Episode 136 - In the Foxholes with Our Brothers and Sisters - The Truth Will Set You Free Part 7

We have reached chapter 4 of the Book of Ephesians which begins the second part of it - the imperatives – what we’re told to do in light of the fact that we’re God’s children and all He has done for us.  This indicative/imperative thing flips on its head what most people think about the Bible – and even Christianity. And it’s what makes Christianity a totally different religion than any of the false religions out there. Most (if not all) religions are about doing. 

Given the quickly changing world we live in, we could very soon find ourselves in a foxhole with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We may even find ourselves face to face with evil. In light of who we are in Christ, how does God command us to react and behave? Join us as we find out together!

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Transcript

Episode 136 – In the Foxholes with Our Brothers and Sisters

         Welcome back! When we ended the last episode, we told you that the first three chapters of Ephesians are the indicatives – a telling of who we are based on all the things God’s done for us. We are God’s adopted children. He decided to adopt, chose who to adopt, and did all the work necessary to adopt us to the very last detail and lavished us with His grace and mercy. Now we get to the second half of Ephesians which is the imperatives – what we’re told to do in light of the fact that we’re God’s children and He’s done all of this.

         This indicative/imperative thing flips on its head what most people think about the Bible – and even Christianity. And it’s what makes Christianity a totally different religion than any of the false religions out there. Most (if not all) religions are about doing. If I wanted to be Muslim (not that I can be), I would start learning about and put into practice Islamic beliefs and rituals. If I wanted to be Hindu I would learn about and practice theirs. If I wanted to be Buddhist, I would do the same. But in Christianity there’s none of that. 

         That’s an important distinction to understand because many Christians think if they follow the rules, attend church, serve, then that’s what makes them a Christian. Many are deceived by that, thinking that they’re saved. But nothing we do saves us. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Period. We can’t make ourselves Christians. We didn’t do anything to earn the title “Christian.” God did it all. If you’ll remember back to episode 133, we’re already seated with Christ in the heavenly places. The work is finished. And we didn’t do it. Christ did. There is no other religion on the planet like that. That’s a large part of what Paul teaches in the first three chapters.

          Next, Paul is saying, “in light of all that stuff I just told you, I (who ama prisoner right now because of the Gospel  ) am urging YOU to walk worthy of being a child of God.” And just as a reminder, Paul is saying this to Jews and Gentiles – people who couldn’t stand each other at one point – but who’ve now been put together as a church. They’re not “Team Jew” and “Team Gentile” anymore. Now they’re “Team Jesus” and they need to ‘get it’ because they’re going to need each other. Go to church with anyone you consider “difficult”? This passage might be for you!

         So let’s dig into Ephesians 4. I’ll start by reading verses 1-3. “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 in the bond of peace.” Paul is calling these two groups (and us) to be “eager to maintain” a unity that they (and all Christians) already have. Let’s stop there for a moment. We already have unity even with our brothers and sisters that are the least like us on the planet. Unity isn’t something the Christian Church has to drum up. It’s not something the Church has to create. We already have unity because we have all the same Spirit living in us. The peace we have with God because of what Christ has done for us is what binds us to one another. 

         The fact that we’re already united is a key thing to keep in mind because it’s not something that we can separate, nor is it something we should want to see separated! That’s why Paul tells us to be eager to maintain it. If we’re going to be eager about something it means that we’re going to go about it enthusiastically. And he tells us how to go about it, starting with what’s arguably the most important thing of all: humility.

         I feel like humility is something people have very little respect for today. I think the world likes humble people but doesn’t respect them much. I think people today respect boldness and assertiveness much more.

         I would agree with that assessment. The world may like humble people and think they are nice to be around, but brashness and boldness gets more attention or maybe get more kudos. I can see that in the world, but also sometimes in the Church. Everyone wants to be a “leader” in the Church. But good leaders need humility. Good leaders are people who are teachable. You have to be humble to be teachable! Humbleness isn’t putting yourself down, it’s more about having your mind off yourself and thinking about others more. (It’s not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. – just an adage I’ve always heard)

         The second thing Paul mentions is gentleness, which goes right along with that. Gentleness means being kind and tenderhearted towards people. And he calls on this mixed group of people to have patience. We can all imagine how much people who were once enemies but now are family would need patience! We may not always feel like it, but Paul is calling the Church to patience ‘bearing with one another’ in love. That’s the type of love that’s not always warm fuzzy feelings! It’s the kind of love where sometimes you have to choose to love another person, despite the fact that they’re driving you crazy or making you really, really mad.

