Our Old Testament reading this morning comes from Psalm 133, Song of Ascents, which we're familiar with this, I'm sure. Psalm concerning wonderful unity of brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the word of the Lord. Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. It is like the precious oil on the head running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. And then our New Testament lesson from the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter four. Verses 1 to 6, and this will be our sermon text, Ephesians 4, verses 1 to 6. Word of the Lord. I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. This is the word of the Lord. As we consider the scripture this morning, brothers and sisters, I begin with a question, very simple question, very basic question. Are you living in a manner worthy of your calling? Are you living in a manner worthy of your calling? It's a very important question, isn't it? It's a great question. And it's a question with which we are confronted as we come to this portion of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. Are you living in a manner worthy of your calling? So the apostle begins in chapter 4 verse 1. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. It's at this point in the letter that the apostle is turning his attention to matters of living out the Christian life. Most of us are probably familiar with the pattern here in Ephesians. First three chapters, the apostle lays out the great doctrinal truths of God's saving work in Christ. We frequently call it the indicative. What we have described in the first three chapters, we say, is the great saving work of God. There are no exhortations. It's all about what God has done for us in Christ. Before we ever thought about it, before we ever responded, what God has done for us in Christ, perfect, complete, what God has done for us in Christ, Period. And how we need to hear that every Lord's Day. What God has done for us in Christ. Because if I don't understand that, if I don't believe that, I will never understand what obedience is supposed to look like. So we have, as we come to chapter four, what we call the imperative truths. What we are called to do, how we're called to live, in view of the great saving work God has done for us in Christ. So consider just for a moment the sort of summary of chapters one to three. What God has done for us in Christ. Now really in our worship, really every worship service, we're reminded of this, aren't we? in a host of ways. And you have the gospel threaded really through the liturgy. What God has done for us in Christ. God the Father chose us unto salvation before the foundation of the world. Isn't that amazing? God the Son came from heaven to earth, took to himself our humanity, did for us what we could never do for ourselves. And God the Holy Spirit quickened us to life. when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. There, it's a complete sermon. We can go home. We have everything that we need in Christ. How we need to be reminded of it, don't we? How we lose sight of it. And when we lose sight of it, we lose the wind in our sails, but there's more. In Christ, through the cross, God reconciled Jew and Gentile to himself in one body. We see that in chapter 2. One body, yes, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and this was and is an entirely new thing. This body, indwelt by the Spirit of God, an entirely new thing. One body, which is a dwelling place of God by the Spirit a spiritual temple, not made of bricks and mortar, but made of living stones, precious in the sight of God. We have been birthed into one family of spiritual origin, one family. with one father. Brothers and sisters, ours is a great salvation. And much of what we have to do when we come together to worship on the Lord's day really is simply to be reminded of that and to lift our hearts and voices to God for what he has done for us. I know we're Presbyterians, but we should be jumping around all the time, actually. This is amazing. It's amazing. Praise the Lord. What a great salvation, what a great calling. So, when we come to the imperative section, beginning at chapter 4, what is the first lesson? What is the first lesson that the Apostle brings to us? The very first lesson of how we are called to live. given this great salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, the very first lesson has to do with living in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. It's the first lesson of the spiritual life. It's the first lesson of the Christian life. Having to live in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, how I engage my brothers and sisters in the church, how I guard this fellowship, how I guard the unity of the body. If we scan the chapter briefly, we see it's indeed life in the local church that's in view in chapter 4. So immediately, we're confronted with two questions, even before we consider the lesson itself. How do we view the church? The local manifestation of the body of Christ, the spirit indwelt body. How do we view this spirit indwelt body? What place does the church have in our lives. For some people, many people who profess to be Christians, the church has a very low place. We know this in our culture, certainly. We know this in the Christian culture. The church has a very low place in people's view. Belonging to a specific church is often viewed as unnecessary to one's spiritual life. Incredible, the apostle would say. Incredible to think