Our identity of a follower of Jesus should lead us to live a new life as we lay aside our old life...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Ephesians. Yesterday, we saw Paul urge followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God.  Paul urged followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives with a mindset that is without value and that is focused on worthless things and that is blind to what is true. Paul urged followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives with a lack of gratitude and obedience to God that is due to a hardness towards God that produces a practiced lifestyle of rebellion against God.

Today, we will see Paul reveal what a life that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus looks like in one’s day to day life. So let’s look at it together, beginning in Ephesians 4:20:

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have  been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former  manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
 

In these verses, we see Paul reveal for us the reality that instead of living as like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God, we are to live our lives according to all that we have learned about Jesus. Paul urges the members of the church at Ephesus to remember how they came to hear and understand the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.

When Paul states that you did not learn Christ in this way, he is reminding the members of the church of Ephesus that they did not come to have a sense of gratitude and obedience to God in relationship with Jesus as a result of a lifestyle of license, corruption, and selfish desires. But not only were the members of the church of Ephesus to remember how they came to hear and understand the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.

In the second half of verse 21, Paul urges the members of the church of Ephesus to remember how they had been instructed to live their day to day lives when it came to the message and teachings of Jesus. Paul reveals four specific things that the members of the church of Ephesus had been instructed in when it came to how they lived their day to day lives as followers of Jesus.

First, in the second half of verse 22, when Paul states "just as truth is in Jesus", this phrase refers to Jesus and the content of Christianity as being the ultimate truth. Paul here is urging the members of the church at Ephesus to remember that the message and teachings of Jesus contain the ultimate truth that Jesus is the ultimate truth. And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we are to remember that the message and teachings of Jesus contain the ultimate truth that Jesus is the ultimate truth.

Second in verse 23, Paul calls the members of the church at Ephesus to, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self. But what does that mean? Now to lay aside literally means to rid oneself of. And what the members of the church of Ephesus were to rid themselves of was the old self. When Paul refers to the old self, this phrase literally means the old man and refers to our old nature apart from God that is consumed by selfishness and rebellion against God.

So Paul here is urging the members of the church at Ephesus to rid themselves of their old nature that led their lives prior to becoming a follower of Jesus. You see, when we become followers of Jesus, we receive a new nature as a result of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence and activity in our lives. However, we still have our old selfish and rebellious nature apart from God within us as well.

And this old nature, as Paul points out in verse 22, is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit. In other words, our old nature apart from God is consumed by selfishness and rebellion. And our old nature is doomed to destruction as a result of its deceitful desires that are dominated by selfishness and rebellion. And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we are to rid ourselves of our old nature that led our lives prior to becoming a follower of Jesus.

We then see Paul reveal two additional things that the members of the church of Ephesus had been instructed in when it came to how they lived their day to day lives as followers of Jesus in Ephesians 4:23:

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Now when Paul states "you be renewed in the spirit of your mind" this phrase is passive. In other words, this is something that happens to you. This phrase literally means let yourself be renewed. In the spirit of your mind refers to a spiritual state of mind. Paul is basically saying "you must adopt a new attitude of mind".

And it is here that we see Paul urge the members of the church at Ephesus to let the Holy Spirit renew their way of thinking. You see, it is the Holy Spirit's ongoing activity in our lives that results in us having a spiritual state of mind and way of thinking. And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we are to let the Holy Spirit renew our way of thinking so that we would have a spiritual state of mind and way of thinking.

Then, in verse 24, Paul urges the members of the church at Ephesus to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Paul here is revealing for us the reality that not only do we have to rid ourselves of our old nature that led our lives prior to becoming a follower of Jesus. In addition, we have to replace what we rid ourselves of with something.

And what we are to replace what we rid ourselves of is the new self. In other words, we are to put on the new self, which is literally the new man. And it is here that we see Paul urge the members of the church at Ephesus to put on their new nature so that they would live in light of their new and true identity. And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we are to put on our new nature to live in light of our new and true identity.

Paul then reveals four aspects of how our new nature reflects our new identity as a follower of Jesus. First, Paul states that our new self is in the likeness of God. Now this phrase literally means to be in God. Paul here is revealing that our new nature was created to reflect our new identity as a follower of Jesus. Paul is urging followers of Jesus to rid themselves of their old nature that identified them as being far from God in order to put on their new nature  that reflects their identity as a follower of Jesus.

