Background for Unity -- 7/29/07 (The Lord's Church)

Sunday, July 29, 2007 [Have Eph. 1-3 read earlier in the service…]

BACKGROUND FOR STUDYING UNITY
Eph. 4:1-2

This morning let’s continue our study of Acts by turning to Ephesians 4. While we won’t be looking much at Acts this morning, this little detour to Ephesians is very much related to Acts and to where we are as a congregation.

Last week I suggested we read through the first three chapters of Ephesians, along with the first part of chapter 4. I trust that most of you have done so. I know at least one person who felt led to memorize that first three and a half chapters. Some of you have been over these rich truths recently in a Sunday School class. Praise God for the letter to the Ephesians, as we would be much poorer without it.

The richness of the first three chapters can never be exhausted. That is why we read them again this morning.

Now let’s come to chapter 4. Read Eph. 4:1-7…
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Notice that first verse. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech [urge] you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” Do you see the word “therefore”? What is it there for? It is referring us back to the truths of the first three chapters. “Therefore, on the basis of who God is and what He has done through His Son Jesus, and because you are the building, family, and body of Christ, this is what I urge you to do.” Much more could be said about chapters 1-3. Paul wants us to keep in mind all he has said in this letter up to this point.

On the basis of those great truths, he now has some instructions to give us.
In his typical fashion, Paul divides his letter into two parts – the doctrinal (or teaching) section, and then the practical section. In the first section – chapters 1-3 – he simply imparts truth. In the last section – chapters 4-6 – he urges us to live in light of those truths. So when we come to the “therefore” of chapter 4, Paul trusts that we are ready to hear his specific instructions. May we never be guilty of skipping the teaching section of Paul’s letters in order to come to the practical part. That is very dangerous. We can learn what we ought to do, but we will find little power for doing it.

In chapters 4-6, we find many commands, beginning with this first one here in 4:1. But do you know how many commands are in the first 3 chapters? Only one. And even that command is only a command for the mind. In 2:11, Paul says, “Remember…” That’s all. Before he gives the Ephesian believers commands, he lays the great foundation of truth. Before he tells us to do anything, he goes to great length to tell us what God has already done. Paul’s plan is intentional. We can do nothing, until we understand what God has done for us and in us.

Paul’s most basic command in chapters 4-6 is found right here in 4:1, when he urges us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called. More literally, “I urge you to work worthy of the calling with which you were called.” The King James reads “are called,” but in our day we would communicate the concept better by saying “were called.” And “vocation” is simply “calling,” a noun form of the verb “call.” This calling is something that took place at a definite point in the past.

One author suggests that this is the key verse in the entire letter, and I can certainly understand his reasoning. It is here that Paul gathers up all he has written and then gives the key command for the Ephesians and for all believers. The rest of chapters 4-6 gives us specifics about how to walk worthy of our calling. One author makes this insightful statement: “The inference is that the high calling the Christian has experienced carries with it very weighty responsibilities” (Vaughan, Ephesians, p. 87). As Jesus put it, “To whom much is given, much is required.” This morning we will focus on this central command to walk worthy of our calling.

I. Called to What?

The first question we must ask is this: “To what is it that we have been called.” If I call you to do something, you want to be clear on what that calling is. You would ask: “Called to what?” And that is exactly the question we want to ask about verse 1. “Walk worthy of the calling to which you were called.” We ask, “What is that calling? What is it I have been called to?”

