body, which is His Church. Listen to these verses:
Ephesians 2:13-19 (ESV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
There are at least three items in these verses that we should not miss:
A. The Price for Unity – "the blood of Christ" (v. 13)
Jesus paid a hefty price, which is His own life, to provide the unity we desperately need. Unity is not something we produce; it is freely given to us.
B. The Place of Unity – "For He Himself is our peace" (v.14)
The most authentic essence of unity is not found in the world but only in Jesus Christ. The moment we, as sinners, are reconciled to our Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit takes us and places us into His body, the Church. Our reconciliation with Him results in our reconciliation to one another.
C. The Privilege of Unity – "both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (v. 18)
All true believers share the same privilege of access to the Father – the Holy Spirit in the Church. Yet, the Jews told the Gentiles that they had an exclusive relationship with the Father for the longest time. The truth of the matter is that the same Holy Spirit who provides us with the direct line to God indwells all true believers. Paul reinforces this truth in Romans 8:14-15 (ESV):
14 For all who the Spirit of God leads are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
To be able to call the creator of the universe "Abba! Father," is extraordinary. This address in Aramaic shows personal intimacy. This intimate relationship with the Father can encourage us to call on Him whenever we need Him.
III THE PRESERVATION OF UNITY IN THE CHURCH
As we have established earlier, producing unity is not our responsibility, but the preservation of it is directly mandated to us. Let's go back to the text we started with:
Ephesians 4:1-6 (ESV)
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The primary verse we need to emphasize here is in verse 3, "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." In other words, every member of the Church of Jesus must learn to value the unity Jesus Himself has produced by exerting our best efforts to maintain or preserve the unity. We are called to work to preserve it. Let's not assume that unity will continue to be our experience without diligently working to preserve it. Satan will always find a way to disrupt the unity of the Church.
The big question is: How do you preserve this unity? The obvious answer is through the "bond of peace." In other words, we have to live at peace with one another in the Church. We need to stop quarreling or bickering with other people in the Church. Let's stop being antagonistic with other believers. I believe we would understand this phrase better if we connect it to Romans 12:18 (ESV):
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
I want to highlight this phrase, "so far as it depends on you." We cannot achieve peace if we wait on the other person to change. We must seek to change ourselves only. If we are willing to do it, then we need to live out the four godly characteristics mentioned in Ephesians 4:2:
A. Humility – This attitude is the opposite of pride. Someone has said it is seeing ourselves the way God sees us – we are nothing without Him.
B. Gentleness – William MacDonald defined it "as the attitude that submits to God's dealings without rebellion and man's unkindness without retaliation."
C. Patience – The attitude is the opposite of being short-tempered. Or the ability to endure discomfort without fighting back.
D. Forbearance – The willingness to give an allowance to the faults and failures of others.
If we commit ourselves to display these attitudes, then and only then can we live together with other people in peace.
Lastly, let us finish this section by emphasizing the seven realities of what we share as believers:
One body
One Spirit
One hope
One Lord
One faith
One baptism
One God and Father of all
In the Church of Jesus Christ, we must be committed to minimizing our differences and magnifying these things we have in common.
Allow me to close this sermon by listening to the prayers of Jesus Christ about the unity of believers. He prayed:
John 17:20-23 (ESV)
20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
The unity of the Church is essential to Jesus Christ because it will affect our witness to the world. Let's do our best then to stay united as a church of Jesus Christ.
-Bishop Jeremiah Lepasana