Ephesians: Chapter 4

Paul has spoken to us as true Believers in Chapters 1 and 2. Then, in Chapter 3, he revealed the Mystery of our belonging to the Body of Christ, in Christ Jesus. Now he brings us to the tremendous reality which reveals the eminence and transcendence of God. Paul lived a spirit-filled life; Jesus was EVERYTHING to him. Paul gave up EVERYTHING to obey and follow Jesus. Paul was so filled with God’s Love that all his money, time, talents, and his very life were given totally and completely to God. He was truly a bondservant of Jesus.

The following chapters cannot be obeyed by those who have only accepted Jesus as Savior; and nothing more. Jesus is simply their ‘fire insurance’ to stay out of Hell. They do not study, nor apply His Word. None of this book of Ephesians is for the unbeliever, they cannot understand, nor appreciate, nor comprehend; and certainly, cannot obey any of this. It is impossible. Remember, dead men cannot even walk, yet alone understand or follow Jesus. Unbelievers are truly dead men.

The following Chapters are for the mature, obedient Believers, who truly want to be the Bride of Christ and be rulers and heirs of Heaven. We want to live victorious, pure lives of obedience. The challenge is great, yet the rewards are incredible, truly out of this world!

4:1

Therefore, remember when we see this word, we must remember what it is ‘there for’. Paul is summarizing the purpose and reason for the first three Chapters. This is crucial, we must not miss these Truths. Paul, even as a prisoner of the Lord Jesus, passionately begs them, beseeches them, to walk, that is, continually live, lives that are worthy of the high calling, the vocation or heirship, that we have been promised by Jesus. We have been called to be “Heirs with Christ Jesus”. So, are we living as heirs of Heaven? Does your behavior bring a credit to God? You have been called to serve Him. That is an incredible honor, how are you doing? Once we belong to Christ, and seek His Will in our lives, then we can obey Him and bring honor, praise and Glory to God.

Paul gives Seven Christian Graces that are listed and applied to us, as True, obedient Believers.

4:2

Live in a manner that reflects your status before God; with complete lowliness of mind (true humility) and meekness (which is power under control) being totally unselfish, yet gentle and mild, with patience (longsuffering), bearing with one another and making allowances (putting up with people who may be disagreeable or aggravating) because you love one another. (With the same type of Love God has given you)

4:3

Striving earnestly to guard and keep harmony and oneness (unity) of the Body of Believers; all this in a spirit of the binding power of peace. This means we speak the Truth of God’s Word in Love, never compromising the Truth of God’s Word, yet seeking harmony in the Body of Believers, the church. Christians should never, ever support or tolerate false teaching; we are obligated to speak the Truth in Love. (Eph. 4:15)

4:4

Paul reminds us that there is only One Body and One Spirit, and One Hope. (Titus 2:13). That is why denominationalism often divides and destroys the unity of the Body of Christ. Paul reminds us that there is only one church, the Body of Christ. Our One Hope is the Return of Jesus to take us to Heaven in the ‘catching up’ of ‘Rapture’ (Eph 1:13-14). Those of us who die before the Rapture, will be immediately in the presence of Jesus.

4:5

There is only One Lord; our Lord Jesus Christ; One Faith, this is the Truth of God’s Word (Acts 2;42: Rev. 2:1-7, et al). One Baptism, refers to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, when we are born again (1 Cor. 12:13). The ritual of water baptism is just a symbol of the real baptism of the Holy Spirit.

4:6

There is One God and Father of us all (Believers) God is God of all, but only the Father of Believers. Being born again as sons and daughters of God makes God our Father. God created everyone, but only those who are True Believers are His children.

4:7

Paul now moves from what we all have in common to how we differ from one another. Grace is given to each of us individually (in different ways) in proportion to the measure of Christ’s rich and bounteous gift. We know that in the physical world we are not all the same. We have different abilities, talents, intellect, strengths, appearances, etc. We did nothing to ‘earn’ any of these gifts. So, it is with the spiritual realm, we are freely given spiritual gifts (each of us has at least one, often more, of these gifts). Just as we do not question why someone was given a beautiful voice, face, body, brains, etc.; we are not to question the spiritual gifts given to others. Our job is to focus on the gifts God has graciously given us and seek to use them to do the Will of God and bring Him great glory. If you want to review the lists of spiritual gift see 1Cor. 12:4-11; 17-31; Romans 12:3-8; Eph 4:11. Each list is different and probably only representative. We are admonished to inspect the fruits of the Spirit, rather than inspecting or questioning the gifts.

4:8

Therefore it is said (a quote from Psalm 68:18) When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive (Jesus lead a train of vanquished foes) and He bestowed gifts on men. “Captivity captive,” means Jesus conquered those who had conquered us, namely sin, the devil and death. His death on the cross destroyed sin’s hold on us. Jesus defeated Satan, and defeated death. The gifts he bestowed on men were: The destruction of sin’s power over us ~ we are forgiven! The gift of becoming sons of God. The gift of Eternal life. The gift of freedom from destruction in Hell and separation from God forever. These are incredible gifts Paul is referring to.

4:9-10

He ascended, now what can this “He ascended” mean but that He had previously descended from the heights of heaven into the depths, the lower parts of the earth? Why? To open the prison to those who are bound (Isa. 61:1; 1 Peter 3;19). He Who descended is the very same One as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He, (His very presence) might fill all things, the entire universe, from the lowest to the highest.

