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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to Ephesians chapter four, as we continue to work our way 
through Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. So Ephesians 
four. I'll read verses one to 16, and 
then our focus will be on the first section, verses one to 
three this evening. So beginning in chapter four 
at verse one. I therefore, the prisoner of 
the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which 
you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, 
bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity 
of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and 
one spirit, just as you were 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. But to each one 
of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 
Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive 
and gave gifts to men. Now this, he ascended, what does 
it mean but that he also first descended into the lower parts 
of the earth? He who descended is also the 
one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill 
all things. And he himself gave some to be 
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors 
and teachers. Four, the equipping of the saints. 
four, the work of ministry, and four, the edifying of the body 
of Christ. Do we all come to the unity of 
the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect 
man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that 
we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried 
about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the 
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth 
in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every 
joint supplies, according to the effective working by which 
every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying 
of itself in love. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this section 
of Holy Scripture, the practical application in light of what 
the Apostle has set forth in terms of the doctrine of our 
salvation. Give us ears to hear and hearts 
to receive these things, and may You encourage our hearts 
and strengthen us to follow and to comply with these exhortations 
given by the Apostle. so that we may glorify you, so 
that we may treat one another with that love and respect and 
that kindness that is enjoined upon us in passages like these. 
Again, forgive us for our sin and our remaining corruption. 
Please guide us now by the Holy Spirit. We pray through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord, amen. Well, we've finished the doctrinal 
section properly in the epistle to the Ephesians. So in chapters 
1 to 3, Paul sets forth the doctrine of salvation. Now he gets real 
practical, beginning in chapter 4, verse 1, and continuing to 
chapter 6 and verse 20. The apostle has told us how we 
walk prior to conversion. If you look at Ephesians chapter 
2, specifically in verse 2. He says in verse 1, you he made 
alive, who are dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked 
according to the course of this world. And then in chapter 2, 
verse 10, in terms of a general theological statement, he tells 
us how we are supposed to walk. Notice in verse 10, we are his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God 
prepared beforehand. we should walk in them. So now 
in chapters 4 to 6, he gives us a heavy emphasis on specific 
directions concerning our walk. Notice in verse 1, therefore 
the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling 
with which you were called. Drop down to verse 17. This I 
say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer 
walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their 
mind. Look at chapter 5 and verse 2. 
And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself 
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. Then again in chapter 5 at verse 
8, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the 
Lord. Walk as children of light. And then one final use of that 
word, walk in verse 18. Notice, do not be drunk with 
wine in which is, I'm sorry, not 18, 15. see then that you 
walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time 
because the days are evil." So it's an obviously practical emphasis 
that the apostle draws in this section of the epistle. And specifically 
here in verses 1 to 3, he encourages us to walk worthy of our calling, 
and then he specifies what that's going to look like. He tells 
us the virtues that will mark us, and then he gives us the 
conduct that is fitting with reference to our relationships 
with one another. So in verses 1 to 3, we have 
the preservation of love and unity, And then verses 4 to 6 
is the basis for that love and unity. God willing, we'll take 
that up the next time we come to the book of Ephesians. We've 
got the Lord's Supper, God willing, next Sunday night. So I want 
to look first at the exhortation to walk in a worthy manner, verse 
1. And then secondly, the elements needed to walk in a worthy manner 
in verses 2 and 3. In the first place, notice the 
exhortation. It's not strictly a command, 
but it is a command. Notice in chapter 4, verse 1. He beseeches, and then he says, 
to walk worthy. The connection, therefore, goes 
with all that has preceded. And if you consider what we saw 
in that last petition, in chapter 3, verse 19, he prays that the 
people of God, as the church of God, would be filled with 
all the fullness of God Himself. This does remind us again of 
the old covenant worship system. In the tabernacle, the glory 
of the Lord filled the temple. in the tabernacle, in the temple 
time during Solomon, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 
In that visionary temple, in Ezekiel's prophecy, the glory 
of the Lord filled the temple. Well, what was requisite for 
God's glory to fill the temple? It was requisite that the temple 
be holy, that it be purified. that sacrifice be offered up 
on behalf of the people, on behalf of the priesthood, and on behalf 
of the temple structure itself. So you see the close connection 
between these two sections. If we are, in fact, the people 
of God, if we are, in fact, the temple of God, where He dwells 
with us, then it is required that we be a holy people. And 
so these exhortations or commands come to us with that specification. We're to be a people that are 
receptive. We are to be a people that are readied. We are to be 
a people in the way that we conduct ourselves and ourselves toward 
one another that are a good dwelling place of God Most High. So notice 
the apostle's strategy. He says, I therefore, the prisoner 
of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which 
you were called. So he moves from doctrine to 
practical application. He does this in the book of Romans 
as well. Chapters one to 11 is a great explication of the gospel. 
