Bible Studies
Ephesians 4:1-16 – United in One
Key Verses:
- 1: “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” – In the verses just prior to this, Paul outlined the magnitude of God’s love in our lives and now he leads us into a discussion of what we are supposed to be doing in response to that love.
- 2: “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” – These are the fruits of the Spirit. This is the result of abiding in God’s love.
- 4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” – We are united in the “One” with a singularity of purpose.
- 11-12: “The gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” – Spiritual gifts and talents are given for the sole purpose of working together in the building of the Kingdom of God.
- 13: “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” – There is work to do until all people have reached the mature status of Christ-likeness.
- 14: “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine.” – We are to grow and mature in our faith.
- 16b: “as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” – Parts of the body work in concert, growing and lifting the entire assembly towards God’s magnificent love.
- Do you “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called?” How does one go about doing that? Do you schedule more “God” time into your day? Are you to be more sacrificial of your time for others? Must you do a better job of controlling your tendencies at self-righteousness? Is Paul just asking you to become a better Christian or is there something more to it than that? Do we become better Christians by working harder? Are you trying to earn salvation? Do you find yourself falling short of being the Christian that you think you should be? Why?
- What fruits of the Spirit do you find present in your life? Do you recognize that fruits of the Spirit are not products of your efforts? That they are not a list of accomplishments and good deeds? Paul lists a few attributes (humility, gentleness, patience, love) that illustrate what happens when you become immersed in the body of Christ. What other characteristics can you add to this list? Do you see from this exercise that the fruits of the Spirit are gifts of character that result from having a spirit-filled life? That they are not attributes that you can achieve simply through your own efforts?
- How are you affected by the idea that “there is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” as outlined by Paul? What does this “oneness” mean to your life? Does it give new meaning to the concept of being spirit-filled when you realize that you are one with God? That you are not separated, apart and alone but, instead, united and filled with His Spirit? Does it establish in you a singularity of purpose, to live within that oneness at all times? Does it give you the ability to accept others more readily as you see that they too, are a part of His oneness? That each of us take part in promoting and building the kingdom of God?
- Are you becoming Christ-like? Do you feel yourself growing in your knowledge of God and maturing in your faith? In verses 13 and 14 along with Hebrews 6, Paul impresses upon us the importance of growing our faith. That we must not sit back and stay child-like in our understanding of God. How are you doing? Are you actively seeking God in every aspect of your life? Do you abide in His truth, exploring the Bible to find the teachings He has put there specifically for you? Do you help others to grow in their faith? Do you use your God-given spiritual gifts and talents to your fullest ability?
One bread, one body, one Lord of all;
One cup of blessing which we bless,
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.
1Words & Music by John B. Foley, 1978
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