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…