WALKING WORTHY OF OUR VOCATION - A Bible Study

A Bible Study:

Ephesians Chapter 4

OVERVIEW

The author of the letter to the Ephesians is St. Paul the Apostle.  Paul dictated the letter to a disciple by the name of Tychicus between 60-62 A.D. during Paul’s imprisonment at Rome.  Tychicus was also the one who Paul entrusted to deliver the letter to the Church at Ephesus.  Paul wrote four letters while in prison.  They were written in the following order: Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,…” (verse 1). 

 

In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul extols the beauty and power of God’s great gift of grace to man which is found in Christ Jesus.  With forceful and majestic phrases like:

“He [God] hath chosen us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world,”

·  “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself,”

·   “…wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved,”    

 “  "…ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,”

·   “…the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe,”

·   “[God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

·   “…by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,”

·   “In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him [Jesus],”

·  “…unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Paul very effectively conceptualizes the Gospel message and the grace that God has poured out on mankind in these first three chapters.  The Apostle starts chapter four, however, with the words “I therefore…beseech you” It is important that we always examine what a “therefore” is there for as we read God’s Word.  In this case Paul begins chapter four with practical instructions on how to apply this grace of God in our everyday lives.  It is as if he were saying, “In the light of all the promises and benefits that I have just described to you, this is how we must live.”  The Apostle then describes how the promises of God should translate into our daily lives as we interact with the Body of Christ, our spouses, our children, and in our warfare with the enemy of our souls.  

Paul uses the phrase, “the prisoner of the Lord” in this opening verse.  At the time that this epistle was written, Paul was the prisoner of the Roman Emperor Nero.  He would ultimately be condemned by Nero and beheaded at Rome.  Paul understood his fate from the beginning and had willingly accepted it as the means by which he would testify of the Gospel before governors, high priests, magistrates, and even emperors.  The Lord Himself had appeared to Paul and said to him, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” (Acts 23:11).  For this reason the apostle no longer considered himself the prisoner of man, but the prisoner of the Lord Who had called him to this special dispensation of grace.  It is on the strength of his conviction and of his personal example that Paul then says, “I...beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”  We are all called to run a race.  While the rules of the race will not differ, the course that we run will be quite different from our brothers’ and sisters’ in the Lord.  Likewise, the spiritual gifts and callings that God has bestowed on every child of God will differ according to the grace of God.  This is our vocation, our life’s work, our true calling in Christ.  Paul’s calling was very clear to him, and he determined to walk worthy of it even if it meant suffering for Christ’s sake.  From the strength of his personal example, he was beseeching the Ephesians to also walk worthy of their calling.  The words that he wrote earlier to the Corinthian believers also applied to the Ephesians, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” (2 Corinthians 6:1). 

“…with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” (verse 2). 

The first thing that Paul instructs the Ephesians to do in order to walk worthy of their vocation in Christ is to maintain their humility in the Lord.  They were asked to serve the Lord and their brethren with a lowly and meek attitude, to practice patience and longsuffering with one another, and to bear with one another in true Christian love.  Paul realized how easy it is for humans to become haughty and puffed up because of the gifts and miracles that God bestows upon them.  Until we put on perfection, we all will have faults to deal with.  Sometimes my faults are more visible to others than they are to me.  For this reason we must learn to be longsuffering with one another, and forbearing, seeking to treat others as we ourselves would want to be treated.  This is a big part of walking worthy of our vocation in Christ and becoming a functioning member of Christ’s Body.  

“…endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (verse 3). 

This is a key verse.  Paul’s admonishment in this verse is to actively work to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Man’s idea of unity is that everyone believes exactly the same things in order to get along.  This is why the Church has broken apart, splintered off, and been constantly dividing into endless factions since the first century.  The fact is, the carnal mind will act in carnal ways and look for things that make us different instead of ways in which we are one.  Of course, there are a handful of things that are foundational to the faith, and we should not waiver where they are concerned.  Paul names some of them in the next verses:

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (verses 4-5).