         Paul doesn’t shy away from calling believers to act like they’re supposed to, regardless how hard it is. That’s likely why he starts out reminding them that he’s a prisoner because of the Gospel. Bearing with someone may mean you have to respond lovingly to someone who’s hurt you. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we can do even that! We have the power to. And love is the key. John 13:35 says that’s how the world will know we belong to God’s family. It says, “If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. ... By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”

         And it’s why he talks about the importance of having love in the midst of using our gifts in the church in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is the greatest part of being a believer, so we have to strive for love between believers, even when we don’t feel like it. You may feel like you’re closer to some of your unsaved friends or relatives than you are to some fellow believers, but in reality, there’s a bond you have with all other believers that you don’t and won’t ever have with unbelievers. I think that’s why you can be far from home and run into another believer and there’s something comfortable about being around them that’s pretty instantaneous. These people Paul is writing to were no longer Team Jew and Team Gentile. They’re Team Jesus and they’re gonna need to grasp that truth and live like it because there’s only one other team, and that’s team Satan. 

         We say it all the time – there’s only two groups of people: elect and non-elect, sheep and goats, Team Jesus and Team Satan. The next three verses are a trinitarian reminder that we are all ONE. 

         We are all one body with one Spirit – the Holy Spirit. Paul continues with this trinitarian “one” idea: We have one hope: eternal life with God where we get to enjoy Him forever. We have one Lord – Jesus – Whose rule we submit ourselves to. We have one faith: we trust in the salvation He has achieved for us. We have one baptism – the baptism of all believers into one body which happened when each of us had our hearts regenerated by the Holy Spirit and we came to belief. 

         We should note that that verse is not talking about different modes of baptism. In fact, in light of this passage, it should convict us of fighting about the different modes of baptism. We don’t need to be having paedo and credo baptism(define these?) Twitter fights. That’s ridiculous. It’s important to discuss these theological differences, but we need to be careful we’re not creating division. It’s also not talking about the whole false charismatic idea of having a second “baptism of the Holy Spirit” where they think that you can become some upper-escheleon Christian by having a special baptizing of the Spirit where you speak in tongues. Not only is that divisive, it’s totally false. We are all one, with the same Spirit living in us.

         Verse six gives us another: we are called to “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The Holy Spirit regenerated us, Christ procured our salvation for us, and God the Father is omnipresent – He is with all believers, all the time, throughout all of the universe. We are all ONE.

         All believers are one body- members of one another – but having different functions. The example really doesn’t get any simpler that the example Paul uses over and over in the Scriptures – some people are eyes, some are knees, some are pinky fingers, some are lips. All parts of the body have their own functions. It’s the same with the Church body. All the parts are needed. All the parts are useful. You don’t see knees walking around by themselves or eyeballs rolling around on the floor! They’ve got to be in their proper place doing what they were created to do for things to work right! 

         1 Corinthians 12:14-20 says, “For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”

         We have to recognize the importance of everyone in the body – no one part is greater than the other! Every one of us is needed. So, if you’re sitting in church feeling like you’ve got nothing worthwhile to contribute, so you never serve, never get involved or whatever, you’re doing wrong – you need to repent. And if you’re sitting in church and you think that you don’t need some of the believers God’s placed there with you, you need to repent. The body functions properly when all its parts are there and working.

 I believe that’s partly why we have those Scriptures that talk about kings and warriors having their big toes cut off or their thumbs cut off. They’re greatly hindered when those things happen. If you’re missing your thumbs, you can’t hold a sword. You can’t fight. A thumb may not seem like it’s as big a deal as a mouth or a brain, but if you can’t defend yourself because you don’t have a thumb, someone can cut off your head. And then, what good is your brain or your mouth? (Can’t walk or run well without big toe)

         Excellent point. Ephesians 4:7 says, “grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” This is not talking about different amounts of saving grace. Remember, according to Ephesians 1:8 He lavished the riches of His saving grace on us – all of us. But Christ, as head of the Church, bestows the grace for believers to serve the Church with our gifts. Everyone will have what they need to do they work God planned in advance for them to walk in (according to 2:10). Here, Paul is referencing specific gifts of preaching/teaching. 

Jesus descended to earth (the “lower regions” talked about in verse 9) at His incarnation. He ascended back to heaven 40 days after He rose from the grave. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, “When He ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” This can be a little confusing here because Paul uses that Psalm, but a little differently. The Psalm talks about the victor receiving gifts among men. But here, Paul uses this picture of the victor (the resurrected Christ) leading the captives of His victory away in chains.  He’s leading away His (and our) vanquished foes - Satan and his demons. 

Satan and the demons are bound for the 1000 year “millennial” period talked about in Revelation. It’s not a literal thousand years; it’s the time between his ascension until His second coming. These “captives” are bound so that the Gospel can go forth to all the elect. At some point, right before Christ’s return, they’ll be let loose for a bit. But for now, Satan’s power is limited. Preaching and teaching the truth will go forward to all the nations. Paul finishes the section saying, “He gave gifts to men.” What are these gifts? Verse 11 tells us: “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.” Why are teachers of Scripture called “gifts”?

