Eph 4:1-6

Introduction:

     Last week in Bombay, India was a conference called “Strings 2001”. The Keynote speaker was the well known astrophysicist, Stephen Hawkins. What is this conference all about? They discussed the Theory of Everything. What is this Theory of Everything? To find one theory that explains the origin and destiny of our universe. For many years, scientists, including Einstein, have been trying to find a unifying theory to explain the diversity and complexity of our world. In diversity, they look for unity.

     Corporations are constantly refining their mission statement to encompass their diverse interest and activities.

     Isn’t it also true in our personal lives? When we find ourselves overwhelmed with all kinds of activities, we try to grab onto something that can help us make sense of our immediate world. 

     In the past several sermons, we learned how God called together the Jews and the gentiles and made them into one body. How individuals from such diverse and antagonistic backgrounds were brought together in Jesus Christ. In Christ, there is now one new humanity, one new community, the church. Out of such diversity, there is now oneness and unity.

     Yes, this is great in concept, but how does it work out in reality. How do we experience oneness and unity in a church as diverse as ours?

     In the passage we just read, Paul writes, “……I urge you…” In chapters 1-3, we learn about Paul teaching the Christians at Ephesus about the truth of God’s sovereign work in our lives. Paul writes about praying for them. And beginning in chapter 4, he tells them what to do. He taught, he prayed and he instructed. This is a good example for us. Sometimes we may be so busy telling people what to do that we neglect explaining the reasons to them. Or we may be so heavy in teaching, there is little application. We could do well in teaching and instructing, but forget to pray for them.

     What is that one thing Paul urges them to do? “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Their lifestyle is to be consistent with their calling. So, what is the calling? The believers at Ephesus are called by God to be his children, to be ONE PEOPLE, a HOLY PEOPLE. Therefore, as ONE PEOPLE, they are to express their unity. As a HOLY PEOPLE, they are to express their purity. The first 16 verses of chapter 4 focuses on the expression of this unity. In vs 1-6, we see a simple truth, that is, we are given the responsibility of maintaining the unity that God has already given us.

     Let’s take a closer look at this issue of unity.

I.  Christian unity is based on the unity of God.

In verses 4-6, the word “one” is used 7 times. Paul seems to be very determined to get across this theme of oneness. Yes, God has called us and formed a new Humanity, a new Community. But here it is about oneness of God.

We can separate these 7 ones into 3 basic categories. One Spirit, One Lord and One Father. This is a mature form of describing the triune God. There is one God, but 3 persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. You see, in the triune God, we see unity in diversity.

God the father. He is the father of all those who put their faith in him. As the creator, he is the source, the origin, thus the father of all. But more specifically, he is the father of the believers.

God the Son. He is our Lord, the one Lord to him we owe our loyalty. We believe him, we are baptized in his name, and his second coming is our ultimate hope in life.

God the Holy Spirit. It is the spirit who is instrumental in calling us into this one body.

Because there is one God: Father, Son and the Spirit, therefore there is, One Christian faith, one Baptism, One Hope and One Christian family, the Church. There is an indestructible unity in God, therefore there is also an indestructible unity among the Christians.

What does this mean to us? When we come together in this church, it is so easy to point out our differences and diversity. For example, we hold different political convictions. We look at history differently. I think of my parents. When people ask when my younger sister was born. My mom will always say, in the year of the liberation. But often I will hear my father say, the year of the fall. We all carry with us different historical and political baggage and they can be divisive, right?

Then there is also our personality differences. On Wednesday I was talking to my friend in the Prison Fellowship. He is a real go-getter. He sets goals for one year, two years and five years. I said to him, “Kurt, when you switch to a new job, you don’t even need to unpack. Because in another year or two, you will be thinking of new and different goals. How could you survive wandering in the wilderness for 40 years with Moses?”

Besides this, our dialects are different. We have different perspectives on life. One sees the cup as half empty and the other half full. Such differences can certainly tear us apart.

But the emphasis in God’s word is that in the midst of our diversity, lets make sure we are unmistakably clear on what we have in common. We have one God: One father, One Lord and One Spirit. Therefore, there is unity among us.

However, why do we see so much disharmony and disunity within a church and among churches?

II.  Christians are to maintain this unity with a Loving life style.

In verses 2 and 3 Paul writes about our role in this unity. 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.” Unity already exists among us. Yet, we have a very active role in maintaining and expressing this unity. Very often when we think of unity, we associate it with doing things together. We think of organizations and structures. When we think of Christian unity, in China, we point to the Chinese Council of churches. In NA, there is the National Council of Churches. Then in the world, there is World Council of Churches. It is important that churches and groups are related structurally. But here, Paul seems to be talking about something much more basic. He is talking about relationships, about moral conducts. How often do we see churches split because of doctrinal issues? On the other hand, we constantly see splits because of interpersonal conflicts and relationship breakdowns.

Therefore, in verses 2 and 3 we are given very specific moral guidelines instructing us on how to maintain the unity that is already there.

