Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:1-16

The first three chapters of Ephesians were doctrinal: they were mostly about what we are to believe. Feel free to read them for some background. Chapter four begins the practical chapters. Because a Christian believes in a certain way, he or she is to behave in a certain way. Paul is going to build on the foundation he has laid and tell us how to live the Christian life, at church, in the world and at home. In later chapters he reminds us of our spiritual warfare before bringing his letter to a close.

The easiest place to live the Christian life is at church, and this is where Paul starts his practical instruction. His particular theme is the unity of the church. In his mind, of course, is the church at Ephesus, but because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, his teaching applies to any local assembly of Christians.

We will remember that Paul had been showing us that the old distinctions are now finished in God’s sight. There are no longer Jews and Gentiles and it is a mistake to resurrect these differences. God does not have two peoples, but one. There are no longer two sorts of walls in the building; both are built on the same foundation, meet at the same cornerstone and fit into each other. “The mystery” takes on visible form in the local church. It would therefore be both wrong and tragic for there to be disunity there.

We are reading Ephesians almost two thousand years after it was written, but its teachings are as relevant as ever. Many local churches are riddled with tensions and suspicion. They are troubled with cliques and splinter groups. Some of them split and then split again. Those who think they are immune to such difficulties often prove to be most susceptible to them. With deep pastoral concern, Paul addresses this issue in the first sixteen verses of this chapter. He has four telling points to make. His teaching should be heeded by us all.

Unity is Not Automatic

Please read Ephesians 4:1-3 for the background to this section.

If it were automatic, this paragraph would not have needed to be written! Unity is not something that just happens; it has to be worked for. In verse 1 Paul reminds his readers that he is in prison. He has already told them that he is there for their sake. He doesn’t pull rank on them and say, “Look, I’m the apostle to the Gentiles, so you must do as I say.” Nor does he flatter them. His words are: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”

From his prison cell he pleads with the men and women of a local church to remember that they have been called by God and that a certain sort of behavior is therefore expected of them. They are no longer like others, so they can no longer live like others. Called out of the world by God to be His chosen people, they must live in a way which is consistent with this fact.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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