Second, Paul explains that our new self has been created in righteousness. Now the word righteousness is a big fancy fifty cent theological word that refers to the quality or state of being right. Deep huh?  Paul here is revealing that our new nature was created to reflect our new identity as being in a right relationship with God. Paul is urging followers of Jesus to rid themselves of their old nature that identified them as being in opposition to God in order to put on their new nature  that reflects our identity as being right with God.

Third, Paul states that our new self is created in holiness. Now the word holiness refers to a state of proper attitude toward God that is exhibited in our actions. Paul here is revealing that our new nature was created to reflect our new identity as having a proper attitude toward God that is reflected in our actions toward God and others. Paul is urging followers of Jesus to rid themselves of their old nature that identified them as having an attitude of rebellion toward God that resulted in rebellious actions against God in order to put on their new nature that reflects their identity as having a proper attitude toward God that is reflected in their actions toward God and others.

And fourth, Paul states that our new self is created of the truth. This phrase refers to the reality that truth expresses itself in our outward lifestyle. Paul here is revealing that our new nature was created to reflect our new identity as being grounded in the ultimate truth that reveals the ultimate truth. Paul is urging followers of Jesus to rid themselves of their old nature that identified them as being doomed to destruction as a result of deceitful desires that are dominated by selfishness and rebellion in order to put on their new nature  that reflects their identity as being aligned with the ultimate truth that reveals the ultimate truth.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to our identity. And that timeless truth is this: Our identity of a follower of Jesus should lead us to live a new life as we lay aside our old life. Just as it was for the members of the church at Ephesus; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, our identity of a follower of Jesus leads us to live a new life as we lay aside our old life.

As followers of Jesus, our identity should lead us to no longer live our day to day lives like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God. Instead, our identity should lead us to live our lives according to all that we have learned about Jesus. Our identity as a follower of Jesus should lead us to rid themselves of our old nature that identified us as being far from God in order to put on our new nature that reflects our identity as a follower of Jesus.

Our identity as a follower of Jesus should lead us to rid ourselves of our old nature that identified us as being in opposition to God in order to put on our new nature that reflects our identity as being right with God. Our identity as a follower of Jesus should lead us to rid ourselves of our old nature that identified us as having an attitude of rebellion toward God that resulted in rebellious actions against God in order to put on our new nature that reflects our identity as having a proper attitude toward God that is reflected in our actions toward God and others.

And our identity as a follower of Jesus should lead us to rid ourselves of our old nature that identified us as being doomed to destruction as a result of deceitful desires that are dominated by selfishness and rebellion in order to put on our new nature that reflects our identity as being aligned with the ultimate truth that reveals the ultimate truth.

So here is a question to consider: What does your lifestyle reveal about what identity you are living in? Does your lifestyle reveal that your identity is one that does not know Jesus and is far from God? Does your lifestyle reveal that your identity is one who has failed to rid yourself of your old nature as you try to live a new life as a follower of Jesus?

Or does your lifestyle reveal that your identity is one that is living a new life that is laying aside the old life. Because our identity as a follower of Jesus should lead us to live a new life as we lay aside our old life.

How Distance Impacts Lifestyle...

At the church where I serve, we have been spending our time together looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Ephesians. As we go through this letter, our hope and our prayer is that God would enable us to see our true identity, the identity that He designed us to live in, so that we would live our day to day lives in light of our true identity.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together by picking up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Ephesians, we are going to discover another timeless truth regarding our identity as a follower of Jesus that has the potential to change how we see our true identity, the identity that God designed us to live in, so that we would live our day to day lives in light of our true identity. So let’s discover this timeless truth together, beginning in Ephesians 4:17:

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentile also walk, in the futility of their mind,

Paul begins this section of his letter to the members of the church at Ephesus with a seemingly strange phrase: “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord”. Now this phrase, if communicated in the language that we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “I have something to say in light of what I have just said about the fact that the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus. And I want you to know that the Lord feels the same way about what I have to say”.

Paul then reveals exactly what he and the Lord had to say to the members of the church at Ephesus: that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk. Now, as we discovered last week, when Paul uses the word walk here, this word refers to how we conduct and live out our day to day lives. Paul here is urging the members of the church at Ephesus, and followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live out their day to day lives like the Gentiles live their day to day lives.

 In other words, as followers of Jesus, we are not to live out our day to day lives like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God live their day to day lives. Now a question that could be running through your mind is “why not? What is wrong with me living my day to day life like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God? What difference does it make? And is there a difference?”

 In the verses that follow, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us three specific characteristics that mark the lives of those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God. First, in the second half of verse 17, Paul explains that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God walk in the futility of their mind. When Paul uses the phrase, futility of their mind, this phrase refers to a state of being that is without use or empty.

