| [This section, Ephesians 4:1-16 is my own
take on these verses, and does not come from the local church
I was taking these sermon notes from.]
Ephesians 4:1-16
Are You Worthy To Be Called A Christian?
Ephesians 4:1-16, "As a prisoner for the
Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling
you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is
one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one
hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned
it. This is why it says:
'When he ascended on high, he led
captives in his train and gave gifts to men.' [Psalm 68:8]
(What does 'he ascended' mean except that
he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended
is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens,
in order to fill the whole universe.)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in
the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by
the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
[k.Js. "doctrine"] and by the cunning and craftiness of men
in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in
love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head,
that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself
up in love, as each part does its work."
Ephesians 4:1-16 is a very profound statement made by Paul
about unity in the body of Christ. Back in Paul's day the
body of Christ was made up of individuals in one Church, the
apostalic Church of God. Now it is made up of the various
Christian denominations and fellowships who possess the Holy
Spirit in their midst. All these fellowships share in the
knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and that salvation
is through Him and Him alone, that His atoning sacrifice on
the cross paid for all our sins—basically the gospel
of Christ. But on many secondary doctrinal issues, the differing
fellowships and denominations are not in agreement. Paul said
the body of Christ should strive for unity in the faith,
i.e. faith denoting doctrinal understanding,
and unity in the knowledge of the Son of God, i.e.
unity in the knowledge of salvation through Jesus, i.e. the
gospel of Christ.
It contains some interesting ideas about unity in the body
of Christ, which may be very timely and appropriate for the
times we live in.]
| |
 |
|