And then chapters 12 to 16 is the practical application based 
on that reality. But it's not just his common 
strategy. It reflects biblical soteriology. It reflects the 
live and do principle versus the do and live principle. All 
false religion begins with commands. All false religion begins with 
imperative. All false religion says, do this 
and live. Well, not false in terms of the 
old covenant, but false in terms of the religion of man. A negation 
of the gospel of the grace of God. We hear behavior modification. You just need to clean up your 
act, and you need to try a little bit harder, and then you'll be 
accepted by God. That is the do and live principle. That is a covenant of works reality. But with reference to the gospel, 
it's a live and do. It's the indicative, the reality 
that Christ came into this world, sinners to save. He grants us 
the graces of faith and repentance so that we may close with Him. 
Based on what He has done for us, then come the commands, then 
come the imperatives, then comes the emphasis on how then we ought 
to live. And Paul's strategy or Paul's 
methodology here reflects that particular order. I mentioned 
yesterday in our theology study, there's one command in chapters 
one to three. It's in chapter two at verse 
11, when the apostle tells the people of God to remember what 
their former state was. Chapters four to six, there's 
about 39 commands. So you see the distinction between 
the doctrinal section and the practical section. And I wanna 
make it very clear, you are not saved by obeying chapters four 
to six. If you were saved by obeying 
chapters 4 to 6, it would have to be perfect, it would have 
to be entire, it would have to be exact, and it would have to 
be perpetual obedience for you to ever enter into the presence 
of a holy God. The reality is that Christ alone 
satisfies those conditions. Christ alone obeyed the Father. 
with reference to his own personal obedience to that law. It was 
exact. It was entire. It was perpetual. Now that everyone who believes 
in him, they receive not only the forgiveness of sins, but 
they receive his righteousness. It's imputed to them and it's 
received by faith alone. So we need to make sure we're 
clear on that order. It's not do this and live, it 
is rather live by God's grace through faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and as a result of that, live in a manner that is consistent 
with your calling. That's the emphasis of the apostle. Notice in verse one, I therefore, 
the prisoner of the Lord, he reminds them again what he said 
in chapter three, verse one, beseech you to walk worthy of 
the calling with which you were walked. Now that word, walk, 
simply means to conduct one's life, to comport oneself, to 
behave, to live as a habit of conduct. And he describes that 
walk in verse 1 as worthy, but he'll specify in more detail 
in verses 2 and 3 what that walk looks like. But notice it's not 
an undefined walk, it's not sort of a nebulous walk, it's not 
some sort of a generic walk, but it is a specific walk with 
a specific standard. Notice in verse 1, I beseech 
you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Turn 
over to Philippians chapter 1 and verse 27, you see a parallel 
use with reference to the apostles' instructions there. Notice in 
Philippians 1.27, only let your conduct, this walk, be worthy 
of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or 
am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast 
in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith 
of the gospel. So let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, 
Philippians 1.27. Ephesians 4.1, let your walk 
be worthy of the calling, That calling, again, is not generic. 
It refers to the effectual calling that God places on us in terms 
of our salvation by grace through faith. The Bible sees, or the 
Bible shows, that there are two callings. There's a general call, 
the gospel goes out to every creature. Some by grace respond, 
others do not. Those who by grace respond, not 
only hear the general call, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, 
they are given the effectual call. They are given an internal 
call. They are blessed by God immeasurably. He makes them willing in the 
day of his power so that they may respond to the gospel of 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. And so Paul says, your conduct, 
your walk, needs to be worthy of that calling with which you 
were called. In other words, your salvation 
is not by words. Your salvation is not according 
to what you have done. But your salvation is such that 
now as saved men and women, you're supposed to live in a particular 
way. You're supposed to conduct yourself 
in a manner that is consistent with that effectual call. Paul 
tells us more about that call throughout Scripture. Romans 
8, verse 30, it is effectual. It speaks of him having foreknown 
and him predestining those he called. Those whom he calls, 
he also justifies. In Philippians chapter three, 
he refers to it as an upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In 2 Timothy chapter one in verse 
nine, he calls it a holy calling. And the same sort of emphasis 
is here. You need to walk in a worthy 
manner that is consistent with your call by the grace of God 
to be the people of God. In other words, you're not living 
and obeying in order that you may be saved. You've been saved 
by grace in order that you may live and obey in a manner that 
pleases God, in a manner that reflects His glory, and in a 
manner that adorns the gospel of Jesus Christ to an onlooking 
world. So the particular phrase that 
he uses here, that he beseeches you to walk worthy of the calling 
with which you were called, he uses that language elsewhere. 
