Scripture-
Ephesians 4:1-3, NASB
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Observations-
Paul states once again that he is a prisoner of the Lord and that we have been called to this life.
Our lives should be marked by:
1. Humility(lowliness)-the quality or state of being humble (not proud, not arrogant.)
Gentleness(meekness)-the quality or state of being gentle (free from harshness, sternness, or violence)
2. Patience(longsuffering)- the capacity, fact, or act of being patient (manifesting forbearance under provocation; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity)
3. Tolerance (forbearance KJV or bearing with one another, NKJV)) for one another (in love) - sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
(Forbearance- a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due)
4. Diligence in preserving the "unity of the Spirit"
5. Peace
Application:
Now that he has laid out all of the incredible blessings we have Paul is about to lead us down the path of application. What do we do with all that God has given us? What does being a believer look like?
How I live matters. How I treat others matters. How I participate as a member of the body of Christ matters. How I live won't save me; Christ has already done that for me. But how I live really matters if I am going to be a faithful witness to God's saving grace. All those blessings Paul has talked about for the first three chapters of Ephesians are of no consequence if I am not changed, if my life does not reflect them. As a prisoner of Christ Paul gave up his freedom to do his own thing: I still struggle with that. What would the church look like today if we all had that attitude?
The way we live will either preserve the unity of the Spirit or bring discord. Like Jesus stated in the sermon on the mount; blessed are the peacemakers. Within the body of believers I am to exhibit the characteristics of humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, diligence, and peace. That is quite a list to live up to. Some of the list reminds me of the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23; all remind me of qualities that Jesus demonstrated while He walked the earth. The Church is made up of all kinds of people- some we are immediately drawn to and are easy to like. Others rub us the wrong way and may even try our patience. It does not matter. When I see everyone through the eyes of humility, when I recognize that all that I have, all that I am, is because of what Christ has done for me then I can count others better than myself (Philippians 2:3). When I see people that way I can be gentle and patient. Harsh words will not help the body, they do nothing for it. As a former preschool teacher "Patience" was my middle name. Why do I find it hard to extend that same kind of patience to those in the body? God is not finished with me yet, I have lots of growing left to do, can I extend that same grace to others that I would like for myself?
I am reminded of the two greatest commandments Jesus spoke of in Matthew 22:37-40, in particular the second one; love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang on these two. Love God, love your neighbor, including those in the church, those that are near, and those that are far off. "Love covers a multitude of sins."Part of
So I am left to ask: am I a part of the solution- preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? It is not my work to bring unity- the Spirit does that. But do I undermine that work by being a voice of discord. Do I follow Biblical counsel in handling the issues that come up between myself and others, or do I speak poorly of others behind their backs. What do I say about those I worship with on Sunday when I walk out of the church doors and into the world? When I am slighted or hurt by others in the body- what is my response? And on a smaller scale, how am I doing within the bounds of my own little family?
Blessings,
Deb
Ephesians 4:1-3, NASB
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Observations-
Paul states once again that he is a prisoner of the Lord and that we have been called to this life.
Our lives should be marked by:
1. Humility(lowliness)-the quality or state of being humble (not proud, not arrogant.)
Gentleness(meekness)-the quality or state of being gentle (free from harshness, sternness, or violence)
2. Patience(longsuffering)- the capacity, fact, or act of being patient (manifesting forbearance under provocation; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity)
3. Tolerance (forbearance KJV or bearing with one another, NKJV)) for one another (in love) - sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
(Forbearance- a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due)
4. Diligence in preserving the "unity of the Spirit"
5. Peace
Application:
Now that he has laid out all of the incredible blessings we have Paul is about to lead us down the path of application. What do we do with all that God has given us? What does being a believer look like?
How I live matters. How I treat others matters. How I participate as a member of the body of Christ matters. How I live won't save me; Christ has already done that for me. But how I live really matters if I am going to be a faithful witness to God's saving grace. All those blessings Paul has talked about for the first three chapters of Ephesians are of no consequence if I am not changed, if my life does not reflect them. As a prisoner of Christ Paul gave up his freedom to do his own thing: I still struggle with that. What would the church look like today if we all had that attitude?
The way we live will either preserve the unity of the Spirit or bring discord. Like Jesus stated in the sermon on the mount; blessed are the peacemakers. Within the body of believers I am to exhibit the characteristics of humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, diligence, and peace. That is quite a list to live up to. Some of the list reminds me of the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23; all remind me of qualities that Jesus demonstrated while He walked the earth. The Church is made up of all kinds of people- some we are immediately drawn to and are easy to like. Others rub us the wrong way and may even try our patience. It does not matter. When I see everyone through the eyes of humility, when I recognize that all that I have, all that I am, is because of what Christ has done for me then I can count others better than myself (Philippians 2:3). When I see people that way I can be gentle and patient. Harsh words will not help the body, they do nothing for it. As a former preschool teacher "Patience" was my middle name. Why do I find it hard to extend that same kind of patience to those in the body? God is not finished with me yet, I have lots of growing left to do, can I extend that same grace to others that I would like for myself?
I am reminded of the two greatest commandments Jesus spoke of in Matthew 22:37-40, in particular the second one; love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang on these two. Love God, love your neighbor, including those in the church, those that are near, and those that are far off. "Love covers a multitude of sins."Part of
So I am left to ask: am I a part of the solution- preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? It is not my work to bring unity- the Spirit does that. But do I undermine that work by being a voice of discord. Do I follow Biblical counsel in handling the issues that come up between myself and others, or do I speak poorly of others behind their backs. What do I say about those I worship with on Sunday when I walk out of the church doors and into the world? When I am slighted or hurt by others in the body- what is my response? And on a smaller scale, how am I doing within the bounds of my own little family?Blessings,
Deb
1 comment:
Thank you, Debra! I struggle with this very thing... What I do and my attitude does matter in the Body of Christ.... Kathy
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