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Walking with God

Ephesians 4:1-7

The Spirit of God tells me to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1). How can anyone be expected to live like that? What can motivate such self-denying traits? The rest of the chapter tells us.

Paul tells me, in verses 3-7, that there is something bigger and more important than me. This is a hard lesson to learn, but learn it we must, if we would live for Christ. There is something bigger and more important than me. — That something is the Church of God. As members of the body of Christ, it is my responsibility and yours to do everything we can “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

“There is one body.” — The Church of God is one, undivided body. There are many congregations, many local churches, but the Church of God is one Church. Christ is the Head of the body; and we are members of that one body, the Church and Family of God. We are all brothers and sisters in him (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18).

There is a wondrous, spiritual union between Christ and his people and between believers, a union produced by God the Holy Ghost. We are united in faith, love, and purpose as one body. My responsibility is to do all within my power to protect and preserve that unity, even to surrendering my rights and opinions (Psalm 133:1; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

“There is one Spirit.” — God the Holy Spirit regenerates, converts, and incorporates chosen, redeemed sinners in the body of Christ. He reconciles saved sinners to God in Christ and to one another in him, making us members one of another.

“There is one hope of your calling.” — That one hope is the glory for which we hope, the glory reserved for us in heaven. There are no degrees in this glory. It will be equally possessed by all. God’s saints are all loved with the same love, chosen in the same Head, redeemed by the same blood, born again by the same Spirit, saved by the same grace, and secured in the same covenant. And all shall be rewarded for the same obedience. — Christ’s obedience!

“There is one Lord.” — Our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is Lord by right of creation (Colossians 1:16-17), Lord by the Father’s decree (Acts 2:36), and Lord by the merit of his obedience unto death as our God-man Mediator (Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:9-11).

“There is one faith.” — There is but one true grace of faith. It may be little faith, much faith, or great faith; but it’s Author and Object is one — the Lord Jesus Christ, his person and his work (John 3:36). And there is but one doctrine of faith — The Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ.

“There is one baptism.” — There is one Gospel ordinance of baptism. It is administered in one way — by immersion. It is the immersion of believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39).

“There is one God.” — There is one eternal, infinite, omnipotent God of heaven and earth, who is the Father of all believers in Christ, and who is sovereign over all, taking care of us all, and dwelling in us all.

As believers, we have all these things in common — one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, who is our Father. Therefore, we must and will be one family joined together in love stronger than anything this world can know. — Let us cherish this blessed union and do nothing to disturb it!

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s