WALKING AS ONE IN THE CALL OF GOD (14 OF 22)
Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6
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Walking as One in the Call of God (14 of 22)
Series: The Church at Ephusus: God's Calling, Empowering, and Instruction for the Church
Patrick Edwards
Ephesians 4:1-6
Introduction
For weeks now, since Ephesians 2:11, we have seen Paul stress how the cross of Christ has made rebellious individuals into one new righteous people of God. He hasn't made really any sort of exhortations or commands toward us, yet. He has simply been stating our love and unity as a local church and as the people of God as a fact. If you are in Christ, if you are a Christian, then you must realize that you have been reconciled not just to the God who made you but to all other reconciled followers of Jesus. Paul has shown that this unity and love transcends ethnic barriers and any other divisions that might exist among us. This unity and love is a testimony to a lost world of the immeasurable grace of God. We are one, by virtue of what Christ has done and as demonstrated in our love for one another.
But what does that really look like? I mean define what it means to be a unified church; define what it means to be a loving church. Like if I ask you this morning to determine how unified and loving we are as a church, what things might you point to ask examples in the positive or negative. In other words, it's easy to say that we are to be unified and loving church; it's easy to claim that we actually are, but how do you measure unity and love. What should a biblical church look like? What traits, characteristics, or activities should we be pursuing?
Because here's the reality: We have been brought into unity with one another through the death of Christ and the reception of the Holy Spirit. And yet that unity in practice is not yet complete; we are still growing into it. Simply put, we are not a finished product as a church. Just as is the case in our individual walks with Jesus, as a church we have been declared to be one and righteous by faith, but in practice we still have ...
Series: The Church at Ephusus: God's Calling, Empowering, and Instruction for the Church
Patrick Edwards
Ephesians 4:1-6
Introduction
For weeks now, since Ephesians 2:11, we have seen Paul stress how the cross of Christ has made rebellious individuals into one new righteous people of God. He hasn't made really any sort of exhortations or commands toward us, yet. He has simply been stating our love and unity as a local church and as the people of God as a fact. If you are in Christ, if you are a Christian, then you must realize that you have been reconciled not just to the God who made you but to all other reconciled followers of Jesus. Paul has shown that this unity and love transcends ethnic barriers and any other divisions that might exist among us. This unity and love is a testimony to a lost world of the immeasurable grace of God. We are one, by virtue of what Christ has done and as demonstrated in our love for one another.
But what does that really look like? I mean define what it means to be a unified church; define what it means to be a loving church. Like if I ask you this morning to determine how unified and loving we are as a church, what things might you point to ask examples in the positive or negative. In other words, it's easy to say that we are to be unified and loving church; it's easy to claim that we actually are, but how do you measure unity and love. What should a biblical church look like? What traits, characteristics, or activities should we be pursuing?
Because here's the reality: We have been brought into unity with one another through the death of Christ and the reception of the Holy Spirit. And yet that unity in practice is not yet complete; we are still growing into it. Simply put, we are not a finished product as a church. Just as is the case in our individual walks with Jesus, as a church we have been declared to be one and righteous by faith, but in practice we still have ...
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