*Ephesians 4:1-16
Paul calls believers to live in unity with one another, emphasizing humility, love, and spiritual gifts that contribute to the growth of the body of Christ.
- Call to Unity and Humility:
- Paul urges believers to live in a manner worthy of their calling with complete humility, gentleness, and patience.
- He emphasizes the importance of bearing with one another in love and maintaining the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
- One Body, One Spirit:
- The text reinforces that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.
- Gifts from Christ:
- Christ has given gifts to his people, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
- These gifts are for the purpose of equipping believers for works of service, to build up the body of Christ.
- Goal of Spiritual Maturity:
- The aim is for all believers to reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, becoming mature and attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
- This maturity helps believers to no longer be infants in faith, tossed back and forth by cunning and crafty schemes of deceit.
- Speaking Truth in Love:
- Believers are encouraged to speak the truth in love, growing in every way to become more like Christ, who is the head of the body, the church.
- Through Christ, the whole body is joined and held together, with each part working properly, which promotes the growth of the body in love.
Ephesians 4:1-16 teaches us to live in a way that reflects God’s love by being humble, patient, and united with others. We are all part of God’s family, and He has given each of us unique gifts to help and encourage one another. This reminds us that we grow stronger together when we work in love and unity. We can apply this by treating others with kindness, using our talents to serve, and working together to build a community that reflects God’s goodness.
Ephesians 4:1-16 (WEB)
4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. 7 But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Therefore he says,“When he ascended on high,he led captivity captive,and gave gifts to people.”9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.