Becoming As One Ephesians 4:1-6

It takes at least 5 years for a Minister to grow his wings and to be effective in Ministry Edmund Chan Pastors’ EPCC

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all Ephesians 4:1-6

Paul’s Letter from Prison About ONENESS

A Reminder for the Believers Remember your Calling Watch your Conduct Spare no effort on Unity

I urge you to live a life worthy of your Calling (Eph 4:1) You were once dead in your sins (Eph 2:1-3) You were once foreigners to the covenants of promise… (Eph 2:12) Because of God’s great love, you were saved (Eph 2:4-6) Now, you share in the promises in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:6)

Conduct in the House of God Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Be Gentle Be Patient Be Forbearing Be Humble

Fertile conditions for unity in the Body of Christ

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Love is … A strong affection for one another arising out of kinship or personal ties Merriam Webster

The goal of my instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 Bible defines Love The source of love is from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith – it comes from an inner disposition of the heart

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-10 Conformance to the law is not an objective, but rather a by product or the side effect of LOVE. Bible defines Love

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Cor 13:4-7 Patience, kindness, humility, etc… are expressions or the manifestations of Love Bible defines Love

But, a condition of the heart from which good comes out. Love is a Nature and a Character Love is not an affection..

God is Love (1 John 4:8) Refers to God’s nature, His Identity and His Character

Put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24) Put on the new nature that God has made you to be Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him (Col 3:10)

Love your enemies, bless those who curse you (Matt 5:44) You do not love your enemy, you become the person who will love your enemy I do not go to my enemies to love them, I go to them as a loving person

Love is not what we choose to do but what we choose to be

How do I then become a loving person?

A simplistic answer is…. God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 By the Holy Spirit

Reality 22 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; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness Ephesians 4:22-24 Battling with our old nature is deliberate and ongoing effort… There is a need to “put off”

An Example 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31 To do that we must address the sources of those actions

We must understand that bitterness, anger, malice, etc are rooted in how we think (our perception) of people because we see them as obstacles to our desire.

2. Seeing the person as a member of the Body of Christ To be made new in the attitudes of our minds.. Eph 4:23 The battle is in the mind.. 1. Seeing the person from God’s perspective 3. Seeing the person as an object of God’s love

Parting words Spare no effort on unity Love extravagantly