We have a tendency to use the term “call” very loosely. A person may say, “God called me to go on a mission trip.” When I went to seminary, a form asked me to relate my “call” to preach. Missionaries are often asked to tell about their “call” to the mission field. We might ask the question: “What is the scriptural basis for that kind of thinking?” Let’s take a few minutes to explore what the New Testament says about this calling. First of all, let’s read some verses that speak about this calling in general…

Acts 2:39 "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Rom 8:28-30 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Rom 9:11 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)"
Rom 9:24 "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"
1 Cor 1:24-26 "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:"
Gal 5:8 "This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you."
Phil 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
1 Th 5:24 "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
2 Th 1:11 "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:"
2 Tim 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
Heb 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;"
Heb 9:15 "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."
1 Pet 1:15 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
2 Pet 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"
Jude 1:1 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:"
Rev 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

All of these passages speak in some manner of our calling, but none of them say to what it is we have been called. It seems clear that in these passages the called are all believers. Now let’s look at some passages which tell us to what we have been called…

To be saints… Rom 1:6-7, "Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Cor 1:2, "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"
To repentance… Mark 2:17, "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
To the fellowship of Jesus Christ… 1 Cor 1:9, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."
To the grace of Christ… Gal 1:6, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"
To liberty (freedom)… Gal 5:13, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
To the peace of God… Col 3:15, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."
To His kingdom and glory… 1 Th 2:12, "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."
To holiness… 1 Th 4:7, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."
To the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ… 2 Th 2:14, "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
To eternal life… 1 Tim 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
To His marvelous light… 1 Pet 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:"
To suffering… 1 Pet 2:21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"
To blessing… 1 Pet 3:9, "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."
To eternal glory… 1 Pet 5:10, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
To glory and virtue… 2 Pet 1:3, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:"

That, my brothers and sisters, is what we are called to. We are called to blessing, and yet to suffering. We are called to peace, and yet to holiness. We are called to eternal glory, and yet we are called to repentance. There is enough truth in these passages to keep us busy for a while. I would be glad to share a list of these passages with anyone who asks.

Did you notice that in these verses there is nothing about us being called to specific assignments, such as preaching, missionary service, or witnessing to a particular individual or group? Of course, I might have selected only certain passages and omitted others. There is some truth in that, as we don’t have time this morning to read every verse where we find the words “call, called, calling.” However, all you have to do is go to a concordance and look them up for yourself.

There are indeed some passages that speak of being called to a specific assignment. Paul, who gave this command to walk worthy of our calling, describes himself in this way in Rom. 1:1, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Paul said that he was called to be an apostle. We find the same thing in 1 Cor. 1:1 "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…" In Hebrews, we read of the high priest being called (Heb. 5:4,10; 7:11), as well as God calling Abraham to “go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance” (Heb. 11:8). Furthermore, it hasn’t been long since we read Acts 13:2, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." The Spirit of God called Paul and Barnabas to a specific missionary task. We might also go back to the gospels and read Matt. 4:21, "And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them." Called them to what? Called them to follow Him, and to ultimately be two of His twelve apostles.

So we see that the New Testament does say something about being called to a specific task. However, we can’t miss the fact that these passages are restricted to Abraham, the high priests of the Old Testament, and to the apostles. No, Barnabas was not one of the twelve, but he is referred to as an apostle (Acts 14:14). Notice especially the distinction Paul draws between his own calling and the calling of other believers. 1 Cor 1:1-2, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:" Paul was called to be an apostle, but those to whom he wrote were called to be saints. We find that same thing in Rom 1:1,7… "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God… To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…”

So what is the point of all this? The calling of all believers is the same. The calling is to be saints and to walk worthy of that calling into which we were called. But let me call your attention to one more verse, Acts 16:10, "And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." Notice the “we” and “us.” Now Luke includes himself, saying that the Lord called “us” to preach the gospel to those in Macedonia. Luke was not an apostle. Nevertheless, he is part of the apostolic band of Paul. Contrast this verse with what we find in Romans 10, where missionary service is in full view. Rom. 10:13-15…
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15. And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Notice that Paul does not use the term “called,” which he certainly could have done. But rather, he uses the word sent. God continues to send missionaries, preachers, and witnesses wherever He chooses to send them. But He calls all His children to be saints and to walk worthy of the calling with which He has called us. He calls us to holiness, to suffering, to eternal life, to blessing, to repentance, etc. Every believer is called to those things; there are no exceptions.