Paul lists seven “ones” in these verses that are basic to the faith and the Gospel message.  These form the groundwork from which our faith will grow.  These are foundational and form a place for believers to initially unite.  When the early Church had a controversy over the issue of gentile circumcision, the Apostles at Jerusalem sent out a list of no-no’s to the gentile churches which included only four items (See Acts 15:19, 20).  It wasn’t their intention to burden these new believers with “laws” – that was the job of the Holy Spirit!  Let me just say this: there is a place for church government and discipline in the local assemblies, but it is the job of the pastors and elders, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to handle such issues.

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)” (verses 7-10).

Having addressed the importance of endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Paul turns to the matter of the Church coming into the unity of the faith, and how it is to be accomplished.  He starts by writing, “every one of us” has been given grace according to the measure of God’s gift.  When Jesus ascended into heaven, He opened the prison doors to them that were bound – releasing us from Satan’s chains.  Through the new birth, we were translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.  Besides this, He bestowed spiritual gifts on all of His children.  Jesus not only ascended up into heaven for us, but He also entered into the bowels of hell so that His victory over Satan, death, the flesh, and the world would be certain and complete for all time!  Those who received Christ were given, not only the promise of eternal life, but also spiritual gifts by which they could edify the Body.

What were these gifts that the Lord gave to His children?  He lists a few in the next verse.

“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers...” (verse 11).

There were some believers who were given grace to become apostles, but not all.  There were some who were given the gift of prophecy, but not all.  Some were given a special ability to teach, but not all.  Others were given the gifts of evangelism and of pastoring, or shepherding a local body, but not all.  The point of this is that “unto every one of us is given grace,” but not everyone has been given the same gifts.  Paul mentioned only five gifts in verse 11, but this is by no means a complete list.  If it were, then we would have to conclude that “every one of us” would hold one of these five gifts, and we know that that isn’t true. 

In writing to the believers in Corinth, Paul listed many more of these gifts: “...For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh [by, or through] that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).  “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).  This is a more comprehensive list of the gifts, but still not complete by far.  What it teaches us is that every Christian has received a gift of grace, but that they are not all the same gifts. 

In Ephesians, Paul lists only five ministries, but his intent is clearly not to exclude any of the others.  The truth is that there are more ministries in the body than one could probably name because every believer has been given a gift.  “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” (1 Corinthians 12:7).  Just as every member in our bodies has a unique and necessary function, so does every member of Christ.  Without every member working properly, the body becomes crippled, and then the other members must compensate to make up the loss. 

What was God’s purpose in gifting every believer?  What was the primary function that God intended for those gifts?

“…for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (verse 12). 

God intends for His Body to be perfected, built up, and strengthened!  This is why He has equipped her with all of these gifts and ministries.  Jesus said, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” (Acts 1:8).  In ourselves, we do not have the capacity to do the will of God and to build His Church.  It takes the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives operating through the gifts that God has given to accomplish what He wants to work in the world.  “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12).  As the people of God learn to mortify their carnal nature, and embrace their new nature in Christ, they can then be used by God to feed, encourage, and edify their brothers and sisters, and the whole Body is benefited.

How long will this work of the Spirit continue?  What will the overall effect of this work be?

 “…till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (verses 13-16).

We cannot achieve the unity of the faith until we learn to honor and respect the other members of Christ’s Body and to minister our gifts to one another in love.  As this begins to happen, we will see a restoration of the Church back to the power and authority that it had in the first century.  Signs and wonders will once more become the norm and not the exception.  Not just for a few evangelists and healers, but also for the deacons, the housewives, and the janitors!  Every member of the Body will be filled with the Spirit and do exploits! (See Daniel 11:32).  As long as we are willing to backbite, bicker, debate, envy, and slander one another, we will never reach a higher plane in Christ.  This is akin to cutting off our own arm or leg!

God doesn’t want us to remain like children forever.  Children can be deceived too easily.   They are “...tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness.”  Instead, God wants us to “...grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.”  As we learn truth, and then speak truth to one another in love, then the whole body will be “...fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part.”

