“One Another” Passage
Number Two: Next we will study Ephesians 4.
There are hours’ worth of subjects for fruitful study and imitation in this
little chapter. It would be difficult to even outline it, since there is so
much packed into this text that the outline would be nearly as long as the
chapter. Let’s focus on verses
1-3 and 25-32.
This first passage is a beautiful pastoral message from a pastor who has now
been many years in the work.
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore
you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one
another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.”
What would happen if, every time a problem came
up, as problems inevitably will, each party sat down and read this passage to
each other, and prayed through it in detail, before even beginning on the admittedly
hard work of actually figuring out how to resolve their problem? Some problems
would disappear like mist in the sunshine. Those which remained would begin to
look less threatening if we could really practice looking on each other with
humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance. What if we listened and didn’t
judge or jump to conclusions? It isn’t easy. It wouldn’t take diligence to
preserve this bond if it were easy. But once we remember the Spirit and seek
that loving face, everything seems possible again.
The middle portion of this chapter lists
spiritual gifts again, makes the point again that we are one body with one
Lord, and says that the only way we’ll ever really grow up is in the stumbling
exercise of our gifts, exactly the same as a baby stumblingly exercises her body
and grows up strong and graceful.
Verses
25-32 reads almost like the book of Proverbs. Lay aside falsehood and speak
truth with one another. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Find something
for idle hands to do. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit. It would be interesting to
make and decorate posters of these. At any rate, we need to have them all
posted on the walls of our minds and hearts.
Finally, Paul ends with another loving
admonition: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just
as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” In other words, we are still human.
Forgiveness will still be necessary. But it is there when we need it, always
available, to give and to receive. We must never forget that.
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