Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. Let's ask our Lord's blessing. Our Father, we come before you
this evening thanking you for this blessed time that we have.
And we pray that you might be pleased to bless the word tonight
to our hearts and teach us, Lord, how desperately we need to learn.
Forgive us where we failed you. For Christ's sake, we ask these
things. Amen. All regenerated sinners, believers,
in the Lord Jesus Christ have this settled conviction. The Lord is able. In chapter 3 of Ephesians, the
last two verses, the scripture says, now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Able. The Lord is able. According, the Apostle Paul says,
to the power that is working in us. What does that mean? By
the Holy Spirit. God is able by that power, the
Spirit of God that dwells within us, power whereby He's keeping
us able, the Scripture says, to keep us from falling. to fulfill all the promises of
God, able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having
all sufficiency and all things may be abounding in every good
work. Able, Paul says, to keep that
which I've committed unto him against that day. The Lord is
able. Then he says in that 21st verse,
unto him be glory. Unto him be praise and honor
in the church by the Lord Jesus Christ. And then Paul says, therefore,
therefore, I therefore, verse 1, chapter 4, the prisoner of
the Lord, one arrested on the road to Damascus, a prisoner, a willing servant,
bond slave, by the importation of a new heart, regenerated by the Spirit of God, Christ
Jesus. His servant, I, the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you, because He's able, able, able, because
He's able, I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith you're called. Walk worthy. That's what He says. No believer considers themselves
to be worthy. You remember when the centurion
came to the Lord in Matthew 8, and he told the Lord, my servant's
sick. And the Lord told him that he
would come to his house and heal the servant. And this is what
the centurion said, I am not worthy. that thou shouldest come
under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall
be healed. I'm not worthy. And we all confess
our unworthiness. All of us admit ourselves to
be unworthy recipients of His grace. But Paul is saying something
here. beseeching us that we walk worthy
of the vocation wherewith we are called. He's telling us that
we've been summoned by God. That's what He's saying. Now
this is a vocation that you've been called to. Almighty God
has summoned us and has given us a heart, made us recipients
of His mercy and compassion to His everlasting purpose and glory
to walk in a way, and here's what He's meaning when He says
that you walk worthy appropriately. Walk appropriately in this vocation
to which you've been summoned. We've been called. This wasn't
a decision that we made. God called us. to this vocation,
walk worthy of that summons. What does that mean? It means
give heed to our conduct, that our behavior would be a credit
unto the Lord of glory who has called us out of the darkness
of sin and unbelief into His glorious kingdom of life and
life Titus 2.7 says this, In all things, showing thyself a
pattern of good works, a model. Be a pattern. Be one that men
would look at and say, there's an example of a believer. Now you know that's a pretty
tall order, isn't it? No believer. is going to say,
I do that. Every believer is going to say,
I am not the one that you would look at for a model. But let
me ask you this. With that instruction, Paul said,
I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation, of the calling
to which you've been summoned. Walk worthy of it. Consider it. Walk in a way that gives honor
to that calling. How? How is that? What instruction, Lord, do you
have concerning that? Well, look at verse 2. With all
lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering for bearing one
another, in love. A believer is never satisfied
with his walk. A believer is never satisfied
with his obedience. A believer that's honest will
tell you, oh wretched man that I am, the things that I would
I don't do them. And the things that I wouldn't
do, that's what I do. But a believer wants to. He wants to walk with a spirit
and a mind of humility and gentleness. He wants to. He reads these words,
with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering for bearing
one another in love. A believer will tell you, I truly
want to have the best thoughts of others. I want to put the
best twist on what you say. I don't want to hear something.
I'm not saying that this is what we admit we do. I'm saying this
is what I want to do. I want to take what a brother
or sister says at face value and say, I believe you. I believe you. Walk in such a
way with all lowliness, meekness, submission, patient
with the faults of others. There's no one in here without
a fault. There's no one here that's without
slips. But Paul said, I'm beseeching
you. Walk in a way that is worthy
of this calling to be a Christian. That you've been summoned to
walk with a lowly attitude toward yourself and considering others
greater than you. I don't want to be easily provoked. I want to forbear. What does
that mean? I want to make allowances. I
don't want to look at you and put you down. I don't want to.
I don't want to do that. Lord, help me not to do that.
I don't want to talk about you. I don't want to. I'm going to
talk about you. I'm going to build you up. That's what I want to
do. Colossians 3.13 says forbearing one another and forgiving one
another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, what do you do Paul? What do we say? Even as Christ
forgave you, so also do you. We're living in a body that wars. against this truth. And whenever
we feel that our rights have been violated, we've been mistreated,
we lash out, we're ready to do battle, and that's the old man.