Philippians 1.27. Philippians 3.18, negatively, 
for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and with tears. They walked in a negative sort 
of way, they were contrary. So this is one's conduct. This 
is one's conversation, to use the old King James. This is the 
way or manner of life that the blood-bought children of God 
are supposed to persevere in. So when we're saved, it's not 
the case that we live any old way that we please. When we're 
saved, it's not the case that we continue in sin that grace 
may abound. No, may it never be. We live 
in a manner that is consistent with God's holy word. So the 
standard is that effectual call, the practical result. Go back 
to chapter 1 and verse 4. You see God's purpose and plan 
in election. Ephesians 1, verse 4, just as 
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, notice 
this next clause, that we should be holy and without blame beforehand. He doesn't choose us because 
we were holy and without blame. So big difference there. It's 
not as if God, before the foundation of the world, looked down the 
tunnel of time and saw us and saw that we were going to be 
holy and without blame. And as a result of the fact that 
they were holy and without blame, God then chooses us unto salvation. That is to get the verse exactly 
incorrect. It is to flip it over on its 
head and to make it mean absolutely contrary to what it actually 
means. He chose us in Him before the 
foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without 
blame. Not because we were holy and 
without blame, but in order that we may be holy and without blame. Same emphasis in chapter 2, notice 
in verses 8 to 10. He says, for by grace you have 
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is 
the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For 
we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Notice four 
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk 
in that. So again, it's not the case that 
we're saved because of these good works. It is the case that 
we're saved because of God's free and sovereign grace. And 
once God saves us by that free and sovereign grace, He then 
calls us to live in a manner that is consistent with it. There 
shouldn't be new information to any of us. We are to walk 
worthy. We are to do so in a manner that 
is consistent with that effectual call of God upon our life. The 
redemptive benefit and blessing that we have received, that Ephesians 
1.3 reality. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Well, what are those 
spiritual blessings? I think there's a good threefold 
framework that you can use. Justification, sanctification, 
and glorification. We are justified freely by His 
grace. We are sanctified according to 
His power and His Word. And we will ultimately be glorified 
because He is great and glorious and wondrous, and what Christ 
has secured for His people will come to fruition. So sanctification 
is part and parcel of our theological life. And practically, we need 
to pursue those things that are pleasing to our blessed God. 
Now, notice the elements needed to walk in a manner, or in a 
worthy manner. Verses 2 and 3. You've got the 
virtues associated with a worthy walk, and then you've got the 
conduct toward others in a worthy walk. Notice the virtues. And 
again, this should not be surprising to any of us. Notice in verse 
two, he gives us three. With all lowliness and gentleness, 
with long suffering. With all lowliness and gentleness, 
with long suffering. In the first place, the need 
for lowliness. It simply means that. Humility, 
it means modesty. The New King James rendering 
here is very good. Lowliness, you see its use elsewhere. Turn to Philippians chapter two. 
Philippians chapter 2 at verse 3, let nothing be done through 
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let 
each esteem others better than himself. You see the use in Colossians 
chapter 3 at verse 12. Colossians 3 at verse 12, therefore, 
as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, 
kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering. The idea of meekness 
there. As well, 1 Peter chapter 5 and 
verse 5. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5. Likewise, you younger 
people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive 
to one another and be clothed with humility. Same emphasis 
there, this idea of humility. So back to Ephesians chapter 
4. What does a worthy walk look like? Well, it doesn't look like 
pride. It doesn't look like arrogance. It doesn't look like a bunch 
of people banging their drum about how great they are. It's 
not the Pharisee who prays thus with himself. Thank you, God, 
that I'm not like other men. I'm not a murderer. I'm not an 
adulterer. I'm not an extortionist. I'm certainly not like this publican 
here. A worthy walk that is in accordance 
with that effectual call of God upon our lives is a walk of loneliness. It is a walk of humility. It 
is a walk of others-mindedness, and that's the accent in these 
New Covenant passages. We are not to be high-minded. 
There is a marked contrast here with the world. Is lowliness 
a trait that is respected amongst people in the world? I think 
Stephen Barr references this well. He says, as is often pointed 
out, this virtue, humility, or lowliness is not a positive attribute 
in the Greco-Roman world at large, but suggests degrading humiliation 
or debasement. Remember Jesus when he taught 
his disciples about greatness in the kingdom? He says, if you 
wanna be first, you need to be last. If you wanna be the one 
at the top, it's actually being the servant of all. The world 
sees a power structure in a pyramid fashion. You've got all the pearls 
here and you've got the main guy at the top and we simply 
function to serve and to adore and to honor that one. We'll 
flip that on its head and that's greatness in the kingdom of God. 
You wanna be first, you're gonna be last. You wanna be great, 
you're going to be the least of all. And the emphasis comes 
through loud and clear through Christ's apostles. So again, 
Baugh says, this is not a positive attribute in the Greco-Roman 
world at large, but suggests degrading humility, humiliation, 
or debasement, which was abhorrent in a world where public honor, 
as opposed to shame, was consummately valued. In the biblical world, 
humility is a positive virtue in contrast with haughtiness, 
especially when it is combined with the next word we're going 
to see, gentleness, as marks Jesus' own character, and thus 
also marks those who are being remade into his image. Christ uses these identifiers 
or descriptors of himself in Matthew chapter 11 at verse 29, 
on the heels of calling sinners to come to him, to take the yoke 
upon him. He describes himself with this 
terminology. So what's the connection? Those 
conquered by sovereign grace are to follow in the steps of 
the master. They are to cultivate lowliness. 
