Sunday Sermon Series – Plus- 01/28/2024 – Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

I have said/written over and over that CONTEXT is everything when reading the Bible and especially true when the focus is on one verse. Our text for today is a prime example when compared to Romans 12:18. In Romans Paul is writing to the church of Rome and encouraging the members to do whatever possible to live Peacefully with those opposed to their faith. Here in our main text, he is saying God commands us to live in unity with God’s elect, His saints of the church. Romans is not a command per se, Ephesians definitely is. These two verses DO NOT contradict each other.

CHAPTER FOUR
Contents: Walk and service of the believer in Christ. Ministry of gifts of Christ to His Body.
Characters: Christ, Holy Spirit, God, Paul.
Conclusion: Considering to what state and condition God has called us in Christ Jesus, let us approve ourselves good Christians, living up to our profession and calling. As members of His Body, the Holy Spirit will endue us with spiritual gifts for His service that we might confirm and build up others in the faith and that we might dispense the saving doctrines of His grace to the unsaved.
Key Word: Walk, v. 1.
Strong Verses: 1, 17, 22, 23, 24, 30, 32.
Striking Facts: v. 8. When Christ’s body was laid in the grave, His spirit descended into Hades (the abode of departed spirits), and proclaimed the victory of the cross. At His ascension to the Father after three days He delivered from Hades the spirits of the justified and took them to Paradise above, leaving the unsaved spirits in Hades. The spirit of the Christian at death now goes to be with Him above. Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:9.
Keith Brooks, Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 60.

Keep the Unity of the Spirit

DIFFERENT GIFTS PROMOTE UNITY OF DOCTRINE. JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN: Unity of doctrine, by which we grow in the knowledge of Christ until we become mature adults and are no longer children, is consequent on unity of Spirit. Nothing furthers this unity more than the fact that different people are assigned different gifts of the Spirit, which are nothing other than ministries for building up that unity. If you offer your gifts to the church you will keep them as you ought and they will be a blessing to you—not just the gifts themselves but also the grace [of God who gave them]. But if you do not offer your gifts to the church and either neglect what has been given to you or abuse it for your own glory, profit or even to cause scandal to your neighbor, you will not be using it properly, and both the grace and the gift will be taken away from you by a God who is just. ANNOTATIONS ON EPHESIANS.

ARGUING OVER GIFTS. ERASMUS SARCERIUS: To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is to go along lovingly with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church in order to preserve unity of doctrine, peace, harmony and edification in the church. Those who are proud of the gifts of the Holy Spirit or who are motivated by their lack of them and stir up trouble because of their pride, contempt, hatred and envy, or who spread false teaching and seditious opinions in order to get rid of sound doctrine, along with the unity, peace, harmony and edification of the church, are not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ANNOTATIONS ON EPHESIANS.

PATIENCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR PEACE. JOHN CALVIN: Paul recommends patience with good reason, because he wants the unity of the Spirit to continue.… Some people take “the unity of the Spirit” to mean the spiritual unity that the Spirit of God brings about in us. There can be no doubt that he alone makes us of one mind, but I interpret the phrase more simply, as harmony of mind. This unity is brought about by “the bond of peace,” because disputes often give rise to hatred and resentment. We must live at peace if we want gentleness to continue among us. COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS.

DISAGREEMENTS CAN BE DESTRUCTIVE. WOLFGANG MUSCULUS: This verse brings out where the preceding ones are headed, toward the teaching that unity must be preserved in the church. Paul makes this his first concern after the need to remain firm in the faith, and understandably so. It is really incredible how much evil arises from disagreements and divisions, by which the whole building is destroyed and those who have not yet come to Christ are turned off before they do so.
It is not for nothing that Paul does not simply say “keeping the unity” but “striving to keep the unity.” It is rare to find perfect unity in a church. There are many people in the congregation who are carnal and contentious. They are the ones who stir up division and make it impossible for solid people to stand up against the resulting discord and preserve unity. This is why Paul requires believers only to try to preserve their unity. If they do so but something is brought into the church against their will by good-for-nothings who just want to divide everyone, they will not be held responsible. COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS.

THE VIRTUES THAT PRODUCE UNITY. DAVID DICKSON: Having begun with a grave entreaty and a general exhortation to a holy conversation that indifferently concerns all things that follow, namely, that they should be holy as God, who called them was holy, he descends to a particular exhortation to the study of peace and unity, laying down seven special virtues that are necessarily required to preserve the unity of the church, that so concord might abound in all its members. (1) Humility, to which pride is opposite. (2) Gentleness, to which cruelty is opposite. (3) Quietness of mind, or easiness to be pleased, to which is opposed rashness or a readiness to be angry. (4) Forbearance, to which revenge is opposed. (5) Charity (from which he would have the rise of all other virtues, especially forbearance) to which is opposed hatred of one’s neighbor, and self-love, and without these virtues it is not possible to maintain the unity of the church. (6) Virtue is the unity of the Spirit in the faith, and in its opinions touching things belonging to religion. (7) Peace or external concord; and if these precede, both the spiritual and external unity of the church will be easily preserved, it being one and the same labor to keep it and these virtues. EXPOSITION OF EPHESIANS.
Timothy F. George, “General Introduction,” in Galatians, Ephesians: New Testament, ed. Gerald L. Bray and Scott M. Manetsch, vol. 10, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011), 330–331.

DEVOTIONAL

The Bond of Peace

“Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

The key to peace in the church is selfless love.

2024-01-26 08:00 UTC by letters@gty.org (Grace to You)

People often delude themselves that there is peace when there is no real peace (Jer. 8:11). However, we can show the world that Jesus is the true peacemaker if we have a community of peaceful, loving, united believers. Others will realize then that Christ must be sent from God, because only God can make true, lasting peace.

“The bond of peace” is what holds our unity together. The Greek word translated “bond” refers to a belt. It pictures the Body of Christ being wrapped with the belt of peace, a peace that is born of love.

Our bond of peace is vital to our testimony. As Christians, we have “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) and “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18), the privilege of telling others how they may have peace with God. If we don’t have peace among ourselves, why would unbelievers look to us to find peace with God?

The Corinthian church teaches us how not to have peace. Members would have a “love feast,” followed by Communion. Apparently, though, those who brought food gorged themselves and became drunk, leaving the poorer believers to go hungry (1 Cor. 11:17-22). Those gluttons not only dishonored the Lord but also hurt their fellow believers, causing resentment and conflict.

During their worship services, everyone wanted attention. Paul laments, “Each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation” (1 Cor. 14:26)—and they all wanted to speak at once. They weren’t interested in building up each other, only in being heard. The result was a loud, confusing mess.

The Corinthians’ disharmony was evident in different ways, but the root cause was the same: selfishness.

So where does peace come from? Selflessness, the primary characteristic of Christian love. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.” We must humble ourselves and focus on the needs of others. When that happens, there will be harmony and unity.

Suggestions for Prayer

Confess any selfishness, and ask God to help you grow in selfless love.

For Further Study

What does Romans 8:6 equate peace with? Memorize this verse during the next few days.

SERMON

TRUE UNITY PROMOTED

SERMON NO. 607 (PDF)

DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 1, 1865
BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON

“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3

PRAYER

Praying through Ephesians 4:3

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may show forth the grace of Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, in thought, word, and deed. May I keep the unity of the Spirit with all my brothers and sisters in Christ so that we may honor Your name through our earthly witness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/4/3

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