Ephesians 4:1-7
Introduction: In this passage Paul tells the believer that we are to be Vs 3 “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. It’s the responsibility of the Spirit to make unity, it’s our responsibility to keep the unity.
To keep the unity of the Spirit, we must:
- Have the right Attitude- Vs2 This is the way we should deal with other Christians fi we are to have unity with one another. If we each do our part, we will all endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.
- Attitude of Lowliness- Free from pride, humility, humbleness. The lower the better.
- Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves”. To be lowly is to esteem other better than themselves, in such a selfish world, this is not an easy thing to do yet this is the right attitude we should have.
- Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your county.
- Luke 18:10-14 This is the difference between exalted and humility.
- Attitude of Meekness- Soft of temper, mildness, gentleness.
- Numbers 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” Moses was the meekest man to have ever lived and he always strove to keep the unity.
- Matthew 11:28-29 our greatest example Jesus Christ said to learn of Him, because He is meek and lowly in heart.
- Attitude of Longsuffering- To be long tempered, to have self-restraint in the face of provocation.
- Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering, and God wants us to produce this kind of fruit in our lives, however the only way this will happen is if we walk in the Spirit.
- Galatians 5:16-17 The key is to walk in the Spirit. If we walk in the flesh and are provoked, we will not be very longsuffering with anyone.
- Attitude of Forbearing- The exercise of patience. Many of us don’t have much patience and that doesn’t keep the unity of the Spirit.
- I Thessalonians 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all mem”. Don’t just be patient with some and not with others.
- I Corinthians 13:4 “Charity suffereth long”. Love in action is the key to forbear with anyone.
- Love one Another vs 2- “forbearing one another in love”. Love for one another will keep the unity of the Spirt.
- I John 4:7 Loving one another keeps the unity because:
- Vs 7 Love is of God
- Vs 11 Love shows Christ’s ultimate example
- Vs 12 Love is perfected- it keeps getting better and better then more we do it.
- Matthew 22:36-39 “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. This is the answer of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees after being asked a question to tempt Him.
- Keep the Peace- Vs 3- notice, the unity stays bonded/ together with peace. Turmoil divides, but peace unites. Strife, divisions, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, and envy are somethings that will not keep the peace. God wants peace in the home and with other Christians. Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Sometimes it’s up to you to keep the peace, and not to push someone.
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- Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. We have to seek peace, it’s like looking for something that you have lost, you keep looking for it until you find it.
- Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! To have peace with one another is always good and pleasant. People want to be around other people that are peaceful.
- Have the same Faith– Vs 4-5 In order to have unity, there are some things regarding our faith that we should not compromise on:
- One body- I Corinthains 12:12 “for as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ”.
- One Spirit- the Holy Ghost. 2 Ephesians 2:18, Corinthains 11:4
- One Hope- This is the hope of eternal life- Titus 1:2.
- One Lord- Matthew 7:21 “not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven”. These had a different lord. Salvation is Christ alone, grace alone and faith alone.
- Extend to others the Grace given to us– Vs 7 Grace is not getting what we deserve. Because we are a sinner saved by grace, we are going to mess up. However, there are some Christians that forget how graceful God is with them and they don’t extend that grace to others when they mess up.
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- Paul constantly spoke of the grace of God that was given to him by God.
- If anyone needed grace, it was Paul, yet Paul knew how to extend that grace to others also.
- Luke 17:3 “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him”.
- If we are going to keep the unity of the Spirit, we too must extend them the grace that was extended to us.
Conclusion: As we have seen, by having the right attitude, loving one another, keeping the peace, having the same faith, and extending the grace given to us, we are able to keep the unity of the Spirit.