Ephesians 3:20-21; 4:1-4 Being one with God
Ephesians 3:20-21; 4:1-4 Being one with God
20 The final phase of Paul’s prayer is to praise the Father who has set in motion this new life that is now found in Christ by all believers. What God does on behalf of the saints far exceeds our mental knowledge and capacity. 1st Corinthians 2:9-10 The things of God are spiritually discerned by the Spirit who reveals them to His saints. B. It is God’s power working in us, it is not our power, for we have no power outside of God, however we can do all things through Christ.
21 Paul gives all credit to the Father for the glory, belongs to Him. The church is founded upon Christ and through Christ, in our relationship with Jesus, we find our relationship to also be a relationship with the Father. God is owed allegiance by all the saints of God throughout eternity and has throughout the ages.
4:1 Paul never ceases to affirm that he is the prisoner of the Lord and that any suffering he must endure is for the cause of Christ. All that he does is for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. B. Being a Christian is a vocation, it is who you and I are, it’s what God called us to. The vocation we have chosen here on this earth must be secondary to our true vocation, which is to be Christ like and to serve Him with grace and honor.
2 We are to think always of others more than ourself, as Christ put others before Himself. We are to be humble in our relationship with others. We are to be long suffering, which means we must have patience with others. In our forbearance we will be slow to judge others in a negative manner. Our focus needs to come from the side of love, in a brotherly relationship at all times.
3 To endeavor, is to make every effort, to remain in unity with each other. We are bound together by one Spirit, the same Spirit in each of us making us one with each other and one with God. If we are bound together in love will produce peace in the body, with each one working together in a love relationship. This is a continual maintenance which we must actively participate in, each one working towards the goal of unity.
4 There can only be one body of Christ, for it isn’t many bodies, but only one. However there are many parts to that one body, with each having the gifts that God provides to make up the complete body of Christ. B. There is one hope of our calling, that we might be filled with all the fullness of Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:19-23 This is the power of God fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, which truly makes us the sons of God.