And that's just the way we are. But let me tell you for a believer,
there is an ear to hear what God has to say. And there's a
new man there. There's a spirit of teachableness
that receives instruction from the Lord and a longing control. There's a longing for a control
of our emotions to surrender to the will and mind and good
pleasure of God. And here's what we know. Let
me tell you what every believer knows. I beseech you. that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith you're called with all lowliness and meekness and
longsuffering for bearing one another in love. And a believer
will say, that's right. That's the right thing. That's
the right thing. Can you imagine a group of believers that treated
each other like the scriptures commands us to do? I want that. I would love, I want that, I
desire that. To forgive and to put misunderstanding
behind us, seek to restore a relationship of love and fellowship, that
is God honoring. That honors the Lord. And that attitude, in desiring
that, that's going to come back to a believer. He'll think on
that. His flesh will war against it. It's going to resist it. But
he knows this. He knows that it's hard to kick
against the pricks. Now you know, you remember when
that part of that scripture was penned. That's when Saul of Tarsus
was on the road to Damascus. And Scripture says, about midday,
a light shone round about him and knocked him off his horse. And the Lord said to him, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? What was he doing? He was persecuting
God's people. The Lord said, you're doing that
to me. And Saul said, who art thou, Lord? And he said, I'm
Jesus, whom you're persecuting. You're doing it to them, you're
doing it to me. He said, Saul, it's hard to kick
against the pricks. Do you know what that means?
It's hard to kick against the pricks. The illustration there is a goad,
a cattle prod. You know what a cattle prod is.
You move cattle, shock them. And when it says it's hard to
kick, the word hard is not the word where you think it's just
hard to do. Anybody can kick. Anybody can
resist. But what it's saying is this,
the word hard there, it means dangerous. Dangerous. It's dangerous and will go bad
for a believer that kicks against the goad of God's Spirit. Whenever God is directing, give
us an instruction right here. I beseech you that you walk worthy.
Someone may say, well, I know that, but I can't do that. The
Lord said, it's dangerous to kick against that. It's dangerous. So, what are we to do? Well, verse 3 says, to keep the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace, endeavoring eagerly, promptly, speedily,
earnestly, making an effort. Making an effort. Boy, I tell
you what, I'm the one that needs to be talked to the most. But
Marvin, Marvin, make an effort. You know what's right. Endeavoring
to keep, that is with a watchful attitude. Now I realize that
I don't have the power to maintain or to sustain, but that word
keep there means with a watchful attitude. Be watchful. Endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit. The unity of the Spirit. That
is the harmony and the unity of brethren that's produced only
by God's Spirit. This unity that we have. This love that we have for one
another. Where do you think that came from? Think we just drummed
it up? Man by nature hates God's people. That we would love one another
is only by the Spirit of God in giving us a new heart, regenerating
us by the grace of God, endeavoring to keep, with a watchful attitude,
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, that is, in that
uniting principle of rest in the Lord. Paul said, I beseech
you, I beseech you with a lowly, meek, Attitude, submissive attitude,
long-suffering toward others, forbearing one another in love. Make allowances for them. They're
brethren. Make allowances. Don't try to
drum up the faults. Forgive them as Christ forgave
us. We forgive one another. Now,
he said, this is what we're endeavoring to do, to keep the unity of the
Spirit. Now that's what I've entitled
this message. The unity of the Spirit. This is what the message
is centering on tonight. The unity of the Spirit. Now, what is that? What is the
Apostle Paul, he's going to tell us here in the next couple of
verses. The unity of the Spirit. What is it? Well, often the best
way to come to the conclusion of something that is true is
to first of all tell what it isn't. The unity of the Spirit. Whenever we hear that, this is
what we're going to think. Well, we're all unified. We're in unity. And that's right.
That is right. That is a truthful statement.
We're a body. We're the body and we're in unity. We love one another. We defend
one another. We have each other's back. We're unity. But that's not what
the Apostle Paul is talking about here. It isn't that truth, though
that is true. Now let me tell you what the
best way to tell you what it is. Let me tell you what it isn't
first. Every week I can pick up a newspaper
and I can find that usually in the Fairmont Times There's usually
an article by different denominations. It'll be, you know, this denomination,
the next week it'll be this denomination, then there'll be this denomination,
and it's all just a variety of denominations, different ones,
different religions. What are they really trying to
do? What they're trying to say is, we're all in this together. All of these are really stating
truth. We're all believing in one God. We all believe in one God. It
doesn't matter what denomination it is. We believe in one God. That's what they're saying. Well
listen to what James 2.19, Thou sayest that there is one God,
thou doest well. The devils also believe. And
they tremble. Man by nature does. But demons
know that there's one God. Or they'll say, look, we're all
wanting to go to heaven. I don't know anybody that wants
to go to hell. I mean, we all want to go to heaven. We believe
in one God. We believe that there is one
who is named Jesus Christ. Now what we're saying, we have
obviously a few minor differences. on how it's accomplished, but
we really, when it comes right down to it, we really all believe
the same thing. That's what they say. Where did that lie come from?