Paul’s point here is that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God live their lives with a mindset that is without value and that is focused on worthless things. Paul then reveals for us the two other characteristics that mark the lives of those who do not know Jesus and are far from God in Ephesians 4:18-19. Let’s look at it together:

being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of  impurity with greediness.

Now to understand what the Apostle Paul is communicating here we first need to define some terms. The phrase “being darkened in their understanding" in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to become darkened or blinded in the understanding or comprehension of truth.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us the reality that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God live their lives in a way that is blind to the truth. Instead of clearly seeing and understanding what is true, they live their lives according to the stinking thinking of untruth.

But not only are those who do not know Jesus and that are far from God live their lives with a mindset that is without value and that is focused on worthless things and that is blind to the truth. Paul also explains that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God are excluded from the life of God. Now to be excluded means to be estranged or alienated from someone. And that someone, according to Paul, is God.

Paul then explains that the reason that they are estranged and alienated from God is because of the ignorance that is in them. Now when Paul refers to the ignorance within them, he is not saying that those who do not know Jesus and are far from God are stupid. Instead, this phrase conveys the sense of a lack of gratitude and obedience to God as a result of not having a relationship with God. It’s not that they do not know about God. Instead it’s that they do not want to know God.

And it here that the Apostle Paul reveals for us that reality that those who do not know God and who are far from God live their lives separated from God as a result of their selfishness and rebellion. Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave why are they separated from God as a result of their selfishness and rebellion? Why do they have a lack of gratitude toward God and a lack of obedience to God that separates them from God?”

Paul then provides the answer to these questions when he uses the phrase “because of the hardness of their heart”. When Paul refers to the heart, he is referring to the center  and the core of our beings. In addition, the word hardness conveys the idea of a rigidness, an inflexibility. So a hardness of heart is a stubborn rebellion in the very core of one’s being.

Paul’s point here is that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God live their lives with a lack of gratitude and obedience toward God as a result of a hardness toward God that produces a stubborn rebellion against God. And as a result of that hardness toward God that produces a stubborn rebellion against God, Paul explains in verse 19 that they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Now when I first began playing the guitar, I remember that after playing my fingers would be in pain. However, over time, as I practiced, I began to experience less pain. The reason that I experienced less pain was due to the fact that my fingers began to build up calluses’. And those calluses’ caused me to no longer feel the pain of pushing down on those metal strings. And in the same way, those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God have become callous so as to not feel any feelings of guilt for their selfishness and rebellion.

Paul’s point is that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God live their lives with a lack of gratitude and obedience toward God as a result of a hardness toward God that produces a lifestyle of rebellion against God. And in Ephesians 4:19, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us three ways in which those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God participate in a lifestyle of rebellion against God.

First, Paul explains that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God have given themselves over to sensuality. When Paul uses the word sensuality here, this word refers to a lack of self constraint that results in conduct that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable.  Paul’s point is that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God willingly participate in a lifestyle of license that lacks any self restraint.

Second, Paul explains that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God have given themselves over for the practice of every kind of impurity. Now to practice something is to engage in an activity or behavior with a sustained interest so as to get better at it. I mean we practice something to improve at it, don’t we? In this case, what was being practiced was every kind of impurity. Now impurity refers to a state of moral corruption. Paul’s point is that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God willingly participate in a lifestyle of corruption in every aspect of their lives.

Third, Paul explains that those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God have given themselves over to greediness. Greediness, simply put, is a desire to have more than one’s due. In other words, those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God willingly participate in a lifestyle that is driven by selfish desires that are never satisfied.

Paul here is urging followers of Jesus throughout history, to no longer live their day to day lives like those who do not know Jesus and who are far from God.  Paul is urging followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives with a mindset that is without value and that is focused on worthless things.

Paul is urging followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives in a way that is blind to what is true. Paul is urging followers of Jesus throughout history to no longer live their day to day lives with a lack of gratitude and obedience to God that is dues to a hardness towards God that produces a practiced lifestyle of rebellion against God.

So here is the question: Have I just described how you live your day to day life? Are these the characteristics that mark your life? Because, as Paul points out, these are not the characteristics of a follower of Jesus. These are the characteristics that mark the life of a person who does not know Jesus and who is far from God.

Now you might be wondering “well Dave, what does a life that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus look like in one’s day to day life?” Tomorrow, we will see the Apostle Paul provide the answers to these questions...