And the way to cultivate that is simply by killing pride, by 
opposing and resisting that arrogance that is in all of our hearts 
to one degree or another. Turn over to Philippians chapter 
2 again. Just want to see that, see it 
sort of fleshed out in a real life context. Notice in Philippians 
2 at verse 1, Therefore, if there is any consolation, It's probably 
better to translate it, since there is. The if kind of makes 
it sound like it may be there and it may not be there. He's 
talking to redeemed people. He's talking to believers in 
Jesus Christ. We could translate it accurately, since there is 
consolation in Christ. Since there is comfort of love, 
fellowship of the Spirit, and the affection and mercy. Notice 
what he says, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having 
the same love, being of one accord of one mind. He doesn't leave 
it there, though that's great and that's informative and that's 
instructive, but look at how he concretely or concretely applies 
that in verse 3. Let nothing be done through selfish 
ambition or conceit. Brethren, I suspect these passages 
are going to find us out. I suspect these passages are 
going to be a refutation to our conduct and our attitude. I suspect 
there'll be a rebuke along the way, but again, praise God for 
the Lord Jesus Christ and there is forgiveness to be had in Him. 
But notice, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, 
but in lowliness of mind. Look at this next phrase. Let 
each esteem others better than himself. Let each esteem others 
better than himself. It's a good place for self-reflection. 
Does that describe you and me? Is that indicative of the way 
that we conduct ourselves towards brothers and sisters in Christ 
Jesus? The way we conduct ourselves in our Christian homes? Let nothing 
be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness 
of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Notice in 
verse 4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, 
but also for the interests of others. Paul assumes that we're 
gonna look out for our own interests. Paul assumes that when he says 
that we're to love others as we love ourselves, the Bible 
condones that, the Bible approves of that. The Bible doesn't say 
you're a terrible person for not ingesting poison. You're 
a terrible person for not wanting to walk out in front of a train. 
No, you're gonna love yourself to the degree that you try to 
preserve yourself. You're going to love yourself to the degree 
that you try to protect yourself. There's nothing inherently wrong 
with that. But what is inherently wrong is when you're only occupied 
with yourself, when nobody else matters, when the whole world 
is about you, yourself, and I. That's what's condemned in Holy 
Scripture. And the apostle, as a corrective, 
says, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, 
but also for the interests of others. And of course, the antithesis 
to this virtue is a high-mindedness. It is an arrogance. It is a lack 
of humility. It is pride. Notice in the second 
place, back to Ephesians chapter four, verse two, with all lowliness 
and gentleness, this word means the quality of not being, I love 
this, overly impressed by a sense of one's self-importance. Someone 
has well said, when they eventually find the center of the universe, 
there's going to be a lot of people surprised that they're 
not there. Because that's us, brethren. 
We are the center of our own universe. We traffic in the realm 
of the unholy trinity. Me, myself, and I. The leech 
has two daughters. Give, give. We're about us. Doesn't 
matter about anybody else. So again, listen to the dictionary 
definition. The quality of not being overly impressed by a sense 
of one's own self-importance. Gentleness. Humility. Courtesy. Considerateness. Meekness. And it's used by Paul, 
again, look at Galatians 5. Galatians 5, specifically in 
terms of the fruits of the Spirit, verse 23. Gentleness, self-control 
against such, there is no law. Look at chapter 6 in Galatians, 
verse 1. Brethren, if a man is overtaken 
in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one 
notice in a spirit of gentleness. What do you think Paul's saying? 
Lowliness and gentleness are virtues that are consistent with 
this worthy walk. Lowliness and gentleness are 
virtues that are consistent with our upward call of God in Christ 
Jesus. He effectually called us unto 
himself. He conveyed upon us every spiritual blessing. Not 
so that we'd be proud arrogance with an overactive assessment 
of how great and glorious we are, but just the opposite. Look 
at Philippians chapter four and verse five. Philippians chapter 
four, verse five, let your gentleness be known to all men. Now, brethren, 
when the Bible says that, it doesn't mean advertise it. Hey, 
I'm gentle. I'm the gentlest guy you're ever 
gonna meet. That's not what it means, any 
more than in Ephesians 5. Husbands love your wives, wives 
submit unto your husbands. In a biblically regulated home, 
The husband doesn't have to tell you over and over again how much 
he loves his wife. In a biblically regulated home, 
the wife doesn't have to tell you over and over and over again. 