Hold your place right here. I've read this before. Revelation
12. Revelation 12, 13. This is where all the denominations
of the world came from. Here's where it came from. Revelation
12. Verse 13, When the dragon, that
is the devil, saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted
the woman which brought forth the man child. He's talking about
the woman there is the church. Through which and for which the
Lord Jesus came. And to the woman were given two
wings of a great eagle. that she might fly into the wilderness,
into her place where she's nourished for a time and times and half
a time from the face of the servant. What that means is that the Lord,
who is her protector, keeps her in this earth time and times
and half a time is a definite number that is not revealed. The Lord knows how long it is.
How long is God's people going to be on this earth? As long
as the Lord wills. That's how long she's going to
be here. How long is he going to protect her? As long as she's
here. I'll never leave you, I'll never
forsake you. So whenever Satan saw that he was cast out, he
persecuted, he's persecuting the church. Satan knows that
God's going to call out his people through the preaching of the
gospel. He knows that. He knows. He knows scripture.
He quoted scripture to the Lord Jesus in the wilderness. Verse
50, And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood
after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away
of the flood. The flood of deceit. The flood
of false religion. All of these different religions,
they all have their little twist. As I've said before, they all
have their little shingle that they hang out. You know, we say
you got to do ABC. And he says XYZ, but really we
believe basically the same thing. No. It's all deceit. And the
earth helped the woman. The earth Men left to themselves
to believe whatever Satan throws out their way. God who leaves
the earth to themselves. The earth helped the woman and
the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon cast out of his mouth and the dragon was wroth with
the woman. And he went to make war with
the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So here's my question.
All of these different denominations. We love everybody. We love you. We certainly don't
want to exclude anybody. We certainly don't want anybody
to go to hell. Come to our church. Come here. We have organizations. We have
whatever you need. We got stuff for your children.
Whatever you need. Whatever you want. That's what
we're going to do. We've got it. Paul says, endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is
a unity. There is something that unites
God's people. This is what Paul's getting at.
There is a oneness in God's people. Satan's ever attempting to harm
God's sheep, His tactic is subtle. He's striving to lull us to sleepiness,
not be alert, not endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. He knows that if a man is left
to himself, a woman left to herself, they'll be like Shulamite. I
sleep, my heart's awake. So we need to be aware of his
tactics. This assembly needs to be aware. Every assembly truly
founded by Christ needs to be aware. Paul is talking to all
of us, endeavoring to keep that unity. Okay, here's the bottom
line. What is the foundation of the
church's oneness? If everybody else is preaching
a lie, what is it? that is oneness, unity with God's
people. Here it is. Here's the message. Here's what we believe. This
is what every gospel church, every believer believes this. Verse 4, 5, and 6. There's one body. One body. Jew and Gentile, there
is one body, a body that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ of whom
He is the head. This body, one body, this body
was given unto the Lord Jesus in electing grace. His body, there's one body, this
is the unity of the Spirit right here. I don't care where you
go. Every place where the gospel of God's grace is preached, this
is what they believe. There's one body that Almighty
God has everlastingly loved. There is one body that was betrothed
to the Lord, everlastingly. There is one body that He gave
Himself for. One body that He never leaves
nor forsakes. And every believer is united
on that. The body of Christ was given
unto the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
This body, every member's name was written in the Lamb's Book
of Life before time ever was. There's one body, and the scripture
says, and one spirit, the Holy Spirit, in regenerating grace,
creates life in the chosen vessels of God's mercy. The One Spirit
brings God's elect to Christ. He's not trying, He's like the
Lord Jesus, like God Almighty. He's not trying to do anything.
He blows sovereignly as the wind. And He comes to God's elect in
irresistible power. When it pleases God, He gives
them faith to believe a new heart, a willing heart that calls upon
the Lord, that bows to Him, that follows Him. This one spirit
seals, teaches, guides, and comforts the sheep. Every believer is
united on that. There's one body. And there is
one spirit. And the scripture says, as you're
called, even as you're called, verse 4, in one hope of your
calling. How many times have you ever
heard about because of our faithfulness on this earth, how many crowns
we're going to have in heaven? But boy, I'm telling you, how
many people are being told, if you want to be, you know, with
many, many crowns in heaven, do A, B, C, X, Y, Z. You're going to have crowns upon
crowns upon crowns. No. Let me tell you what that
passage of Scripture just says. Even as you're called in One
hope, one confidence, one expectation. There are no degrees in heaven.