We live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that we have received from Jesus...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Ephesians. Yesterday, we saw the Apostle Paul reveal for us the reality that we live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we hold on to the unity that we have as a result of our identity. Paul’s point to followers of Jesus throughout history is that we live a life that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we live in community with one another that is marked by unity.

The church is united as a result of the embracing of these foundational truths. To not embrace these foundational, closed handed issues is to not be a follower of Jesus or a church. And this unity as a result of these foundational truths results in us revealing and reflecting the nature and character of the unity of God to the world.  However, unity does not mean uniformity, as we see Paul reveal for us in Ephesians 4:7:

 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

Now when the Apostle Paul uses the word grace in verse 7, this word refers to God’s transformational intervention and activity in the life of followers of Jesus through Jesus. As a result of God’s transformational intervention and activity in the life of followers of Jesus through Jesus, followers of Jesus had received a gift. As we will discover in a few minutes, the gift that Paul is referring to are spiritual gifts. Paul’s point to the members of the church at Ephesus, and to followers of Jesus throughout history, is that upon becoming a follower of Jesus, each follower of Jesus receives a spiritual gift.

Paul then backs his claim by pointing the members of the church of Ephesus to section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament book of Psalms. In Psalm 68:18, we see the Psalmist proclaim that God had ascended to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule and reign through the Jewish people after delivering the Jewish people from captivity as slaves in the nation of Egypt.

 Paul then takes this Psalm and applies it to Jesus ascension into Heaven as the fulfillment of this Psalm in the fullest sense. Paul’s point is that just as God had brought the Jewish people from captivity into relationship with Him to the Promised Land to establish His kingdom; Just as God had taken the Levites and giving them the gifts and responsibility for the Temple, Jesus had now ascended to Heaven and brought people who were now dead back to life.

And as Jesus captured hearts and brought people into relationship with Him, Jesus had given specific spiritual gifts to specific people in order to advance His kingdom here on earth. Just as Jesus had descended from the heights of Heaven to live on earth in the lowliest of positions here on earth so as to die the death of a condemned slave of enemy of the government, Jesus had now ascended back to the highest of Heaven to be in a position of preeminence and prominence over all things.

Now another question that we need to answer here is “what are spiritual gifts?” A spiritual gift is a God given inner motivation to meet the needs of others in a way that builds them up spiritually. A spiritual gift is not a talent or ability. Instead spiritual gifts work though a talent or ability to meet the needs of others in a way that results in others spiritual maturity. Spiritual gifts are used to help others so that others grow in their relationship with Jesus.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us the reality that we live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that we have received from Jesus. Paul’s point to followers of Jesus throughout history is that we live a life that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we use the diversity of spiritual gifts that we have been given as live in community with one another that is marked by unity.

You see, unity is not uniformity. Instead unity reveals itself through a diversity of people who have received a diversity of spiritual gifting who use that gifting in a way that results in a state of harmony in our relationships with one another as we build up one another spiritually. We see Paul unpack this reality for us in verse 11:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Now to understand what Paul is communicating here we first need to understand who the Apostles, Prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers are. When Paul refers to these titles, he is referring to specific ministry positions in the church that were occupied with people who possess a specific spiritual gift.

The Apostles and Prophets were a specific group of people who lived in a specific time in history that were given a specific spiritual gift. An Apostle was a person who had seen Jesus after He had been resurrected from the dead and who was given a specific spiritual gift by Jesus to supervise and authorize the special work of laying the foundation of the church.

A prophet was a person who received the spiritual gift to receive and communicate new truth about God and the kingdom of God by direct revelation from God during the founding of the church. A prophet, by definition reveals things about God that could not be known by another means and that was new.

That is why we do not have Apostles and Prophets today. Apostles and Prophets were a specific group of people who lived in a specific time in history that were given a specific spiritual gift to do something new, which was to launch the church.

When Paul refers to evangelist, he is referring to a person who had been given the spiritual gift of evangelism, which is an inner motivation to share the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel with others. Paul then refers to pastors.

Pastors are those who are in a position to exercise the spiritual gift of pastor shepherd, which is a God-given inner motivation to lovingly serve and nurture the spiritual well-being of others.

When Paul refers to teachers, he is referring to those who are in a position to exercise the spiritual gift of teaching, which is a God given inner motivation to research and explain the message and teachings of Jesus. Paul’s point here is that Jesus gave followers of Jesus specific spiritual gifts to be used in specific positions in the church.