I'm submissive to my man. I'm submissive to my man. They 
don't have to tell you because they just do it. The same with 
this gentleness principle in Philippians 4 or 5. Hey, guess 
what? I'm a gentle person. What's your 
greatest strength? Well, I'm extremely gentle. That's 
my thing. I'm really good at it. No, let 
your gentleness be made known to all men by by being gentle, 
by not being the sort of person that parades him or herself as 
the embodiment of gentleness in terms of Christ's gift to 
the church at large. Notice as well in 1 Timothy chapter 
6, 1 Timothy chapter 6, specifically in verse 11. But you, O man of 
God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, 
love, patience. Look at the virtue, gentleness. A real live application in 2 
Timothy 2, beginning in verse 23. Remember hearing a man, a 
Christian apologist one time, explain this in the context of 
Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving dinner, it's often 
a time where there can be discussions of politics or religion that 
can kind of get uncomfortable. Perhaps you're having dinner 
or a time of feasting with an uncle that opposes the Christian 
faith, an uncle that likes to take shots at you, an uncle that 
wants to try to exploit you and show everybody that you're just 
a fool. Well, notice in 2 Timothy 2 at 
verse 23, but avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that 
they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must 
not quarrel, but here's our word, be gentle to all. able to teach 
patience, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, 
if God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know 
the truth. Don't get into the gutter with 
the guy, but when the gutter is not the problem, then, you 
know, in humility correct him. Do it with a gentle spirit. Do 
it with an attitude that is likened unto our blessed Savior. And then in 1 Peter 3, the Christian 
apologist, the defender of the faith. He's not to be arrogant. He's not to browbeat everybody. 
He's not to parade himself as the specimen of higher learning 
and the guy that has all the ability in terms of debate and 
the ability to crush the opposing view. Look at how Peter describes 
this in 1 Peter 3.15. 1 Peter 3.15, sanctify the Lord 
God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to 
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with, 
here's our word, meekness and fear. Having a good conscience 
that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your 
good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better if 
it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing 
evil. John Eady says, it is a meekness 
of spirit in all relations, both toward God and toward man. which 
never rises in insubordination against God, nor in resentment 
against man. And then one final passage, I 
alluded to it earlier, Matthew chapter 11. Our blessed Savior 
uses these particular descriptors of himself, Matthew chapter 11, 
specifically at verse 28. Come to me, all you who labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon 
you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and 
you will find rest for your souls." So we go back to Ephesians chapter 
4, what's Paul's emphasis? Paul's emphasis is that a worthy 
walk looks like this, lowliness, it looks like gentleness, and 
then he ends this triad with one more specific virtue. He 
says, with long-suffering, with patience, Patience is a tough 
one, right? Not everybody is as patient as 
the next guy. Some people, I hate to break 
this to you, but some people struggle with this one. No doubt, 
that's why he not only says with patience, but then he follows 
up with bearing with one another. Maybe some in Ephesus had this 
sort of remaining issue and Paul needed to admonish them and encourage 
them and exhort them. So there's this lowliness, there's 
this gentleness, and then there's this long suffering, this patience. And this simply means the state 
of being able to bear up under provocation. See, this commandment 
assumes a few things. This commandment assumes that 
the people of God are not perfect. Right? If the people of God were 
perfect, it'd be easy to be patient with them. The people of God 
were perfect, it would be easy to forebear with them. If the 
people of God never rubbed us the wrong way, they never bothered 
us, they never irritated us, and they never sinned against 
us, it would be a walk in the park to deal with the people 
of God. There's obvious assumptions going on in the apostles' words 
here. The fact that we need patience 
and you need patience in order to deal with the rest of us is 
indicative of the reality of remaining corruption. So it is 
the state of being able to bear up under provocation, forbearance, 
patience toward others. Again, the presupposition is 
simple. The people of God are not perfect. The people of God 
from time to time irritate one another. Oh, no, I can't believe 
that. Really? You can't believe that? 
Are you married? Because, I mean, oftentimes the 
people of God are married to one another, and I've yet to 
find the Christian couple that, you know, never bugs each other 
at all. We just, you know, see each other's 
praises. It's like the sun just oozes 
from their pores. It's only ever-blessed. That's 
not reality, brethren. In church life, why do we have 
to persevere in church life? Why do we have a Matthew 18 in 
church life? Why do we have a Matthew 5 in 
church life? Why do we have these things? 
Because the assumption is, is that people of God are not perfect. 
They have remaining corruption. And from time to time, they irritate 
one another. And from time to time, they even 
sin against one another. In fact, the Apostle Peter tells 
us we're to let love cover a multitude of sins. In that context, in 
terms of the larger sort of orbit of redemptive revelation, yeah, 
there are some sins we induce or we invoke Matthew 18. We go 
to the brother, we try to get him to repent. If he doesn't, 
we take two or three witnesses. If he doesn't listen to them, 
we tell it to the church. But for normal garden variety 
sins, we're to let love cover it. It's a great sort of a thing 
for the home, for the Christian marriage. You don't have to exact 
rectitude for every wrong that is ever committed in your home. 
I can't believe you've done this. I can't believe you've done this. 
