Ephesians 4:1-6 Walk Worthy of our Calling

Ephesians 4:1-6

Walk Worthy of our Calling

Paul begins the beginning of the rest of the book of Ephesians with the “therefore” in verse 1.

Just like Romans 12:1 serves as the transition from justification clearly laid out to the working out of justification in 12:2 through the end of chapter 16, so 4:1 serves as the transition from the mystery of the gospel to the working out of the mystery of the gospel all the way through chapter 6.

Since we have been unified in one body through the electing work of Father in love to rescue us from the prince of the power of the air, there are some urgent matters at hand.

Paul’s use of the word “parakaleo” is big here.

The work means to urge, to exhort, to beseech, to call upon. Often it is used of the task of “preaching” in the sense of Father’s messenger calling people to Father’s instruction.

Paul, in light of the mystery of the gospel, is calling the church at Ephesus to some urgent business. Likewise, the inspired apostle is calling Three Rivers Community church to some urgent business.

Urgent…

Not to be shrugged off…

Not to be thought of as not applying to oneself…

What is the urgent message?

1. Walk worthy in your calling as the church 4:1-3

The instruction is for the whole church to walk in a manner worthy of our mutual calling.

Walking in the bible is not physical walking. Rather it is the manner in which one conducts their life.

So for us in the church, the conduct of our lives is to be worthy of the calling to which we have been called.

A. What is our calling?

1. To adoption as sons of God to the praise of his glory 1:3-14

2. To have our eyes enlightened  to know the hope to which we are called 1:17-18

3. To be his workmanship in Christ Jesus for good works as one body under

the headship of King Jesus as one kingdom made up of all nations 2-3

B. How do we walk worthy of our calling? v. 2

1. Humility

Humility, lowliness of mind, the esteeming of ourselves small, inasmuch as we are so, the correct estimate of ourselves

2. Gentleness

Meekness, but not in a man’s outward behavior only, nor in his relations to his fellow-man or his mere natural disposition. Rather, it is an inwrought grace of the soul, and the expressions of it are primarily toward God

3. Patience

Long-suffering, self-restraint before proceeding to action

4. Bearing with one another in love

To hold up or back, to endure with

Agape – unconditional love

5. Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace v. 3

eager – earnest, diligent

maintain – keep an eye on, guard

the – article, the

unity – oneness

the – article, the

Spirit – Holy Spirit

the – article, the

Bond – that which binds together, tendon, ligament

Peace – opposite of war and dissension

Eagerness looks like bearing with one another in love, patience, gentleness and humility.

Colossians 3:12-14 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

As we have seen in verse 2 already, love binds all this together.

Beware of those eager to divide, eager to listen to spirits of the age rather than Holy Spirit, eager to go to dissension in breaking bonds rather than building them.

Beware of those eager to whisper against others.

Walking worthy looks like eagerness to guard the Spirit’s work in unity and peace.

2. Why walk worthy in our calling? There is one God and Father over one kingdom

Paul is going to highlight the urgent need to walk in unity in one body with the repetitious use of the word “one” in describing the realities of the visible body of the church that comes from the invisible reality of the Father.

There is one universal body of Christ that is diverse because there is one God who is three in one.

The church has the Chief Shepherd, under-shepherds and sheep because our creator is Father, Son and Spirit.

The oneness and diversity in the Godhead is the basis from which the local church is to be unified yet made up of all nations.

Paul’s order from verse 4 through verse 6 works us into this truth.

A.There is one body (4:4a): Christ’s body.

B.There is one Spirit (4:4b): The Holy Spirit.

C.There is one hope (4:4c): Eternal life.

D.There is one Lord (4:5a): The Lord Jesus.

E.There is one faith (4:5b): The Christian faith.

F.There is one baptism (4:5c): The baptism of the Spirit into Christ’s body.

G.There is one God and Father (4:6): The heavenly Father.

To not walk worthy is to deny that there is one Father, one baptism, one faith, one Lord, one hope, one Spirit and one body.

To not walk worthy is to attempt to divide what can’t be divided, and is a grievous sin.

3. What are some implications of the call to live worthy before the Lord?

A. Our standard is Father, Son and Spirit himself. We seek to imitate the Triune God of 

the Bible. Ephesians 5:1

B. We dare not take up petty issues as our battering ram to break up unity

C. We firmly put away (crush, smash, shoot, kill) any lack of humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and peace

We will shoot the wolves, kick the tearing dogs, refuse to wallow with the swine but with intense love and gentleness shepherd the sheep.

D. We gently yet firmly deal with sin and rebellion so that sin and rebellion do not destroy

the whole.

In Joshua 7 Achan’s sin affected the whole people. So, my sin is never isolated to me. Rebellion messes with he spiritual environment and therefore affects everyone.

Sin and it’s fruit can cause disunity. Sin makes two camps out of one every time.

We believe in church discipline, and we will exercise it for the sake of the body and the salvation of the one who is unrepentant.

E. We gather in unity and go away to diverse places because even our life routine is to 

reflect our unity under Christ and our love for each other as a whole body. 

3. Worship Father

Psalm 147:1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.