False religion puffs up the flesh and tells them that there's going
to be some that's going to be more deserving, more gloriously
recognized in heaven. No, the hope. That expectation,
that confidence that is reserved for us is going to be the same
for every believer. The Apostle Paul, Rahab the harlot, Abraham, the
repentant thief, Moses, you, Elijah, me, we've all been loved
with the same love. The love of God. We've all been
chosen in the same Lord Jesus Christ according to the same
covenant of God's grace. We've all been redeemed with
the same blood of the Son of God. And we've all been called
with the same Spirit. Here's what every believer believes. There's one body. The Lord's. There's one Spirit that calls,
seals, teaches God's people. Even as you're called in one
confidence of your calling, you're going to be saved by grace through
faith and not of yourself. It's the gift of God. We believe
that there's one Lord, verse 5. One Lord. God incarnate. Almighty God in
human flesh, the controller, the governor of all things, the
creator, the prophet, the priest, the king, the particular redeemer
of God's heritage, His sheep. He's the husband of the elect. He is their wisdom. All of their
wisdom is Him. All of their righteousness is
Him. All of their sanctification,
their holiness is Him. And their redemption is Him.
We believe that there's one Lord. Not the one that people say,
He's done everything and it's up to you. No! The one Lord said,
It is There's one faith. One faith. It is the faith of God's elect.
It is the faith given. All men have not faith. That's what scripture says. False
religion says exercise your faith. What faith? What faith? The faith of God's elect believes
on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation without any works of
man involved. That is one faith. That is the
only faith. Every believer believes that.
Any so-called faith that adds man's work is not the faith given
from heaven. There's one baptism. There's a truth that we're all
baptized by the Holy Spirit into the visible body of the church. And that's true. But this truth
here talks about what we all know as the confession of our
faith, the act of every believer being baptized by immersion. It's one baptism. There's one
baptism, and it's not for salvation. It's because of it. We don't
baptize children. We baptize believers in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Salvation precedes baptism. Mark 16, 16, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not, it doesn't matter if he's baptized
or not, if he gets in the water or not. It wasn't believer's
baptism because he didn't believe. He that believeth not shall be
damned. So the issue is believing. He
that believeth and is baptized Baptism is the God-ordained confession
of a believer before man that God has saved him by grace. It was not of himself. When he's
baptized, he's saying according to these scriptures that God
chose me in Christ in electing grace. That Christ redeemed me
and when he died, I died. When he was buried, I was buried
with him. When He rose from the grave,
I was raised with Him. Baptism confesses that salvation
is all of grace. And then in verse 6, in closing,
this is the unity, this is the oneness of a spirit. There's
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,
and in you all. Every believer is settled that
there is one God and He's sovereign. He is the Father of all the elect. He is the eternal, omnipotent,
omniscient, omnipresent, all-sufficient God revealed in three persons. He is the Father who is above
all. That means sovereign over all
principalities and powers. He's through all. That is, He
carries out His will through the agency of men. He's through
all. Even an unbeliever is the servant
of God. An unbeliever who dies an unbeliever,
God leaving him to himself, he's going to serve the purpose of
God. It may be in God's setting forth His justice and wrath. God may show mercy to one in
the exhibition of His mercy and compassion, but He works through
all. And in you all. What does that
mean? There is no believer in whom
God doesn't dwell. Listen to Ephesians 2.22. In
whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through
the Spirit. What does every believer believe?
Every believer believes it's Christ in you. The hope of glory. This is the unity. of the Spirit
in the bond of peace that binds us together in peace. Satan cannot
tear this from us. He can't cause us to not believe
it. But he does try to disrupt the
harmony of God's people. Paul says, endeavor. I beseech you, verse 1, that
you walk worthy of the vocation, of the calling wherewith you're
summoned. with all lowliness and meekness,
with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit, the oneness of belief wrought
by the Spirit of God. God has taught us this oneness
that we have in the bond of peace. Here's our oneness, one body, one Spirit. We are called in one hope of
our calling, as one Lord, as one faith, as one baptism, as
one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all
and in you all. Oh, may the Lord be pleased and
merciful. Guide us, O thou great Jehovah, grant unto this little assembly
here the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, teach
us afresh this truth every time. Lord, we know it so. And Lord,
forgive us when we fail to endeavor to keep, to be watchful. concerning
that unit. It's a precious thing. The Lord
has made us so. I pray God bless this to our
hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. All right, Gary.