Paul then explains that Jesus gave the diversity of spiritual gifts for three specific reasons. First, in verse 12, Paul explains that these spiritual gifts were given for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. Paul here is revealing for us the reality that we receive spiritual gifts to equip and empower others to advance His kingdom mission as we are used by God to bring people to the position where they experience the forgiveness and relationship with God that they were created for and become a part of the church. As followers of Jesus, when we use the diversity of the spiritual gifts within the church in a community that is marked by unity, the result is that we are equipped and empowered to reveal and reflect Jesus to the world, which God uses to bring people to Him and to become a part of the church.

Second, in the first part of verse 13, Paul explains that these spiritual gifts were given until we all attain to the unity of the faith. Paul here is revealing for us the reality that we receive spiritual gifts in order to build unity and harmony in community with one another as we grow in or relationship with Jesus. As followers of Jesus, when we use the diversity of the spiritual gifts we have been given in order to meet the needs of others, the result is that the church grows in their unity and harmony with one another as we grow in our trust in Jesus.

Third, in the rest of verse 13, Paul explains that these spiritual gifts were given until we all attain to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Paul here is revealing for us the reality that we receive spiritual gifts in order to equip and empower others to a greater knowledge of Jesus that results in spiritual maturity. As followers of Jesus, when we use the diversity of the spiritual gifts we have been given in order to meet the needs of others, the result is that we grow in our knowledge of Jesus in a way that moves us toward spiritual maturity and a life that reveals and reflects Christ in our character and conduct.

Paul then reveals for us the results that occur when followers of Jesus exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that they had received from Jesus that moves others toward spiritual maturity and a life that reveals and reflects Christ in their character and conduct in Ephesians 4:14:

 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

In these verses, we see Paul reveal for us two results that occur when followers of Jesus exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that they had received from Jesus in a way that moves others toward spiritual maturity and a life that reveals and reflects Christ in their character and conduct.

First, in verse 14, Paul explains that when we exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that we receive from Jesus in the lives of others in a way that results in spiritual maturity, these followers of Jesus would no longer immaturely move away from the truth of the message and teachings of Jesus. As a result of our spiritual maturity, we would no longer be tricked by crafty false teachers. And as a result of our spiritual maturity, we would no longer wander away from the truth as a result of crafty and deceitful schemes.

Second, in verse 15-16, Paul explains that when we exercise the diversity of the spiritual gifts that we receive from Jesus in the lives of others in a way that results in spiritual maturity, these followers of Jesus would reveal and reflect Jesus as we exercise our spiritual gifts together in a way that built up the church together. As a result of our spiritual maturity, we grow as individuals to reveal Christ in our character and conduct. And as a result of our spiritual maturity, our individual growth results in the church revealing Christ to the world.

So here is a question to consider: How are you responding to all that God had done for you that resulted in your vertical relationship with Jesus? What are you doing when it comes to your horizontal relationships with others as a result of what Jesus has done for you?

We live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we hold on to the unity that we have as a result of our identity...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Ephesians. Yesterday, we saw the Apostle Paul reveal for us the timeless truth that the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus. Just as it was for the members of the church at Ephesus; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history; the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus.

Now a natural question that could arise here is “Well Dave that sounds great, but what does that look like practically? I mean, that just sounds like some church mumbo jumbo talk stuff. So how should the worth of our identity drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus?”     

If those questions are running through your mind, I just want to let you know that those are great questions to be asking. And in Ephesians 4:1-16, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us two ways that the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus. So let’s discover them together, beginning in Ephesians 4:2:

  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Now to understand what Paul is communicating here, we first need to define some terms. When Paul uses the word humility, a simple definition of humility is to live your life in light of that reality that there is a God and that you are not Him. Humility recognizes and places God as being large and in charge of one’s life and then lives their life in recognition that you are following God under His leadership.

The word gentleness, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to not be overly impressed by a sense of self importance. Paul’s point is that the life of a follower of Jesus should place God first instead of a life that is marked by a sense of self importance. Paul then explains that the life of a follower of Jesus should be marked with patience. Patience literally is the ability to bear up under provocation.

Paul then explains why humility, gentleness and patience are so important with two phrases. The first phrase, showing tolerance for one another in love, literally means to endure and bear with one another with a selfless love.

However, it is the second phrase that serves as the goal that Paul was pointing the members of the church at Ephesus to: “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” But what does that mean?

Now this phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: Make sure that you make every effort to hold on to so as not to lose the unity and the harmony that you have as a result of the Holy Spirit’s activity that has brought you to a place of peace and unity when it comes to you relationship with God and your relationship with one another”.