We're going to have to get the elders over here, because once 
again, you left your socks on the floor right next to the basket. Now, brethren, I understand a 
woman's concern on that. They're right next to the basket. 
Put them in the basket. She's got you there. But that's 
probably something that you can let love cover. You don't have 
to exact rectitude for every single wrong that's ever accomplished. So there is this assumption built 
into scripture that there might be the instance where somebody 
bugs us. And there's certainly going to be the instance where 
we bug somebody else. So how do we deal with that? 
Well, lowliness. gentleness and long-suffering. That is requisite in our dealings 
with one another. Now, there are several references, 
as you might guess, to this particular word throughout Scripture, but 
look at 1 Corinthians 13. We'll look at just two of them. 1 Corinthians 13. You should 
already be thinking, oh, love chapter. Certainly in the love 
chapter, we get these virtues. Absolutely, positively, we do. 
1 Corinthians chapter 13, notice in verse one. Though I speak 
with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I 
have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though 
I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and 
all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove 
mountains, but have not love, I'm nothing. And though I bestow 
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to 
be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long. It's the first. It's the engine, 
not the caboose in this particular list in terms of what love looks 
like. It suffers long. It's patient. It doesn't immediately fire back. It doesn't immediately demand 
rectitude. It doesn't immediately demand 
church discipline for every single offense that anybody ever commits 
against me. Brethren, lowliness, gentleness, 
and forbearance. Let's continue. Love suffers 
long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does 
not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does 
not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice 
in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Never forget that 
phrase. We oftentimes jettison within 
the context of the church. We got to have unity, grounded, 
in truth, love rejoices in truth. When we move our way through 
Ephesians chapter four, and we see the purpose for which Christ 
gave gifts to his church, it is to amplify, and it is to shine 
the light upon, and it is to be accurate with the truth of 
God's holy word. Why? Because it's the truth of 
God's holy word that matures the people of God, that enables 
them to grow, that enables them to be what they're supposed to 
be in terms of this worthy walk. doesn't rejoice in iniquity, 
but rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, 
hopes all things, endures all things. So going back to our 
brief list in Ephesians 4.2, with all lowliness and gentleness, 
with long suffering. If you want a good sort of depiction 
of this or a good demonstration of this, read the Old Testament 
sometime. The Old Testament shows us the 
long-suffering nature of God Most High. When the fruit of 
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience. Why is that? Because 
God is a patient being. Read the Old Testament. Read 
Exodus 32. They've been given the law in 
great detail. And what do they do? They break 
the law by going after an idol. That short after having received 
the law. Does God abandon them? Does He 
cut them off and cast them away? No! We saw in our reading last 
couple of weeks, Numbers 13 and 14, that reconnaissance mission. The 12 spies come back. Two spies 
say, let's go at once and take the land that God has promised 
to give us. But the 10 spies are whiners. They're grumblers. 
They're complainers. They invoke, or they want to 
stone Moses and Aaron for their bad counsel to suggest that they 
actually go into the land of Canaan and take it as God had 
promised. So what does God say to Moses? 
God says, I'm gonna cut him off. And then Moses intercedes, and 
God says, okay, I won't cut him off. Now this is in the manner 
of men. God didn't make a change. He didn't think about it. He 
didn't, you know, respond or react in a different way. It 
shows us or reveals to us the very being of God himself. He 
is a long-suffering being. And you see that throughout the 
Old Testament. So those are the virtues. Lowliness, 
gentleness, and long-suffering. Now notice the conduct towards 
one another. There's two. Two participles, 
bearing and endeavoring. Bearing and endeavoring. There's 
that word again, bearing. It assumes that there's going 
to be people out there that kind of bug you. It assumes that there's 
going to be people out there that may actually sin against 
you. The word means to regard with tolerance, to endure, to 
bear with, and then put up with. That's an actual definition from 
a Greek dictionary on the language used in the New Testament. put 
up with. How many times have you had to 
put up with this over and over and over again? We do it in the 
context of complaining, but we're not supposed to do that. Because 
notice what he says, we're to bear with one another in love. It's not just bear with one another 
because you have to knuckle under, pull up your bootstraps and just 
deal with it with a grit and determination. No, you're to 
bear with one another in love. There's a particular orbit in 
which we're supposed to function, and it is that orbit of love 
that God has called us to in terms of our relationships with 
one another. So the general virtue of patience 
is amplified here and directed at our brethren specifically. 
We're to bear with them in love. Turn over to Colossians 3, you 
see a bit of a parallel, and you see that in that context, 
it's specifically with reference to sin. Colossians 3 verse 12, 
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender 
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. And 
then notice verse 13, Bearing with one another, and forgiving 
one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ 
forgave you, so you also must do. So back to Ephesians chapter 
4, this bearing with one another in love. It is likely in the 
context of them having irritated you or them having sinned against 
you. So you're not supposed to cut 
them off. You're not supposed to avoid them. And brethren, 
this is where the practical rubber meets the road. People do this. 
