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TODAY'S SERMON :
"Unity in the Body"
Ephesians 4:1-16

The Christian life must be walking (living) what the Bible teaches and not based on what we think, feel, or whose opinion is considered right. It is about the teaching of God’s Holy word, and the better we understand Biblical doctrine, the easier it is to obey its duties.

In our scripture this morning we’re looking at the application of the doctrine taught prior through the unity of body! Our responsibility is to preserve that unity by understanding 4 principles:
1. The Grace of Unity (Vv. 1-3)
2. The Ground of Unity (Vv. 4-6)
3. The Gifts for Unity (Vv. 7-11)
4. The Growth of Unity (Vv. 12-16)

The Grace of Unity (Vv. 1-3)
Unity is not uniformity. Unity comes from within and is a spiritual grace, while uniformity is the result of pressure from .

If we are going to preserve “the unity of the Spirit,” we must possess the 7 Christian graces that are listed:

1. Humility – Humility means putting Christ first, others second, and self last. We are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to including all ministers!
2. Gentleness - is not weakness. It is power under control. Christ was “gentle and humble in heart” (Mt. 11:29), yet He drove the moneychangers from the temple.
3. Patience - this means “being long-tempered,” the ability to endure trials without fighting back.
4. Accepting – is a grace that cannot be experienced apart from love, but it’s receiving the unlovable.
5. Love - is a “fruit of the Spirit;” and for there to be “unity of the Spirit” the believer must be “walking in the Spirit.”
6. Diligently – one can translate this as “being eager to maintain, or keep, the unity of the Spirit.” It’s constantly working at it!” The fact is when we’re not working at it, or think things are good, Satan will move in to wreck it! The spiritual unity of
7. Peace - “the peace that binds us.” When “the peace of God” rules in our hearts, then we are more concerned about unity.

The Ground of Unity (Vv. 4-6)

1. One body -The body of Christ where each believer is a member, and placed there at conversion. It is also the model for many local bodies across the world.
2. One Spirit -The same Holy Spirit indwells each believer, so that we belong to each other in the Lord. He is vital to us in the living of the Christian life.
3. One hope -This refers to the return of the Lord to take His church to heaven. The believer who realizes the existence of the one body, who walks in the Spirit, and who looks for the Lord’s return, is going to make peace not trouble.
4. One Lord -This is the Lord Jesus who died for us, lives for us, and one day will come for us. It is difficult to believe that 2 believers can claim to obey the same Lord, and not be able to walk together in unity. Acknowledging the lordship of Christ is a vital step toward unity among His people.
5. One faith –This is fundamental as any in the body! Christians may differ on interpretation; but all will agree on “the faith”—and to depart from “the faith” is to bring disunity within the body.
6. One baptism –this is the baptism of the Spirit, which takes place in a believing sinner at conversion. This is not an experience after conversion, nor is it an experience the believer seeks after.
7. One God and Father –Paul was one who liked to call God, Father. The awesome oneness (unity) of believers in the family of God is shown here, for God is above all, and working through all, and in all.

The Gifts for Unity (Vv. 7-11)
Now we move from what we have in common to how Christians differ from each other. God has given every believer at least one spiritual gift, and it is to be used for the unifying and building up of the body of Christ. A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is and believers are.

Sinners who once were held captives by sin and Satan have now been taken captive by Christ. Even death itself is defeated! When He came to earth, Christ experienced the depths of humiliation, but when He ascended to heaven, He experienced the very highest exaltation possible.

The Growth of Unity (Vv. 12-16)
You can see the church on 2 levels in this section. The universal body of Christ made up of all true believers, growing until it reaches spiritual maturity; but also the local body of believers ministering to and growing together thereby experiencing unity.

Evidence of spiritual growth
1. Members of a church grow by feeding on the Word and ministering to each other, just as Jesus did, the first evidence of spiritual growth is Christ-likeness.

2. The maturing Christian is not tossed about by every religious teaching that tickles the ear! The maturing believer recognizes false doctrine and stays clear of it.

3. Truth joined with love: “Speaking the truth in love”

The last evidence of maturity is cooperation. We realize that, as members of the one body and a local body, we belong to each other, we affect each other, and we need each other. Each believer, no matter how insignificant he may appear, has a ministry.

The body grows as the individual members grow, and they grow as they feed on the Word and minister to each other. Notice once again the emphasis on love! Love is the circulatory system of the body.

So it is with the children of God. An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for their gifts to be ministered either way.

Spiritual unity is not something we manufacture. It is something we have in Christ, and we must protect and maintain it.

Truth unites, but lies divide.
Love unites, but selfishness divides.

Therefore, “speaking the truth in love,” let us equip one another and edify one another, so that all of us may grow up to be more like Christ!