You see while the Holy Spirit had brought the members of the church of Ephesus to a place of unity with God and unity in community with one another, the Apostle Paul wanted to make sure that the members of the church at Ephesus clearly understood that they had a responsibility to preserve that unity.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us the reality that we live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we hold on to the unity that we have as a result of our identity. Paul’s point to followers of Jesus throughout history is that we live a life that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus when we live in community with one another that is marked by unity.

And as followers of Jesus, we hold on to the unity we have when we live our day to day lives in humility. As followers of Jesus, we hold on to the unity we have when we live our day to day lives in a way that is not overly impressed by a sense of self importance. And as followers of Jesus, we hold on to the unity we have when we live our day to day lives with patience towards one another. We hold on to the unity we have when we endure and bear up with one another in love.

We hold on to the unity we have when we make every effort to preserve a state of harmony with one another. Unity is the result of the Holy Spirit’s activity that results in our relationship with Jesus that produces a bond that results in a state of harmony in our relationships with one another. However, as followers of Jesus in community with one another, we have the responsibility to preserve unity.

Now it is important to understand that unity is not uniformity. However, so often as followers of Jesus, we want to create disunity and division over what are debatable issues.  You see, as followers of Jesus there are some issues that are close handed issues. In other words there are some issues that are not open for debate when it comes to being a follower of Jesus. For example, that fact that Jesus is God; that the Bible is from God and authoritative in our lives; the Trinity; and how one becomes a follower of Jesus are all closed handed issues. There is no room for debate.

Other issues, such as is the church a part of the Great Tribulation, whether the sign spiritual gifts exist today, should drums and electric guitars be a part of worship, should Christians celebrate holidays such as Halloween, should Christians drink alcohol or dance, are opened handed issues. There is room for disagreement and debate. So often, however, Christians want to make open handed issues closed handed, while making closed handed issues open handed. And as a result, the church experiences division and disunity.

Now a question that arises here is “Well Dave, what are the closed handed theological issues that the church should be united around? What are the closed handed issues that make Christianity and the church true to what God designed it to be?” We see the Apostle Paul provide the answer to that question in verse 4. Let’s look at it together:

 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Here we see the Apostle Paul explain to the members of the church at Ephesus that they were not to strive for unity for unity’s sake. Instead, as followers of Jesus, there are specific foundational truths that serve to unite us as followers of Jesus. Paul then provides a list of seven such foundational truths.

First, Paul explains that there is only one body. Paul’s point here is that there is only one church. Followers of Jesus throughout history and throughout the world are a part of the universal and only true church that expresses and reveals itself through local churches. Second Paul, explains that there is only one Spirit. In other words, there is only one Holy Spirit that unites us as a part of the body of Christ, the church, as followers of Jesus.

Third, Paul explains that there is only one invitation that provides for us a confident expectation for the future. And that invitation is that we were called by God to experience the hope that comes from the forgiveness and relationship with God that we were created for through Jesus. Fourth, Paul explains that there is only one Lord. Paul’s point here is that there is only one who is large and in charge, and that one is Jesus.

Fifth, Paul explains that there is only one faith. In other words, there is only one message to place our confident trust in, and the message is God’s message of rescue through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Sixth, Paul explains that there is only one baptism. Paul’s point here is that there is only one way that one is identified as a follower of Jesus. And that way is through the Holy Spirit’s ongoing activity in one’s life that leads them to publicly proclaim and identify oneself through baptism as a follower of Jesus.

You see, for Paul, the idea that one would experience the indwelling presence, or baptism, of the Holy Spirit and then not publicly proclaim and identify with Jesus through water baptism was inconceivable. For Paul, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptism were inseparable and expected. 

And seventh, Paul explains that there is only one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. In other words, there are not a multitude of gods. Instead, there is only one God who rules over all and works through all and is everywhere.

You see, for Paul the goal was not unity for unities sake. Instead, the church is united as a result of the embracing of these foundational truths. To not embrace these foundational, closed handed issues is to not be a follower of Jesus or a church. And this unity as a result of these foundational truths results in us revealing and reflecting the nature and character of the unity of God to the world.

However, unity does not mean uniformity, as we see Paul reveal for us tomorrow…

The worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus...

At the church where I serve, we are spending our time together in a sermon series entitled identity. During this series, we are looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Ephesians.

Now this week I would like for us to pick up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus at the church at Ephesus, we are going to see the Apostle Paul make a shift when it comes to the focus of his letter.