That brings us to ask the question: So exactly what is the nature of this calling? We have read a long list of the things to which He has called us, but none of those are listed here. What does this calling have to do with the verses that follow?

II. The Attitude of the One Who Walks Worthy of the Calling

Let’s read again verses 1-3, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Here we have a description of the attitude of the one who walks worthy of the calling.

Of course, we understand that the term “walk” speaks of lifestyle. In our day, we would more likely say, “Live worthy of the calling. Live a life that is consistent with the calling with which you have been called.” When we think of living this kind of life, our minds tend to turn to all the things we ought to be doing. However, we must remember that the battle begins in the mind. Rather than beginning with outward deeds, Paul begins with attitude. And he describes the attitude that is consistent with living worthy of the calling.

First of all, we are to live this life with all lowliness. This term translated “lowliness” is also translated “lowliness of mind” once; “humbleness of mind” once; “humility of mind” once; and “humility” three times. The verb form is translated “abase” five times and “humble” 8 times and “bring low” once. This is basically the Greek word for humility. While humility isn’t an easy concept to define, most of us have some idea of what it means. In both Old and New Testaments, humility is contrasted with pride. As James and Peter both say, “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble” (Jms. 4:6; I Pet. 5:5). Matt. 23:12, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Literally, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” It has been said more than once that humility is the virtue out of which all others spring. The humble person has a healthy appreciation of who he or she is in relation to God. The humble person understands that he has been created by God and he therefore depends upon God. Yes, that person will fear the Lord.

Not only are we to live in humility, but also with meekness. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). But what does it mean to be meek? Meekness is not weakness. It is true that the meek person will exercise great restraint, it does not follow that he will be weak. We read of Moses in Num.12:3, "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)" Anyone who has read the story knows that Moses was not weak.

I had a college professor who helped me understand something of meekness. He told his Greek students that this word “meek” was used of a horse that had been tamed. Some of you know more about horses than I will ever know, but we all know that a horse is a very strong animal. Because of that, even the most experienced cowboy treats a horse with respect. The horse has the power to throw most any rider and do him great bodily harm, yet that rarely happens. Instead, the horse is a beautiful picture of strength under control. And so it is with the man or woman who is meek. He/she has great strength in the Lord, but it is strength under the Lord’s control. This quality allows a very forceful man to be mild and gentle. May we understand that this is not a natural quality, but comes only from the Lord.

We are also to live with longsuffering. The word pretty well defines itself. It means to suffer long, but there is a definite context to that suffering. The easiest way to understand longsuffering is to point out its opposite. Do you know what is the opposite of longsuffering? Revenge; retaliation. Longsuffering does not seek revenge. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt. 5:39). The desire to get back at someone else is built into our flesh. The life that walks worthy of the Lord’s calling demonstrates the divine work, in that longsuffering replaces the desire for revenge.

Then Paul speaks of “forbearing one another in love.” What is that? We like the idea of love, but here we see love expressed through forbearing one another. This idea of forbearance is very close to longsuffering. If we are going to suffer long and not seek revenge, we will have to put up with some things in other people around us. That is what Paul is talking about. And in this context, he is speaking about brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course, we never have any problems with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Right?

We live in a society that isn’t big on forbearance. As a matter of fact, our world tells us, “You don’t have to put up with that. If someone mistreats you, you can either sue him, or you can forsake him. After all, this is a big world, and there are plenty of other people that are worthy of your company.” Unfortunately, that attitude has infiltrated the professing church in our day. If you feel mistreated by a Christian brother or sister, just ignore him or her. And if that isn’t possible in that particular local church, just find another church. Listen to me. That idea is totally foreign to the New Testament. The solution in the New Testament is to forbear, to endure, to live with things that may not be comfortable for you. Don’t swallow the world’s concept that God would never want us to be uncomfortable.