People, as I've observed, and I don't have a market on the 
observation of people, but a few things you pick up along the 
way, there are strategies given to us in the Bible on how to 
deal with people who sin against us. There really is. As I said, 
the assumption throughout scripture is that we're going to bug each 
other, or we're going to irritate each other, or we're going to 
sin against each other. Well, the primary reference is 
Matthew 18. If your brother sins against 
you, what are you supposed to do? Go to him, not go to pastor, 
not go to the deacons, not take it to the prayer meeting. Can 
we pray for this moron that keeps sinning against me? I just, it 
really bothers me because I'm so holy and he's not, and let's 
just take him to the Lord and ask God to heal him. That is 
wretched behavior, brethren. That is ungodly behavior. The 
strategy, number one, is that if your brother sins against 
you, go to him. If he hears you, then you've 
won him. If he doesn't hear you, take 
two or three witnesses. If he doesn't hear them, tell 
it to the church. If he doesn't listen to the church, then treat 
him as a heathen and a tax collector. See, that seems like a lot. I 
don't want to do that. Well, then you've got the 1 Peter 
4 option. Let love cover a multitude of 
sins. Yeah, yeah, that's one. I'm going 
to do that. I'm not going to Matthew 18 him, 
because I don't really want to get my hands that dirty. So I'll 
1 Peter 4 him. I will let love cover a multitude 
of sins. But you know what happens? You 
don't really let love cover a multitude of sins. You avoid them. You 
no longer are friendly toward them. I mean, you're civil. You 
don't throw tomatoes at them. You don't key their car. You 
don't do those sorts of things that are outwardly vicious or 
vile, but there's been a breach in the relationship, and instead 
of fixing it via Matthew 18 or fixing it 1 Peter 4-wise, you 
just let it go. That's unacceptable behavior, 
brethren. The church does not advance when 
she cannot function at the level of dealing with her interpersonal 
relationships. If she can't solve these basics, 
how is she going to shine as a light in a crooked and perverse 
generation and actually hold forth the word of truth? If we 
can't manage to function graciously and kindly, I almost said civilly, 
but that's not what we're after. Not just civil, you know, we're 
all civil together. We're not throwing tomatoes. 
No, we need to love one another. We need to be lowly toward one 
another. We need to be gentle with one another. We need to 
be patient with one another. And we need to bear with one 
another in love. See, this is the emphasis. This is what a worthy walk looks 
like. And then notice what he says in terms of the next phrase 
in verse 3. Endeavoring to keep the unity 
of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Where does that come from? Well, it comes right out of Ephesians 
chapter 2. Remember what God does in terms 
of our redemption? He saves us as individual sinners, 
verses 1 to 10, but then he brings Gentiles and Jews and brings 
them into what? He brings them into unity. He 
brings them into solidarity. He makes out of the two one new 
man. So practically speaking, or doctrinally 
speaking, we see that unity is at a premium with our blessed 
God. So practically speaking, unity 
ought to be at a premium with the people of God. We're to endeavor 
to keep what the Holy Spirit himself has put in place. I used to title this sermon, 
Pursuit of Christian Unity. No, it's the Preservation of 
Christian Unity. The Spirit has given us something. 
The Spirit has brought us to this place. The Spirit has conveyed 
upon us this treasure. We're to endeavor to keep it. 
And this word endeavor doesn't just simply mean, well, I'm going 
to give it a try. It means to be especially conscientious 
in discharging an obligation, to be zealous, to be eager, to 
take pains, to make every effort to be conscientious. That's what's 
in view in this statement, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace. Brethren, again, just an observation 
along the way. When there is disunity amongst 
the people of God, let me tell you, it's tough to preach in 
that environment. I'm not suggesting that obtains 
now, but it has in the past. When you know that there's warring 
factions among us and there's some real live issues and situations 
that aren't... being dealt with Matthew 18 wiser, 
1 Peter 4 wiser, doesn't make a conducive environment to the 
proclamation of the truth, to the singing of the praises of 
God Most High, and to the fellowship of the saints. We have to actually 
love each other in order to function together in a way that brings 
glory to God Most High. That's the emphasis. That's what 
a worthy walk looks like. There needs to be this lowliness, 
gentleness. There needs to be this long-suffering, 
or forbearance. There needs to be this bearing 
with one another in love, and this endeavoring to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Consider Proverbs 6, 
verse 19. Proverbs 6, these six things, 
Yahweh, H-E-A-7, are an abomination to Him. Hands that shed innocent 
blood. Oh yeah, God abominates abortion. 
We think about that, we pray about that, we talk about that 
in the life of our local church. He also hates a haughty look. 
He hates a lying tongue. Do you know what else he hates? 
He hates one who sows discord among the brethren. Proverbs 
chapter 6 at verse 19, he hates one who sows discord among the 
brethren. So we're to endeavor to keep 
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We're to work 
for this. We're to be zealous for this. 