For the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians, we have seen the Apostle Paul focus on all that God has done vertically for us so that we could experience the identity that He designed us to live in as followers of Jesus. This week, however, we are going to see that Apostle Paul shift his focus to how we should live when it comes to our horizontal relationships with others in light of all that God has done when it comes to our vertical relationship with Him.

And as the Apostle Paul makes this shift of focus, we are going to discover another timeless truth regarding our identity as a follower of Jesus that has the potential to change how we see our true identity, the identity that God designed us to live in, so that we would live our day to day lives in light of our true identity. So let’s discover this timeless truth together, beginning in Ephesians 4:1:

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Paul begins this section of his letter to the members of the church at Ephesus with the word therefore. The Apostle Paul is basically saying “In light of what I have said in the first half of this letter. In light of the reality that our identity as a follower of Jesus is the basis of our spiritual blessings because we have been chosen by God the Father and adopted as His children, because we have been rescued by Jesus Christ from the selfishness and rebellion that separated us from God, we have obtained an inheritance according to His plan and for His glory, and we have the Holy Spirit’s ongoing activity in our lives. In light of the reality that our identity as a follower of Jesus is based on the reality that while we were once dead, we have been made alive through Jesus. In light of the reality that our identity as a follower of Jesus should remove racial barriers and should result in equality among followers of Jesus. In light of the reality that our identity as a follower of Jesus flows from the incomprehensible love of Christ that results in our relationship with Christ. In light of the reality that I am writing this letter from jail in Rome after being arrested for proclaiming the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.  In light of all of that, I am imploring you to do something.”

Now the word implore, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to urge strongly. You see, the Apostle Paul was strongly urging the members of the church at Ephesus to respond to all that God had done for them that resulted in their vertical relationship with Jesus to do something when it came to their horizontal relationships with others.

And what Paul was strongly urging the members of the church at Ephesus to do was to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. When Paul uses the work walk here, he is referring to how one conducts their day to day lives. Paul is referring to how we live our day to day lives as followers of Jesus. And how we should live our day to day lives is in a manner worthy of the calling by which you have been called.

Now this phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “I am strongly urging you to live your day to day lives in a way that is worthy of the invitation that you have received to experience a relationship with of Jesus that came as a result of God’s choice to extend that invitation to you. I am strongly urging you to live your day to day lives in a way that is worthy of all that God has done for you by choosing you to be His child and rescuing you from your selfishness and rebellion through Jesus performance”.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to our identity. And that timeless truth is that the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus. Just as it was for the members of the church at Ephesus; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history; the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus.

Now a natural question that could arise here is “Well Dave that sounds great, but what does that look like practically? I mean, that just sounds like some church mumbo jumbo talk stuff. So how should the worth of our identity drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus?”     

If those questions are running through your mind, I just want to let you know that those are great questions to be asking. And in Ephesians 4:1-16, we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us two ways that the worth of our identity should drive us to live in a way that is worthy of our identity as a follower of Jesus.

Tomorrow, we will begin to discover them together...

Comprehending the Incomprehensible...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Ephesians. Wednesday, we saw Paul reveal for us the timeless truth that Our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us.

Paul wanted followers of Jesus throughout history to somehow be able to comprehend and wrap their minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ. So Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would be at work in our lives in such a way that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave, if the love of Christ is incomprehensible, why would Paul even bother praying that God would help us to comprehend the love of Christ? I mean that seems to be a waste of time? Why pray something that cannot possibly be answered?” Today, we will see Paul himself provide the answer as he concludes this section of his letter in Ephesians 3:20:

 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

You see, Paul prayed that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ because Paul believed that God was capable of doing infinitely beyond all we could ask for.

Paul prayed that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ because Paul believed that God was capable of doing infinitely beyond all we could even think or imagine.

Paul did not put God’s capabilities in a box when it came to what God could do in our lives. Paul did not put God’s capabilities in a box when it came to what God could do in our lives because Paul knew that as followers of Jesus, we have the mighty strength of the Holy Spirit within us.  

And because of who God is, and because of all that God had done through His Son Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus, Paul wanted God to receive the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all eternity. Paul wanted God to receive the honor and recognition that He deserved for all that He had done through His Son Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus and the movement called the church as the vehicle that God uses to reveal His Son Jesus to the world for all eternity.

You see, for Paul, his identity as a follower of Jesus provoked him to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us. And as followers of Jesus our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us.