We talk about love, but this is one of the areas where love is tested. If you love your brothers and sisters, then you will bear with them. You will continue to rub shoulders with those who rub you the wrong way. You will not just tolerate them, but you will love them. You will seek God’s very best for them in every situation.

Later, you might one to compare this passage with Col. 3:12-14…
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

You will notice those same qualities – humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and love. But in between forbearance and love, Paul inserts another gracious and divine quality, that of forgiveness. Yes, as we bear with one another, there will be plenty of opportunity for forgiveness. If you don’t forgive others and ask their forgiveness, it is highly questionable that you are forbearing one another in love. Walking in love with other believers requires forgiveness, unless, of course, we never mess up. Personally, I don’t know anyone like that.

Let me kind of tie all these qualities together with an example. It is the example of our Lord Jesus and the way He interacted with His twelve apostles. Yes, Jesus walked in humility. He had a proper appreciation of who He was. He saw reality. We know He was humble, because we read that He humbled Himself unto death, event he death of the cross. Jesus was meek. Yes, He was strong, but that strength was under control. We see this especially in the way He treated Peter, after Peter had denied Him three times. Jesus had the right and the strength, the authority and the power, to crush Peter. Instead, He gently restored Peter to a place of fellowship and service.
We see in Jesus an attitude of longsuffering. Even when Judas went out to betray Him, we see no desire for revenge. If Jesus could have called for thousands of angels to rescue Him, think of what He might have done to Judas Iscariot, but there is none of that. And what forbearance we see in Jesus. Don’t you know that humanly speaking these guys must have irritated Him?

I take you back to John 14. Recall Jesus’ words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth (now on) ye know him, and have seen him” (Jn. 14:6-7). Then Philip says: “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us [it will be enough for us]” (14:8). What was that man thinking? Or go back to that day when Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” After Jesus went on to tell Peter and the others that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and rise again the third day, Peter began to rebuke Jesus, saying, “Lord, this will never happen to you.” Jesus kept on telling them, but they still didn’t understand. Not long after this, He told them the same thing again (Mk. 9:31). Then almost immediately we are told that Jesus questioned them about what they had been discussing. And what was it? They were talking among themselves about who would be the greatest. Jesus is headed to the cross, and they are arguing over who will be the greatest. Don’t you know that disappointed the Lord? But in the very next chapter, after Jesus tells them once again that He is going to die in Jerusalem, James and John come to Jesus and suggest that one of them be allowed to sit on His right hand and the other on His left. Why didn’t Jesus turn around and say, “I have had it with you guys. Three strikes and you’re out. Depart from me; there is no hope for you”? Jesus demonstrated forbearance in love.

Conclusion

That brings us to verse 3, and that is where we are going to pause this morning. We have looked at some glorious truths this morning. However, my purpose was to get us to verse 3, where we read: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In connection with Acts 15, we have touched upon this idea of unity. That is what led us here to Eph. 4:3. However, I find it pretty much impossible to start in 4:3. That is why we have taken some time to look at the context. I trust that you read Eph. 1-3 this past week. And now we have taken some time to look at this crucial command to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called.
Lord willing, next week we will come directly to this idea of guarding the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I want to encourage you to be thinking and praying along these lines this week.

In preparation for next week, please look at the passages that are listed in your bulletin…

John 10:30
John 13:34-35
John 17:20-21
Rom. 12:4-5
I Cor. 10:17
I Cor. 12:11-14, 18-20
Gal. 3:26-28
Eph. 4:1-7

We were dead in our trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Yes, we were under the wrath of God, just like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, has made us alive together with Christ. Praise God! But He didn’t stop there. He has raised us up with Christ and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places. Nevertheless, we continue to walk on this earth as pilgrims and strangers. And, as long as we are here, our Lord calls us to live in a manner that is consistent with our holy calling. May God give us grace to do just that. May He fill our hearts with a longing to live out that life in a practical way day by day.