1.     Humility.

This character trait is very much despised by the ancient world. They saw it as a weakness. It is used to describe “the crouching submissiveness of a slave”. Only until Jesus came, true humility was recognized. Among all the religious leaders, he is the model of humility. Phil 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” This is humility.

Humility means a lowliness of mind. A humble person is not someone constantly debasing himself. He recognizes the worth and value of other people.

Who are you attracted to most easily? People who respect you and give you the honor you think you deserve. Who do you dislike most? People treat you like dirt.

For example: at the check out place in this supermarket,  you speak in your Taiwanese/Szechuan English. And the cashier with an impatient face says, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” If at another store, with a smiling face, the cashier says, “Would you mind repeating that again? I am sorry I didn’t hear it too clearly.” It is clear which store will get your future business. We want to be respected.

However, when we insist or manipulate others to respect us, and give us recognition, then it becomes self-serving and self-centered. It will also lead to jealousy of others. Yes, we are important, but we don’t seek self importance. When we fail to do so, it will only lead to rivalry and disharmony.

Humility is a character to be developed. To be a humble person means that I am not the center of the universe, God is. There needs to be a constant awareness of God, of our own sinfulness and frailty, and of the equal value of others. In relationships, we are to seek other’s interests. We are to rid our desire to belittle the person next to me or to promote myself.

2.     Gentleness

Quite contrary to humility, gentleness was a welcome character in the ancient world. Aristotle embraced this character because of the quality of moderation. It means between being too angry and never angry at all. It is also used to describe a domesticated animal. Being gentle does not mean you have a soft voice.

Gentleness is not being weak. On the contrary, it is strength under control. Yes, you have a strong personality and personal opinions. You are full of self-confidence and true, in reality you are right most of the time. You are a very capable person and you know it. But when you are gentle, you master yourself and are a servant to others.

A gentle person is one without harshness and violence. You see, you can be a very soft-spoken, but at the same time a violent person.

I feel this is a character so desperately needed in today’s church. Often the media correctly portrays Christians as harsh and angry. Yes, we are right in many of our convictions, but sometimes it is repulsively right.

It is important in this and any other church, that we learn to be gentle towards each other. We exercise great control over the words we use. When gentleness is absent among us, individuals are bruised and crushed. We must never allow this to happen in God’s family.

Not only in church, there must also be gentleness in our family. So often we see spouses and children crushed by words and even physical violence. Do we want unity in our family and in our church? Be a gentle person, a person of moderation.

3.     Patience and forbearance

Patience and forbearance go hand in hand. Patience is always directed to people. It means enduring another person. We all like to associate with people we like, those who like us. In our real world, including this and other churches, there are plenty of people around us that we can’t stand. For whatever reason, the interpersonal chemistry is just not there. We have different and opposite political and social convictions. One believes that the government has a major role in taking care of its poor and sick. Another believes in personal responsibility. Our manners are different. One likes to eat in total silence, the other likes to slurp to show his/her appreciation and enjoyment. One likes to brag about his/her children’s accomplishment and the other has nothing to brag about. One constantly talks about God’s blessing in helping him get the right job and the right house. Another person can utter non-stop, “praise the Lord”. People can drive us crazy, right? There are so many irregular people around us. Of course, don’t ever forget that in others’ eyes, we are also an irregular person. What do we do with them?

Be patient and bear one another. Learn to accept others. I am always helped and encouraged by the old saying that a church is like a hospital. Only the sick are here. We have come to the great physician to seek healing. This is why everywhere we turn, we see irregular, sick people. Healthy and good people don’t need to be here. Only the sick are welcome. It is in this hospital that the great physician, Jesus Christ, brings healing into our lives. Some recover fast, others slowly. This is the reason that we are to be patient and forbearing towards each other. This is how we can maintain the unity God has given us. This is also the reason Paul prayed earlier that the Christians be rooted and established in love. We are to let love permeate all aspect of our lives. Without love, it is difficult to be patient.

Conclusion:

     Scientists are still searching for that unifying theory to explain our diversity. In our diversity, we seek unity. But when we turn to the Christian faith, we see all the elements of unity and diversity. The Christian God is diverse: with 3 persons. Yet it is one God. This is unity in diversity.

This one God has also called us from all walks of life into his family, be members of his body. Yes, we are diverse, but in him, there is unity. Our responsibility is to maintain and express this existing unity among us. But look at the conflict between churches and often conflict and rivalry within the church. We don’t do it too well, isn’t it?

Last year, after 30 years of discussion, the Episcopalian and the Evangelical Lutheran church in America reached an agreement in which they will share communion and ministers. It is a sign of unity between two major mainline denominations in NA. Certainly we need to pursue unity among the churches.

But the passage we studied today also tells us that there is something much more basic than structures and activities. Each of us is to develop the moral character of humility, gentleness, patience and bearing with one another in love. This is the key to maintain and manifest the truth that we are truly one in Jesus Christ.