Skip to content Unity in the Spirit: A Call to Maturity Nov 5 · 16 min ...more
Unity in the Spirit: A Call to Maturity
November 5, 2025 · 16 min
Explore how Ephesians 4 calls us to live in unity and maturity through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Living Worthy of Our Calling 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining this morning. As we move to chapter 4 of Ephesians, this begins the practical application of the doctrine that he taught in the first half0:21 of the book. Verse 30 of chapter 4, and do not grieve the holy spirit of God by by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So how do we grieve the holy spirit? Well,0:33 that's 1 of the aspects of this chapter we're gonna look at this morning, so stay with me. Now I need to go back to something I said at the, the beginning of Ephesians as we look to chapter 2. I said that most scholars0:44 consider Ephesians to be an encyclical or circular letter, meaning that it went to all the churches in Asia Minor, not just 1 particular church. However, I did not explain that statement.0:56 And as a result, I received some email messages. First, thank you for emailing me. Tells me you're just like, the Bereans. You know, Paul commended the Bereans for searching out the word.1:08 And some, emailed me and said, wait a minute. This first verse says that to the saints who are in Ephesus. You're right.1:20 This is what I failed to mention. Now there are some good Greek manuscripts that omit this identification with Ephesus. That that's not the only thing. That1:31 combined with the fact that Paul is not addressing a specific problem in the church, which he did elsewhere in almost all of his letters, and that this is Ephesus despite the fact1:43 that he was most familiar with this church, having spent over 3 years there. He didn't mention any friends as he usually does. So that suggests that this letter was for all the churches. Now that1:55 said, if Paul were writing instructions to the church on how to live and as followers of Christ in a world going in the opposite direction, well, Ephesus would provide2:07 the right backdrop, making this book, frankly, very relevant to us today. So Paul begins the second half of the letter with a call to walk worthy of our calling.2:19 What's our calling? Well, our calling is to be followers of Christ, and that's not just a label. It is a way of life. Look at verse 1. I, therefore, the prisoner of the lord,2:31 beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Now notice again, we saw this last time in in the previous chapter. He does not say he's a prisoner of Rome. He's doing time2:43 for the Lord. Paul's practicing what he preached. He told the Corinthians, do all for the glory of God, whether you eat or drink. Do all for the glory of God. He wrote to the Colossians, and he said this in chapter 32:54 verse 23. And whatever you do, do it hardly as to the lord and not to men. Right? So Paul is a prisoner, but he's doing this as unto the lord.3:07 I mean, what is there that we wouldn't do as unto the lord? Every aspect of our life should be in service to the lord. And just think about the purpose that that gives even in a3:18 situation like this. Very powerful insight. Verse 2. With all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with 1 another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond3:30 of peace. Now these first 3 verses lays out a full time job for a follower of Christ. It says live worthy of the name of Christ. Live. That means live just like3:42 he did in humility, patience, and love, in unity with the father and the Holy Spirit. Verse 4, there is 1 body and 1 spirit just as you were called in 1 hope of your calling,3:54 1 lord, 1 faith, 1 baptism, 1 god and father of all who is above all and through all and in all. Now the practical application of his4:06 teaching starts with unity. Now what does that mean? It means different people with different personalities, different giftings brought together in unity, not uniformity,4:18 but in unity by the power of the Holy Spirit. And here here's the here's the truth. Unity is not achievable without the Holy Spirit. Right? We we have to have the4:30 holy spirit or it doesn't work. Now Paul goes into a discussion of the spiritual gifts, the bottom line of which is they are for the edifying of the body of Christ, building us up, moving us toward unity4:42 and maturity in Christ. That's why we have these gifts. It's not for self exaltation. It's not to advance ourself. It is to build up and to bring the body of Christ to4:54 maturity. Verse 13, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no5:05 longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. Wow. What5:17 a mouthful that is. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ. Alright. If we are to be mature Christians,5:29 and that should be our goal, we need to be grounded in the word of God. Does that surprise you that I would say that? Look. It all comes back to the word. That's why we're doing stand on the5:41 word. Because in the days and times in which we live and Jesus warned this. Paul warned this about deception. Do not be deceived. And and so there are those and and this, by5:53 the way, is in the church. Alright? This is not just on the outside. This is on the inside with let me read this again, verse 14, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with6:05 every wind of doctor by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. So how do we how do we avoid that? How do we keep from being deceived and and and tossed about?6:17 Anchored in the word. We must be anchored in the word and not deceived by the lies within or without. So anchored in the word, we are to speak the truth in love. What6:29 does that mean? We cannot compromise truth for unity. So we must have truth in our words and our actions is what he is saying, but love and our manners and spirit. So6:41 we speak I like to say it this way. We speak out of redemptive heart. We we speak truth not to win an argument or not to get over on somebody and prevail, but we speak the truth out of a6:53 redemptive heart wanting them to find freedom in the truth because it is the truth that makes us free. Now Paul moves to the heart or I should say the mind of the matter in verse 17. This I7:05 say therefore and testify in the lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of your of their mind. Now the futile mind, what is that?7:16 Wasteful and useless, empty headed, depraved, opposed to the lord, opposed to his words and his ways. So what's the cause of that? Verse 18. Having7:28 their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of god because of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. So they're darkened in their understanding.7:40 Spiritually blind, unregenerated man cannot see. I mean, how else do you explain the political and cultural support for the killing of an