We're to be those kinds of people that seek this as a premium in 
the life and ministry of our local church. We need to promote 
it. We need to try and achieve it, 
or keep it rather, what the Spirit has given. John Flavel says, 
tongue unity, the way that we speak to one another. Tongue 
unity flows from heart unity. Heart unity in great measure 
from head unity, and all three from union with Jesus Christ. 
The divisions of our tongues come mostly from the divisions 
of our hearts. Were hearts agreed, tongues would 
quickly be agreed. And then what blessed times might 
be expected? What peaceful societies we should 
have if our lips transgress not the laws of love and kindness? 
Look over at verse 29 in Ephesians chapter 4. We typically use that as a no-cussing 
passage in the Christian church. You're not supposed to say, this 
class of words. Now, I'm not here to encourage 
you to use this class of words, but I don't think that's what 
Paul means. I do not think that's what Paul means. I'm certainly 
sure that Paul wouldn't want you to use the profanities of 
the day, you know, in your conversation. But when he says, let no corrupt 
word proceed out of your mouth, we have this sort of contrast 
in what follows, but what is good for necessary edification. So, corrupt speech is that which 
is not unto edification. Corrupt speech is that which 
is calculated to tear down versus build up. Corrupt speech is the 
kinds of things that we do when we're not clothed with the virtues 
of lowliness and gentleness and forbearance. Notice in verse 
30, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed 
for the day of redemption. Now pretend you'd never read 
verses 31 and 32. You'd only ever heard that there 
is this violation in the church called grieving the Holy Spirit. 
And let's just pretend I gave you a pencil and a piece of paper. 
And I said, I want you to list five things that you think will 
grieve the Holy Spirit. And again, you don't know verse 
31, you don't know verse 32. What are some things that would 
pop into your mind? Well, adultery would certainly grieve the Holy 
Spirit. Shouldn't do that in the context of the church. Murder, if we actually kill people 
in the parking lot, that would likely grieve the Holy Spirit. 
So those things are out. Theft, I shouldn't steal from 
my brothers and sisters. That's contrary to the word of 
God. Those are the kinds of things that grieve the Spirit. But intriguingly, 
look at what grieves the Spirit according to verses 31 and 32. 
Again, not suggesting that adultery and murder and, you know, all 
that sort of thing doesn't grieve the Spirit, but in this context, 
notice in verse 31, "...let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, 
and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, and 
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as 
God in Christ forgave you." It is to grieve the Holy Spirit 
when the people of God do not conduct themselves in the manner 
that is consistent with their effectual calling by God. He 
confers redemptive benefit on us by His grace and for His glory. He justifies us freely. We believe 
the gospel. We're forgiven of our sins. We 
receive the righteousness of Jesus. We enter into the life 
of sanctification and requisite upon us is to conduct ourselves 
in a manner that is consistent with the holiness of God Most 
High. We are the end-time temple people. We are the end-time temple 
of God Most High. If we are to be filled with all 
the fullness as we gather together, we must be a holy people, a righteous 
people, a people that are fit and ready to meet our blessed 
God in public worship. And the way that we prepare our 
hearts is certainly pray, certainly get your hair combed, certainly 
put on your clothes and all that, but the way that you and I conduct 
ourselves toward others in our midst, the way that we esteem 
one another, the way that we love one another, the way that 
we promote one another, and the way that we care for one another, 
that is indicative that we are Christ's people. The upper room 
discourse, Jesus said, by this all men will know that you are 
my disciples, if if, he says, you have love for one another. So bearing with one another in 
love and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the 
bond of peace, these are things that are characteristic of the 
temple of God Most High. And in that light, we pray, let 
us be filled with all the fullness of God. Let Him come down and 
be with His people. In conclusion, the theological 
order is justification and sanctification. The practical emphasis, these 
virtues, they are not normative. They are not there by nature. 
We didn't come out of the womb low people, gentle people, and 
long-suffering people. If you've had children, you know 
that ain't the case. The first word, you've never 
taught them, but they learn mine. How did they get mine? I mean, 
they just know that? It's just normal? It's just natural? Yeah, it's just normal. It's 
just natural because of their connection to Adam. Mine is usually 
the first, not yours, not give, not promote others. Now, that's 
assuming they can speak that well, but you get the point. 
This is not natural to us. It is supernatural by God's grace 
in the life of the redeemed people of God that they seek by grace 
to cultivate these virtues and then to bear with one another 
in love and to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the clarity 
of the apostles' instruction and exhortation here in Ephesians 
4. I pray that you would help us to internalize these truths 
and help us, God, to check our own hearts, help us to cultivate 
such things, and help us to live in a manner that is worthy of 
that gospel, worthy of that calling that you have called us with. 
Go with us now and help us to glorify you in this coming week, 
and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We'll close with 
a brief time of meditation.