Ephesians 4:1-16
Be Still: Lord, please remove the distractions around me so I can focus on you. Amen
Read: Ephesians 4:1-16
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (v4-6)
Encounter: This week we’ll be looking at the latter part of the book of Ephesians. While the first 3 chapters focus more on explaining the Good News of the Gospel, this second half is more focused on the implications of this Good News for how we should live our lives.
We begin with unity. In Ephesus there was separation between the Jews (those that had been following Yahweh) and the Gentiles (those who had followed other gods). When the gospel began to spread, the Jews thought that it was only for them and looked down on the Gentiles, but Paul spends a lot of time in his letters refuting this. Jesus died for us all and we are all equal within the Kingdom. All are welcome regardless of ethnicity, race, our past or socio-economic status. Jesus’ sacrifice unites us all.
In the verse above, the word 'one' is used 7 times which in scripture often represents completion and wholeness. Not only has Christ made all of us complete in him, but our differences also form part of completing the body of Christ, the church. Later in the passage, Paul talks about different gifts that have been given to the church for the purpose of building up the body of Christ in unity. We all have different histories, backgrounds, and gifts but when we come together, united under Jesus, this builds up his church and helps it to function in the way that it should.
Apply: Have you ever felt different from the others around you in a particular space? Maybe that space needs your uniqueness for it to function properly – just like the church needs your individual gifts and background to represent Jesus the way that it should. What are your gifts? How can you use them within the body of Christ?
Devote: God, thank you that you made us all different, with different gifts, talents, and backgrounds. Please help us to build up each other, to build up your church and to live in unity.