unborn7:52 baby? How else do you explain the transgender craze that says you can determine your own gender? And we have, you know, we had the previous administration, the president of the United States championing this in the White8:03 House. How do you do that? You can only do it if you're blind. The world's information is doubling every 2 years, and and with artificial intelligence, even more so. While we have8:15 information at our fingertips that we never had before, we lack wisdom and understanding. In Romans chapter 1 verse 22, this is Paul writing. He says, professing themselves to8:27 be wise, they became fools. So how did their understanding become darkened, which led them to being fools? Well, they they were alienated from the life of God. Verse 19, who,8:39 being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness to war work all uncleanness with greediness. Now we saw this in Romans chapter 1. We see it8:51 here again. There is a warning of a progression that takes place. Immorality is always on the march because sin never stands still. They were alienated from the life of9:02 God because of willful ignorance. They didn't want to know. They were without excuse. Creation reveals the truth of God, Romans 1 20. Romans 2 14 through 15 says goes further saying that the moral law of9:14 God was written on their hearts either excusing or else accusing or else excusing them. So there's a hardness of heart that takes place. There's a seared conscience. There's a given9:26 over to immorality. God lets them have their sin, which becomes their punishment. Within their sin within their sin is the punishment. But as a follower of Christ, Paul continues, that's9:38 not you. That's not you. So don't go down that path. Verse 20. But you have not so learned Christ. That may be the way of the world, but it's not the way of Christ. If indeed you have heard9:50 him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lust,10:02 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. So the renewed mind, the new mind. So10:13 how how's that happen? Know Jesus. If you have the mind of the world and are comfortable with this darkened understanding and you're you're10:25 happy with it, you're you really should ask yourself if you know Jesus. Because if you know Jesus and you hear Jesus and say, how can I hear Jesus? Well, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.10:37 John 17 16 says, they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. It all comes back to the word. The renewed mind is the10:49 key to a transformed life. Our mind, what is in our mind? Our spirit is our spirit is made alive in Christ. Our minds are affected by what we11:01 what we meditate upon, what we read. And the word of God is what sets us free, transforms us. In in in Romans 12 2, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the11:12 renewing of your mind that you may provide what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So make up your mind. He says, put off the old man. Stop living as those who do not know Jesus.11:25 This requires action, by the way. We've got to take the initiative. You know, God took the initial initiative, but we have to respond to it in obedience. And and it requires action. And11:37 this the the nature of man grows corrupt according to its deceitful lust. It only gets worse. There is no satisfying descent. So it's it's not like11:49 there's an off ramp unless you take it. It only gets worse. But on the new man, start living in the righteousness of God. Remember, old things have passed away. Be behold, all things have become new. So how how do12:01 we how do we do this? Another question. How? The spirit of your mind. When we come to Christ, our spirit is made alive. But we must then choose to put the things of12:13 the past behind us. This requires changing the way we think, what we think about, and how we act. Now the the old maximum states, thoughts produce12:24 acts, acts produce habits, and habits produce character. So Paul then transitions to what it looks like to be the new man, to to put12:36 on the the new man. Verse 25. Therefore, putting away lying, let each of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of 1 another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the12:48 sun go down upon your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has13:00 need. I mean, these are some tough characters, but this is the nature the fallen nature of man. And and we need to be givers, not takers. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary13:12 edification that you may impart grace to the hearers. Wow. What a standard. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the13:24 hearers. You know, my mom used to say, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. That's that's a start, but we need to be speaking words that edify and build up.13:36 Alright. Look at verse 30 here. And do not grieve the holy spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. We're sealed by the holy spirit. We received the holy spirit. This is don't grieve him. I mean,13:47 look at that. Sandwiched in the middle of corrupt words and bitterness is instruction on not grieving the Holy Spirit. That should be a huge warning sign.13:59 Pay close attention. This is serious stuff. I think that's what Paul is saying here. Verse 31, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be be put away from you with all malice14:11 and be kind to 1 another, tenderhearted, forgiving 1 another even as god in Christ forgave you. So here's how we grieve the holy spirit. Being adopted into the family of god but14:22 living as a child of the world, refusing to take off the rags of the old man and putting on the royal robes of righteousness of the new man. That grieves the holy14:34 spirit. And Paul's saying, don't live the way you used to. Don't live according to the world, but be renewed. Put on the new man and live in a way14:46 that is worthy of your calling. Father, we thank you for your word, and what a challenge that we have from the apostle Paul today. Challenge to live as Christ did, to put to walk14:58 worthy of the name of Jesus Christ. And and we can only do that through the holy spirit, and we can only be filled with the spirit if we're intentional about it. So I pray, father, that for each 1 that's on this journey,15:10 lord, stir them. May the holy spirit speak to them. May the holy spirit help them. Lead us into a greater understanding of your word and its application to our lives in this world world in which we15:22 live. And may we live worthy of the name of Jesus Christ. For it's in his name we pray. Amen. Thanks for joining me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on the word.15:35 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,15:47 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Living Worthy of Our Calling
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