So here is a question to consider: Does your identity as a follower of Jesus provoke you to ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to comprehend Christ’s love for you? Does your identity as a follower of Jesus provoke you to want to wrap your mind around how wide, how long, how tall, and how deep Jesus love for you must be to willingly allow Himself to be treated as though He lived your selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat you as though you lived Jesus perfect life? Or are you provoked to ask elsewhere when it comes to trying to find your identity?

Our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us...

This week, we are looking at a prayer that is recorded for us in a letter in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Ephesians. Yesterday, we looked on as Paul prayed that God would give the members of the church of Ephesus the ability to experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power as a result of Jesus taking up permanent residence in their lives. Paul wanted the members of the church at Ephesus to experience the Holy Spirit’s activity in their life so that they would become more like Jesus as Jesus lived within them.

Paul was praying for us today as followers of Jesus that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s power as a result of Jesus taking up residence in our lives through faith. And as Jesus takes up permanent residence in our lives, Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would be at work in our lives in such a way that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave how can you say that Paul here is praying for us today? And what did Paul want the Holy Spirit to do in our lives if Paul was actually praying for us today?” Today we find the answer to those questions in what Paul has to say next in the second half of Ephesians 3:17:

and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

By using the phrase “rooted and grounded in love”, Paul is painting a word picture for the members of the church of Ephesus. You see, just like a healthy tree that is firmly rooted in the ground; just like a secure foundation that provides a secure base for a building, the members of the church at Ephesus were firmly rooted and secure in their relationship with Jesus.

Paul explains that the reason they were firmly rooted and secure in their relationship with Christ was due to God’s selfless and sacrificial love for them that He had demonstrated through His activity through His Son Jesus which resulted in their relationship with Jesus. And because they were firmly rooted and secure in their relationship with Jesus, Paul prayed that they may be able to comprehend something, with all the saints.

Notice that Paul’s prayer is for all the saints. This morning, if you are here and you are a follower of Jesus that would be you. Paul here is praying that followers of Jesus throughout history would be able to comprehend, which means to understand or grasp, something. Paul wanted followers of Jesus throughout history to be able experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in such a way that they would be able to wrap their minds around something.

Paul then reveals what exactly he wanted followers of Jesus to be able to wrap their minds around in the second half of verse 18. Paul wanted followers of Jesus throughout history to comprehend “what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge”.

Now this phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “I am praying that that God would give you the ability to comprehend and wrap your minds around the love of Christ that transcends comprehension. I am praying that you would be able to comprehend how wide Jesus love for you is. I am praying that you would be able to comprehend how long Jesus love for you is. I am praying that you would be able to comprehend how tall Jesus love for you is. I am praying that you would be able comprehend how deep Jesus love for you is. And the reason why I am praying that you would be able to comprehend and wrap your minds around the love of Christ is because the love of Christ is incomprehensible. There is no way that you are going to be able to wrap your finite minds around the infinite love of Christ. However, I am praying that God would, by His Holy Spirit empower you to be able to comprehend and wrap your minds around the incomprehensible and infinite love of Christ so that you would become more like Christ”.

And it is here that we see the Apostle Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to our identity as a follower of Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Our identity as a follower of Jesus should provoke us to pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us. Paul’s prayer for the members of the church at Ephesus, and for followers of Jesus throughout history, was that as we grew in our understanding of what God had done for us through Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus, that our understanding of all that God had done for us through Jesus would provoke something within the core of our beings. And what would be provoked would be that we would pray that the Holy Spirit would empower us to comprehend Christ’s love for us.

Now think of it this way; would you give your only child to rescue your enemy who hated you? Would you willingly choose to adopt as a part of your family someone who had rebelled and rejected you? Would you willingly give an inheritance to someone who had rebelled and rejected you? Would you willingly identify with someone who had rebelled and rejected you as being yours?

Now, if I was honest, I would never do that for you. Would you do that for me? How wide, how long, how tall, how deep would someone’s love have to be to do such a thing? But that is exactly what God did for us though His activity through His Son Jesus that resulted in our relationship with Jesus. And Paul wanted followers of Jesus throughout history to somehow be able to comprehend and wrap their minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ.

So Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would be at work in our lives in such a way that we would experience the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives so that we would be able to comprehend and wrap our minds around the incomprehensible love of Christ so that our lives would reflect the love of Christ as we lived in relationship with Christ.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave, if the love of Christ is incomprehensible, why would Paul even bother praying that God would help us to comprehend the love of Christ? I mean that seems to be a waste of time? Why pray something that cannot possibly be answered?”

Friday, we will see Paul himself provide the answer as he concludes this section of his letter...