James Thurber, I believe, is the one who quipped, "It is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all."
When I read Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 4, all I can think is that the Church better quit loafing before all is lost. Read these verses carefully and see if you can spot Paul's main point. What is it he wants from us? (Look carefully -- it may be tricky! Even Peter said Paul's writings were easily misunderstood!)
Eph. 4.1-6 -- I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all. [Emphasis mine]
There's none so blind as he who will not see? There are some who can read the above verses and still not see Paul's main point -- blindingly obvious as it is:
Paul orders us to be one.
Paul orders us to be one.
Paul orders us to be one.
Paul orders us to be one.
Paul orders us to be one.
God orders us to be one.
Recently I came across a statement by J. I. Packer that it's about time for Christians who believe in the fundamental truths of Scripture to come together for fellowship and witness regardless of denominational identity. All he's saying is what Paul said in his letter to the Ephesian Christians.
In the first verse, Paul "beseeches" or "begs" us to walk worthy of the "vocation" to which we are called. (Whenever I preach on this I have to make sure people read "vocation" here, not "vacation".)
God has not called us Christians to a vacation -- some "groovy Jesus trip". He's called us to work. A vocation is a career, someone's long-term, regular occupation. If a person pumps gas for a summer that's a job; if they buy the station and pump gas the rest of their life that's their vocation.
But if every Believer in Jesus Christ has been divinely enlisted to go to work, just what is that work? Let's look at some of the job description Paul throws in here: this vocation requires humility and gentleness towards others, being slow in receiving offense from others and able to hold up under the pressure of other people...
But what's the vocation to which all Believers in Jesus Christ have been called?
Love. To live and walk with others in love. And in so doing, to build up the Body of Christ into full stature!
That's not so easy. What's easy is getting mad at everyone we've got to live around. It's easy to see how other people who consider themselves "Christians" are really just phonies. It's easy being offended at how the Pastor handles a problem in the church. It's easy getting angry (especially self-righteously angry) when someone else in the church comes against our favorite person or program.
How true it is that it's hard to soar like eagles when you live with a bunch of turkeys.
I remember hearing of an old southern preacher who was a bit hard of hearing. He was hobbling with his cane down the sidewalk until at the corner he turned and entered the crosswalk on his way over to the general store. A teenager, speeding through town, saw him and hardly slowed as he whipped around the corner and came within a hair's breadth of running the old minister down -- just grazing past so the fellow fell backwards into the muddy street. The car sped out of town as the old preacher held his cane high, shaking it and screaming, "You blasted kids! You blankity-blank morons! Don't you know I'm a man of God!"
Doesn't the world know by now that we're "men and women of God"?
How long's it going to take before they realize that we Christians -- Children of the Most High God -- reflect in our daily lives the Savior of this World, the Conqueror of Evil, the Shepherd of Love?
It won't take long -- as soon as we start doing it. As soon as we get to work and get our vocation out of the mud. After all, it isn't as if Paul's command here is complicated: "Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
I remember hearing another translation which says, "Make every effort to keep the unity in the bond of peace." The New English Bible says we're to "spare no effort". Make every effort doesn't guarantee success. Some brothers and sisters simply won't obey God and cooperate. But if there's any lack, let it be on the part of another and not myself. Meanwhile, I'll "make every effort..."
In his book, Expository Reflections on the Letter to the Ephesians, Leon Morris comments on verse three, "keep the unity":
Paul now turns to the importance of Christian unity (v. 3). This is not the achievement of believers; it is something that is done for them by Christ. They are not commanded to bring this unity about, for Christ has done this. They are to "keep" it, that is, to ensure that it continues. That believers are to bear with one another surely implies that sometimes they will not see eye to eye and that one believer will think that another is in error. Though among other [secular] groups that might be thought cause for quarrels, that is not the way Christians should behave. When we consider the grievous quarrels believers have had with one another through the centuries, it is clear that some of us have given insufficient attention to the apostle's injunction. But whatever mistakes believers have made, that is no cause for us to forsake the command Paul gives. Unity among believers is of first importance and we are to show diligence in maintaining it. There may be occasions when we cannot succeed, but that should never be our fault. We should all put forth our best effort and be diligent to maintain unity.
I am not denying that sometimes the differences between believers have been so strong that schism was the necessary result. Nor am I denying that in the modern church it is sometimes necessary for a strong stand to be made in the face of firm opposition from other believers. But I am saying that nothing gives us license to ignore the apostle's direction. Whatever be the case with other people, and no matter where there are divergent opinion, nothing gives us license to cease to act in love or to let unity slip away.
So, what must we do?
Make every effort!
*****************FOOTNOTES
Morris, Leon; Expository Reflections on the Letter to the Ephesians, pub. by Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI; copyright 1994; p.115.
Emil & Michele Swift
KingdomScribes.InJesus.com
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