In the book of Ezekiel, there is a very unflattering picture of the Body of Christ.  In chapter 37 we read that God showed His prophet a valley full of dry bones scattered on the ground and said, “...these bones are the whole house of Israel.”  Today, God might say, “This is the whole Body of Christ.”  God told Ezekiel to prophesy two things to the bones.  First, he was to tell them “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”  Second, he was to prophesy “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”  These two things were necessary for the Body to be restored to life.  Both are necessary if we are to see God’s Body restored again.  The Word of the Lord will bring God’s people together and make them into a whole Body again rather than scattered into many factions and bleaching in the valley.  As good as that may sound, however, they still need the breath of God – which is the Holy Spirit’s leadership – in order to truly live and become an influencing factor in the world.

There is nothing as critical as the local Body in the perfection of God’s people.  There is also nothing more important in the local Body than for each member to operate in the gifts that they have been given.  If this chapter teaches us anything, it should be that we cannot reach the high calling of God in Christ without the other members and ministries of the local Body.  Many pastors try to dole out projects and tasks to their parishioners to get them involved in the ministry.  This is not what God intends!  It is the Holy Spirit Who gifts believers, not man.  It is up to every believer to pray and seek the Lord to discover what they have been given, and then learn to allow God to manifest that gift in and through them.  These gifts are not necessarily natural talents, but are abilities that can only function effectively under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  God can only use natural talents once they are surrendered to Him and free of self pride.  How many very talented singers who once sang in church for the glory of God have left the church to pursue a career in secular music and left the church behind?  Many of them have made shipwreck of their lives seeking personal fame and wealth rather than dedicating themselves to the Kingdom of God.

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (verses 17-19).

The Church today is obsessed with being like the world.  They are afraid to stand out and to speak out against the excesses and abuses that they see all around them.  Paul is calling the Body to a higher standard of conduct than those they are living around.  Walking worthy of our vocation means changing our past behavior and exemplifying that higher standard to those around us who are not saved, as well as to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

“But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (verses 20-24).

One thing that we learn after receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior is that we have an “old man” - a carnal nature – which was corrupted by Adam’s fall and by our own sinful choices.  For this reason we must be renewed in our thinking and embrace the “new man” that Christ transforms us into.  The Holy Spirit – our Comforter – has been given to us to teach us Christ’s ways and lead us into all truth.  Scripture likens this transformation to putting off a filthy, old garment; and putting on a clean, new one.  It is by faith in the finished work of Christ that we are changed from our past life into a brand new one!

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (verses 25-29).

Paul then gives us some practical examples of things that we can put off, and things that we can put on in Christ.  We can put off lying for instance, and put on the habit of speaking truth to our neighbors, family, and brethren.  Paul tells us the reason that this is so important is that we are “...members one of another.”  Your lie affects me, and my lie affects you.  This principle is also true of anger.  We put off anger, refusing to give place to the devil by doing or speaking things that are hurtful to others.  Instead, we put on gentleness, kindness, and patience and allow the love of God to rule our spirit.  Those who once stole from others can now put off that past behavior and work to provide for themselves and to give to the less fortunate.  Finally, we can put off the corrupt things that we used to spend our time talking about, and put on the type of conversation that is encouraging, faith inspiring, and edifying to others.  The greatest thing that we can minister to one another is grace!

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (verses 30-32).

Paul ends this chapter in much the same way that he started it: with an admonishment to love and unity.  He says to put away any bitter feelings toward the brethren because it will grieve the Holy Spirit with which we have been sealed.   We must be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to one another, keeping in mind how much God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us. 

The Body of Christ is the manifestation of the Lord on earth.  When men look at the Church, they expect to see Jesus.  When they see fighting and division in the Church, it sounds a false note to them.  They will seek elsewhere for truth.  The Apostle John tells us that if we can’t love our brother who we can see, how can we love God Who we can’t see?  Oh, how we need God’s grace and mercy to become all that He has called us to be, and to walk worthy of the vocation to which we have been called! 

Other related chapters to study:

1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14

1 Corinthians 3