that way. in our culture, being vitally involved in the church is often viewed as unnecessary to one's spiritual life, as if I can live up in a corner or in a cave. So mark it well, brothers and sisters, when the apostle begins to address this matter of living out the Christian life, the very first thing that he speaks to is how we are to live in fellowship with one another. in a real local church. It's made quite clear through this chapter that the local church is the primary school of the soul. It is the primary place in which I am built up in the faith. It's in the fellowship of the saints, first, that I learn how to live out true spirituality. It's in the fellowship of the saints that I first learn how to live in the power of the Spirit. Isn't that helpful to think of this? The church is the primary place in which I learn to live out true obedience to Christ so that my regard for the church is a very significant measure of my spiritual maturity. The Apostle makes clear in these verses that to live worthy of my calling, I must be very much attuned to the priority of living in fellowship with my brothers and sisters. I'm to guard and maintain and cherish the unity of the body of Christ. So let's consider this in two parts. First this, how we guard the unity of the body, how we guard the unity of the body. And secondly, why should we guard the unity of the body The short answer to which is because it's so precious. But how we guard the unity of the body. But first this then. Yes, how we guard the unity of the body. First, let's be clear. What's at issue here again? It's honoring Christ. Paul writes, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called. Living in a manner worthy of my calling. And this is the first lesson that Paul brings to us as to how we honor our Savior. And what are the needed spiritual qualities? Verse two, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. The needed spiritual qualities that best fit us for honoring Jesus and his church, they are these, humility, gentleness, patience, humility, gentleness, patience, humility. could render it lowliness of mind, humble-mindedness, to have a humble opinion of oneself. Now, we know this is founded upon a deep sense of my spiritual poverty apart from Christ and a deep sense of my great weakness, which lesson Christ brings to me pretty much every day of my life if I'm paying attention, if I'm reading the word, yes? And so my consequent disposition is to be low, unnoticed, unpraised. How do you see yourself before God? With all humility. This should shape my whole life, all of my behavior and interactions with my brothers and sisters in Christ. This is so clear, really, isn't it? Humility. The leading evidence of a work of the Spirit of God in a life. Humility. We know this, don't we? But how we need to be reminded of it. You see how vital it is here to understand the indicative, again, what the Apostle Paul described in the first three chapters. How very lost I was in my sin. How marvelous is God's saving grace. doing everything necessary to save me, quite in spite of myself, saving me, quicken me out of death into life, when I was dead in trespasses and sins. If I really see this, if I really believe this, then my disposition will be, well, it will be one of humility. I am nothing to write home about. And I hope we all see that concerning ourselves. We're nothing to write home about. A truly reformed person gets this. A true Calvinist gets this and is humbled to the dust. But if I only understand it theoretically, I'll still be abrasive and arrogant, touchy, easily offended. I will be a rhino that's reformed in name only. So yes, this will dramatically affect how I interact with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course it affects every interaction with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Humility. Second quality, gentleness. This can be rendered meekness to be not self-willed. The word is used in other literature of a horse that has been broken, no longer wild or self-willed, immediately responsive to the Master's command, ready at every point to do his bidding. The Apostle says, live in this way. Conduct yourself in this way in the body of Christ. Conduct yourself in this way with all humility and gentleness. And of course, we're reminded one of those few places in which our Lord Jesus described himself. He did it in just this way. I am gentle, he said. And humble of heart. This is how he described himself. Gentle, humble of heart. Brothers and sisters, here's the first lesson of spirituality. It's the first lesson of obedience. It centers in how I live amidst my brothers and sisters in Christ in the church. It centers in how I engage them. It centers in this disposition of heart. Well, some would say, I don't want to interact with sinners. It's too hard. I don't want to be bothered with that. Can't I just live my Christian life by myself, to myself? Can't I just read my Bible on my own in private and leave it at that? Apostle Paul says no. You can't live the Christian life by yourself to yourself. It's a contradiction. You can't live your Christian life in a cave, holed up at home. You cannot grow to maturity in that way. You cannot know the power of the Spirit of God if you choose to live that way. Christ calls us to live out our salvation in a real world and in a real church with real people who, lo and behold, are sinners, just like you and me. So the apostle immediately speaks here to life in a real church inhabited by other