Title: CALLED TO UNITY AND PURITY
Focus: The unity within the Triune God must come to expression within the church.
Function: To encourage the people to express the unity of God within the church, so that we grow up as strong and effective Christians in the world.
Text: Ephesians 4:1-32
INTRODUCTION
The other day I was talking with Ben Kuiper. He told me that his soccer team won the championship. And so Ben and his team members all won a big trophy. No doubt, that trophy is in Ben’s room and reminds him every day that he had a brilliant soccer season.
Now I know that some of you kids are very good soccer players, but surely you cannot win a championship by yourself. You need all the members of a soccer team to score goals and to beat the opposing teams.
In fact, when you play a soccer game, you have 11 players on the field, and a few will sit on the bench at the sidelines, to help out and substitute whenever needed. And of course, there are also the coach and his or her assistants, to make sure that you pass the ball, play as a team, and make good use of fine strategy.
All the soccer players on the team wear the same outfit (except for the goalie); yet, they have different roles: some play defense; others offense; some are very good at heading the ball; others excel in throw-ins and in passing the ball. Clearly, although a soccer team is united, there is also a lot of diversity of skills and talents and roles. And that’s good. Unity and diversity go together on the soccer field.
In some special way, that’s also the case with the church. The scriptures remind us today that we must express the unity of God within the church, so that we grow up as strong and effective Christians in the world. And the unity we must express is modeled after the unity within God himself.
Ephesians 4 is part of the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. As Paul writes this letter, he assumes that it will circulate among a number of churches in the vicinity of Ephesus. So, Paul recognizes that what he writes to the church in Ephesus is for the benefit of all the churches, including ours today. In his writings, then, Paul works with the oneness and the universality of the church.
Ephesians 4 consists of two parts. The first part (vs. 1-16) emphasizes the unity of the church; the second part (vs. 17-32) highlights the purity of the church.
For example, the purity of the church arises from God’s holiness. As God is holy, so we are to be holy. Thus, in vs. 17-19, Paul calls us to a life of purity by first describing the pagan life, the life apart from Christ. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” In other words, the old way of life—the life of sin and disobedience toward God—can no longer be ours. That’s why Paul says in vs. 20-24 “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way…You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Clearly, the second part of chapter 4 calls us to live a holy life. I plan to reflect with you on the call to holiness in the afternoon worship service. It is the call to unity that I wish to bring out in the open more clearly this morning.
The unity of the church—where does it come from? Is unity based on ethnicity? Does unity come from being part of a particular faith tradition—Reformed? Baptist? Pentecostal? Etc.? Is the unity of the church perhaps tied with such things as being “traditional” or “contemporary”? Some churches are marketing themselves that way; they think of themselves as a “niche church,” reaching out to a particular group of people in the community. What unites the church? Is it vision, perhaps, that holds us together?
The apostle Paul goes to the heart of the matter by emphasizing that what unites the church is the unity of the Triune God. Let me explain.
God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God—who comes to us in the person of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus God reveals himself as a holy Trinity—Three-in-One God. The Father plays a distinct role; so does the Son, and so does the Holy Spirit. When it comes to the work of salvation, for example, the Scripture (Eph. 1) makes clear that God the Father elects his people; that God the Son redeems his people; and that God the Holy Spirit sanctifies his people. Yet, these three persons within the holy Trinity do not work against each other; they work in a unified way. One commentator puts it this way: (Hendriksen) “The Father thought our salvation, the Son bought it, the Spirit wrought it.”
The point is this: within the fellowship circle of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is perfect unity and harmony. Within the diversity of functions and roles, God nevertheless acts in unity. Now the apostle Paul takes the unity and diversity within God as a model to reflect unity and diversity within the church.
For example, we learn that the unity of the church arises from the unity of our God. Seven times, Paul mentions the word “one”. And three of these 7 unity words refer directly to God: vs. 4 “One Spirit.” Vs. 5 “One Lord.” And vs. 6 “One God and Father of all.” The remaining 4 unity words all point to our Christian experience in relation to the Triune God: Father, Son, and Spirit.
Note, for example, vs. 4. In relation to the one Spirit, there is one body and one Christian hope. God the Spirit brings new life to individuals, and he gathers us into one body, the church of Christ. Through the work of the Spirit, we have hope to face each day with courage and trust.
Take verse 5. In relation to the one Lord, there is one faith and one baptism. The work of Jesus Christ unites us; in him we believe, in him we have life, in him we become part of the family of God through baptism. Baptism is the gateway into the community of faith. And faith is located in the one Lord, Jesus Christ.
Now take vs. 6. In relation to the one God and Father, we are united into one church family. For God embraces us all, is above all, and through all, and in all. The “all” are Christian believers who form the church, the family of God. And that’s why we recognize that the unity of the church arises from the unity of our God.
We also learn that the unity of the church depends on the charity of our conduct. Listen (vs. 2,3) “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Love and humility, forbearance, patience and kindness are characteristics or spiritual virtues that we must produce. These fruits of the Holy Spirit at work within us are not optional: they are necessary to maintain unity. Being ornery, nasty, divisive, or selfishly oriented leads to brokenness in the church. Moral qualities nurtured by the indwelling Holy Spirit are essential for unity in the church.
Yes, it is the triune God who unites the church; but we must do our share as well. “Does our conduct lead to unity” is a question that cannot be pushed under the table.
In verses 7-12 we learn that the unity of the church is enriched by the diversity of gifts and talents within the church.
As God himself works in unity with Father, Son and Spirit, each diverse in task and function, so the church must work in unity, using the diversity of gifts and talents within the church.
This is possible because Jesus ascended as Lord over all, thus opening the way for the gift of his promised Holy Spirit to come to the church. And the Holy Spirit works giftedness and abilities in every church member, so that the entire church is build up and becomes strong in Christian maturity and faith.
In vs. 7 we learn that the grace of God is given to every church member. And the measure of grace that comes to us is completely in the hands of Christ. Some are given abilities to teach, to practice hospitality, or to heal; others receive gifts to preach, or prophesy, or pray with exceptional clarity and passion. But all our gifts matter. And all our gifts enrich the unity of the church.
Listen: (vs. 11-15) “It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature….”
One final observation: the unity of the church requires the maturity of our growth. Numerical growth in the church is a sign of healthy church life. Spiritual growth or deepening our relationship with Christ and his church, however, is also a sign of healthy church life.
This is why all members—young and old alike—do well to join small groups, where we celebrate God’s work in our lives by sharing and praying for each other. We do well to read and discuss Scripture together. Christian maturity takes place within community. Don’t be a “solo” Christian. Learn to live in community. Don’t be satisfied if you have not grown in faith and trust during these last 10, 15, or 25 years. Rather, strive to grow or mature in faith. Practice your faith in Christ.
If you are a new Christian, or new to the church, welcome. Scripture refers to you as an infant; now you are called to grow and mature, so that the unity of the church is maintained. Listen again: (vs. 13ff) (God gives gifts to the church) “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
I think that we have our work cut out for us. We must learn to express within the church the unity that we find within the triune God. That unity is found in God, depends on our conduct, is enriched by the diversity of our gifts, and requires continual spiritual growth on our part.
I would not be surprised if Ben’s soccer team has some kind of “rallying cry.” If I would have to come up with a rallying cry for us today, I would say:
Called by God the Father
Ruled by Christ our Lord
Indwelt by the Holy Spirit
Let’s go
Let’s grow
Let’s show the world
we belong to God!