The pastors/shepherds of your church are gifts because they’re there to teach you. It’s the most important thing that happens in your church outside of prayer and worshiping God! Their job is to equip the saints for doing ministry work, according to Ephesians 4:12.  We went into detail about the pastor’s role in the church in Episode 125 “Transformed to Fit in the body” so we won’t say a lot about it here, but his job is to study, pray and teach you. His job isn’t running around the community making friends, so your numbers get built up. He’s there to equip the saints so they can do the work God prepared in advance for them to do.        

         What does this look like practically? The Ephesus church had two problems and the Church today has the same ones. First, it was suffering under persecution. There was a huge temple to the goddess Artemis. And there was huge money-making enterprise in Ephesus – where craftsmen were making the silver shrines of Artemis. Christianity was what caused the whole riot Luke tells us about Acts 19. These silversmiths’ businesses were impacted as people turned to Christ and away from Artemis. What happens today when Christians boycott movies or businesses because they go against what we believe? They might not riot in the streets against Christianity yet, but if they start losing money, there’s going to be persecution because of it. 

         And it’s very likely that Ephesus had silver workers that were converted to Christianity. What happens with workers who can’t go along with company policies that require them to violate their Christian beliefs? They lose their jobs. 

That’s what we see in the book of Revelation in what Jesus says to the seven churches (one of which is Ephesus), and hat’s happening today. Our pastors are Christ’s gifts to us because they bring us the Word and explain the Scriptures to us every week. When the Word is taught, it changes us. 

         So, what kind of advice do you give when your Christian brother or sister says that their kids are really angry at them for forbidding watching a certain movie? You have to know what God would say about it. How are you going to be able to love the person that seems extremely unlovable? By having been taught what you’ve been forgiven of by God. Want to be able to patiently listen to someone who always bends your ear with their latest problems? Want the heart to help meet their needs because they stood for the Lord and lost their job? You need to have your heart softened by the Word.

         And the Ephesus church’s second problem (much like the evangelical church today): danger from false teachers. In Acts 20, Paul calls the elders from the Ephesus to him say goodbye for the last time. He tells them, “Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”

Want to be able to stand against the temptations of Satan? You can do what much of evangelical Christianity has done and watch War Room by Priscilla Shirer. She’ll teach you to stomp around our kitchen demanding and declaring things to the Devil. But that’s not biblical so it’s not gonna get you far! You need your pastor teaching you and reminding you that you can resist the Devil “and he will flee from you,” according to James 4:7, or that 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God “will not let you “be tempted beyond your ability.” 

The gifts of our pastors and teachers are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God., to mature manhood, to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ,” according to verses 12-13. What could happen to your church if your whole congregation committed to a year of learning the Bible? Put aside all the other stuff and made a commitment to really learn the Word and to pray. Be in church. Be in Sunday School. Be in a midweek Bible study. Be at prayer meeting? 

It shouldn’t be lost on us that when Jesus was with Mary and Martha, Mary was commended for sitting as His feet and learning. And Martha (who was busy serving) was told by Jesus, ““Martha, Martha, ..., you are worried and upset about many things. 42Butonly one thing is necessary. Mary has chosenthe good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”We can be a very busy congregation – even a very serving congregation – and be messing up because we’re neglecting the most important thing. If we’re not taught, the rest will not happen the way it’s supposed to. That’s why those men are called “gifts”.

The pastor feeds us the Word. We eat it up and we grow to maturity, and we help our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith do the same by “speaking the truth in love.” As we’ve said before at least in one other episode, that verse is not about confronting another believer about sin. That verse is in the context of teaching sound doctrine. We lovingly, humbly, gently help our brothers and sisters grow up to maturity by teaching, correcting and rebuking. 

Knowing and understanding Scripture is what equips us for ministry inside and outside our congregations. We’re taught it, and then we go and do what we’ve been gifted to do. We don’t want to get the cart before the horse. It’s too important to not get it right. 

Mature Christians are not “tossed to and fro” by the false teachers because they know truth. They’re not coerced into believing they need something other than Jesus because they know better. They’re not lured into believing God’s going to bless every endeavor they take on just because they sent money to someone on TV. And like we said last week, they’re not shaken when everything around them falls apart, even under the harshest persecutions.

And mature Christians don’t let their little brothers and sisters blowing in the wind, succumbing to those things either. They lovingly pick them up, dust them off and show them truth. They use their gifts to help them have a firm foundation to stand on, so that they can help others and so on and so on and so on. We’re all Team Jesus and we have a common enemy. We need each other. 

And that’s a good place to end today.  Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the latest on “The Final Exodus – Deciphering the Book of Revelation” due out September 1. Have a blessed day!