sinners. So when I see sin in my brother, and he sees sin in me, which is inevitable, how should I behave? When we disagree on various matters, which is inevitable, what best fits me to glorify Jesus? When collisions occur in the church, which is inevitable, what best fits me to glorify Jesus? What spiritual qualities are to show themselves? What manifests the power of the Spirit of God? Humility, gentleness, and then patience or long-suffering. It can be rendered patient and bearing with the offenses and injuries of others, to be mild and slow in avenging, Greek word here is the idea to be of a long spirit, bearing with one another, forbearing with one another, to hold one's self firm, to hold one's self back. Now the phrase bearing with one another in love helps to fill out the nature of being patient and long-suffering here. Being patient with my brother or sister is not merely a matter of gritting my teeth. We know this. being patient with my brother or sister, not merely a matter of gritting my teeth, or merely a matter of restraining myself from speaking sharp and uncharitable words, though it's at least that. Being patient with my brother or sister is not realized by just avoiding them. In the flesh, we can be pretty skilled at snubbing one another and avoiding one another. We know this. Aren't you thankful that Jesus never snubs us? Never. Are you thankful for that? Are you thankful he never avoids us? We avoid each other frequently. In the flesh, we say we can be pretty skilled at walking past a brother or sister and pretending not to see him. You know how that goes. Yeah. Being patient with my brother and sister is a matter of loving them. Very simple. Are you thankful that these things are so simple? They're so very simple. But they take all the power of God, all the power of the Spirit of God. So we say patience is conditioned by love. I hold myself firm in love. Being patient with my brother or sister involves a readiness to overlook faults or points of offense, I don't allow such things to shape how I engage them. I don't allow such things to put me off. I keep reaching out. I keep seeking to engage them graciously, lovingly. Thus, we're simply learning how to engage our brothers and sisters in Christ in the same way our Savior engages us. And what's the great priority? It's maintaining the unity of the Spirit. In fact, being eager to do so, Paul writes, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We didn't create such unity, but we're called to maintain it, aren't we? It's the Spirit of Christ who's created this unity, who's made us one, who's joined us to Christ and made us members of his mystical body. But because of our sin, We can and often do hinder this unity. When we walk by the Spirit, we can enjoy it. Now, why should I care about unity? Why should I be eager to maintain it? Why such a priority? And two answers. Because Christ commands it. Isn't that enough? But because also Christ is pleased and glorified in it. How can I please my Savior? How can I glorify Him today? I can please Him and glorify Him this day, this morning, in how I engage my brothers and sisters in Christ. So why should we guard the unity of the body? Second point. Why should we guard the unity of the body? The short answer, because this unity is spirit wrought and it is precious. This is the most precious association in all the world, this association. that we have here in the body of Christ, the most precious, the most extraordinary in all the world, a spirit-wrought unity, a spirit-wrought association, members of the mystical body of Christ. There's nothing like this in all the world. You can't find this anywhere else. So Paul highlights here seven bonds of union which unite us. Why should we guard the unity of the body? Well, seven reasons. We're all members of one spiritual body. We're all indwelt by the Spirit. We all share the same future hope. We have one Lord, we have one faith, one confession, we have one true identity, we all share the same name. And we have one God and Father. Seven reasons to guard the unity. of the Spirit. We say we're all members of one spiritual body. There's one body, one mystical body of Christ. We've been constituted so by the Spirit of God, one spiritual body of which Christ himself is the head. Each of us were quickened to life, brought to faith, joined to Christ, and joined to one another. Mystical body of Christ. We are members of Christ's body and members of one another. What should that mean for us? Well, certainly, we should always cultivate a respect and tender regard for one another. To mistreat a brother or sister is to dishonor Jesus and to grieve his spirit. To disrupt the unity he's established. To mistreat my brother or sister is to abuse the whole body. Actually, then, to abuse myself as well. We're all members of one spiritual body. We're all indwelt by the spirit. Wow. If we just had eyes to see this. Eyes sufficient to see this. We're all indwelt by the spirit of God. As there's one body, there's one spirit, which is the life of the body and dwells in all its members. One body, one spirit. All of us, one body, this morning, indwelt by the Spirit of God. We all share the same future hope, Paul writes, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. All of us were called out of darkness into light. All of us were called to the same future hope. All of us, all of us anticipate the same blessed future. In a very short time, brothers and sisters, we will, all of us, be in glory. Very short time. All