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1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:1-16 NRSV Bible)
Prisoners in Ancient Rome did not have a telephone call, like we do in the USA. Well, of course, there were no phones. Paul does ask for a pen and paper. Make that lots of paper! Paul knows he does not have to contact his attorney, as many of us would do; he knows the real Mediator and the judge, and so he begins to share his faith. What sort of letter would you write? I'm pretty sure I might pen a short letter: GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!!
Paul used every opportunity he had to share Jesus. And in this passage he is urging fellow believers to live their lives in a way that gives glory to Jesus, because Jesus called you to faith. Paul says believers in Jesus should be humble and gentle. And he has the nerve to say that believers should be patient. Even behind the wheel as you drive? And Paul says for us to not only be patient, but we should bear, that means put up, with each other, and get this; in love! Our efforts should be to keep unity of the Holy Spirit through the bond of peace. Paul says the Body of Christ is one, just like the Holy Spirit is One; and all of us were called to one hope. Add to your list there is one Lord, and that's Jesus; one Spirit, and He's the Holy Spirit, and one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all, and in all. And it is this same Christ, Who equipped believers to serve Him to win the world: Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. All working different jobs with a common goal: Build up the Body of Christ so that we can truly achieve unity in faith and complete knowledge of Jesus; all moving to maturity in Him.
As we mature in faith, we are called to move beyond immaturity and instability, growing in our knowledge of Christ and in our ability to speak the truth in love. This growth is not merely for personal benefit but for the building up of the entire body of Christ, fostering unity and spiritual maturity. Don't be lulled to sleep in comfort, thinking we have already done enough or that we've done all we could. We must continually move towards maturity, constantly building ourselves in love.
PRAYER: Loving God, For the call You shared with us, thank You. We thank You also for the gifts you have given to us. Help us to live in a manner worthy of this calling, with humility and patience, bearing with one another in love. May we work diligently to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Guide us as we use our unique gifts to contribute to the growth of Your Church, and help us to speak the truth in love, growing together into the fullness of Christ. Strengthen us to resist the temptations of division and deceit, and empower us to build each other up in faith and love. This is our prayer, in faith, and in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Engage with others in your church or small group to discover their gifts and find ways to collaborate in ministry. Look for opportunities to promote unity and support within the Body of Christ, and remember that your contributions, no matter how small they may seem, play a crucial role in the growth and health of the Church.
I love you and I thank God for you,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