of us will say, man, that was fast. It will be amidst our heavenly inheritance, and then things which seem so very important to us on the dark side will not be important to us at all. How then should we live with one another now? How should we engage each other now? We're gonna live together a long time. We should delight to be together. How all of us should love this fellowship. Sometimes you see this most pronounced in little kids, right? They've been apart for a week, they come together on the Lord's Day, they're just squealing with excitement to see each other again. That's how it ought to be, really. Delighted to be together again with my true family. Now we have one Lord. We are all of us owned and governed by one Supreme Lord, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And we're not our own, but we belong to Him. Should not our mutual devotion to Christ be the dominant consideration of all of our actions? We have one faith, one confession, We all hold to the same doctrine. We believe we embrace the same truth. That should mean something in terms of how we interact with each other, shouldn't it? There may be minor points of difference here and there, but how very minor they are in light of that which we confess. We stand side by side, as we did this morning, side by side, confessing the faith once for all delivered to the saints. side by side, confessing together the Articles of the Apostles' Creed. And beyond that, is there really anything so very important that it should disrupt our fellowship in Christ? We have one true identity. Need to be reminded of this every Lord's Day. One true identity. We all share the same name. All rites of one baptism. We all share the same name. All of us have been baptized into Christ. We've all received a new name. We all share in the same identity. All of us have been marked out by Christ as his own. As one writer puts it, baptism is the action by which we were publicly named for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul elsewhere writes that we've all been baptized into Christ. The verb there, of course, in the passive voice. Paul implies there and elsewhere that baptism symbolizes not what we have done, but what has been done for us in Christ. It's not something we do ourselves, because it doesn't primarily signify anything that we ourselves have done. Baptism is a sign of what God has done for us. God has united us to Christ in his death and resurrection, and what takes place in our baptism is a naming ceremony. In baptism, brothers and sisters, we were all named for the Trinity. This is my identity. This is who I am. This is my name. This is your name. We share the same name. All the principalities and powers recognize our true identity. Sometimes we just don't think about it. But it's crucial to our unity in Christ. Finally this, we have one God and Father. One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. The great triune God has adopted us in Christ. He is the God of us all. He is our Father. He's made us his dear children through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're truly brothers and sisters forever. We're all of the same family, the true, the ultimate family. The bonds of an earthly family can never be lasting bonds. Sometimes we want them to be. Only the bonds of this heavenly family, those of the Church of Jesus Christ, are lasting bonds. What's your true family? That's the question, isn't it? What is my true family? It's here. We're here together, our true family, brothers and sisters, forever, indwelt by the Spirit of God. Brothers and sisters, here's the marvel. We are one body indwelt by the Spirit of God. We've all experienced the same marvelous saving grace. We have the same Lord. We have the same confession. We have one true identity together. The name of the Triune God has been given to all of us. We have the same God and Father. We should endeavor to allow nothing to disrupt the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We need to be self-conscious about this, don't we? Always thinking about it, being reminded of it. Praying about it is the great priority, just as Jesus prayed that we might all be one. But presently, few things glorify the triune God more than this, that in a fallen world, that fallen world should see a true unity in the church, which is Christ's body, on Earth. So let me ask you this question this morning again, brothers and sisters, or to put it in this way. What are your closest ties? It's another way to measure it, isn't it? What are your closest ties? Of course, this is the nature of friendship, isn't it? Those who are our closest friends, we share the most values with. And so right away we see the logic of this body of Christ. We share the most, you share the most in common with the persons in this room. There's no comparison to anything outside of this. The apostle writes, love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Isn't that beautiful? Outdo one another in showing honor. So again, the simple question, are you living in a manner worthy of your calling? Is your life marked out by this new obedience to Christ? And is that new obedience to Christ measured by these qualities? Humility, gentleness, patience, in love. And that, brothers and sisters, takes all the power of the Spirit of God. Amen. Let's pray. Father, then we pray you write these things upon our hearts, how quick we are to forget them. Help us, we pray, to not forget that our Savior might be glorified. We ask it in his name, amen.