4:11

His gifts were varied. He Himself appointed and gave men to us, some to be apostles (special messengers) some to be prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some as pastors, (shepherds of His flock) and some as teachers (teaching the Truth of God’s Word). Note that disciples were followers, or learners. That’s us. Prophets were to be ‘forth-tellers’ of the Word of God. Their purpose was edification, encouragement, and consolation (1Corth 14:3).

4:12

His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (True Believers), that they should do the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s Body, the church. The pastor is called to equip the saints so the Body might be built up. The greatest tragedy of our churches is the Biblical illiteracy in the pews. We would never dare get into an airplane if the pilot didn’t know more about flying than the average church member knows about the Word of God. Remember, well-fed sheep multiply naturally; they don’t need to be coaxed or pushed! Our churches need to be educated in God’s Word; then the growth will happen naturally!

4:13

So that the church might develop until we all attain oneness in the Faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God. This ‘accurate knowledge’ is only gained through careful study and application of God’s Word. So that we might finally arrive at mature and complete personhood. The completeness of personality, which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection. Our goal is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Jesus and the completeness found in Him. We are to be Christlike in our maturity.

4:14

So that we may no longer be like children, easily swayed by lies; tossed around like sailing ships in the high seas, driven to and fro by gusts of wind and teaching, and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine; being the victim of the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men engaged in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead us. Remember, to know the Truth of God’s Word is to protect yourself from lies. The better you know God’s Word, the easier it is to detect lies and errors. This study will greatly help you protect yourself and your loved ones from those who would attempt to deceive you and lead you astray. Reading God’s Word daily is the best protection you can obtain!

4:15

Instead, let our lives lovingly express Truth in all things; speaking in truth, dealing in truth, living in truth. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Jesus Who is the Head; He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Truth without love is brutality; love without truth is hypocrisy. Truth unites; lies divide. Love unites, selfishness divides.

4:16

Through Jesus, the entire body is closely joined and firmly knit together by the ‘joints and ligaments’ with which it is supplied. When each part of the body is working properly in all its functions, then the Church can grow to full maturity. Every Believer has a ministry to other Believers. An isolated Christian cannot minister to others; neither can others minister to him. The entire ‘circulatory system’ of the body is Love! Just as blood supplies life to our bodies, so Love supplies Life to Christ’s Body. We can’t do it alone! Anyone who says they can, are lying to themselves.

4:17

Therefore, I solemnly testify in the name of the Lord, as if I were in His presence, that you must not live as the world does. The world lives in perverseness in folly, vanity and emptiness of their souls and futility of their minds. The Bible was written to be learned and obeyed, not just studied. Knowledge without obedient application is worthless. We are to be doers of the Word, not hearers only (James1:22) Repentance is a complete change of mind. When we truly trust Christ as our Savior and Lord, our entire outlook changes; our values and goals are no longer tied to this world. We develop a worldview that is based on God’s Word and Eternity. We must truly be Driven by Eternity! Keep your focus on the goal of being in Heaven with your Lord, God, and Savior!

4:18

Those who ignore God’s Word or fail to study and apply it to their lives, have their understanding darkened, they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is within them. Why? All because of the blindness of their heart. Look around us and see the Truth. Our entire culture has lost its perception of moral values. Sin has a hardening, deadening, blinding effect upon people. An unsaved person’s thinking is futile. He does not know God, he cannot understand the world around him, or even understand himself. Our world today is filled with knowledge, but with very little true Wisdom. Remember, knowledge changes, Wisdom is Eternal!

4:19

These unbelievers, in their spiritual apathy, have become callous and reckless and have abandoned themselves to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity that their depraved desires may suggest and demand. (See Romans 1:18-32). Yes, Satan has blinded the minds and hearts of the unbeliever; sad, but True.

4:20-21

Yet, you have not so learned Christ! Notice that we have LEARNED Christ. Note it doesn’t say “learned about” Christ. We have a personal relationship with our Creator and Messiah. We hear His voice because we are His sheep. Paul goes on to say he assumes we have really heard Him and been taught by Him (through the Holy Spirit). All Truth is in Jesus (embodied and personified by Him) Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life.

4:22-24

Therefore, strip yourself of your former nature, put off and discard your old unrenewed self, which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion (all this evil comes from lies and deceit). (See Romans 5-8) And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh and new mental and spiritual attitude. (Romans 12:1,2) We need to put on the Mind of Christ. We must change our way of thinking. This is the secret to going from wrong actions to right actions. Your thinking… Focus on, pray for, and seek God’s Love and goodness in dealing with others. Decide in your mind how you will be kind, loving, forgiving, generous, pure, and holy. Practice saying it out loud. I am God’s child. I will be loving and forgiving. I forgive so and so for such and such. Say it and believe it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you scriptures to encourage your mind attitude to be Christ-like. Now you can put on the new man, the regenerated self, created in God’s image. We must be Godlike, in true righteousness and holiness. We are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and must act like it.

4:25

Therefore, rejecting all lies and deceit, we speak and express only the Truth remembering we are members of the same Body of Christ. The author of lies is Satan. Lies destroy relationships. Lies destroy ourselves. Lies destroy Trust. A true Believer CANNOT be a liar, even in little things. Remember the first sin judged in the early church was lying; the penalty was death. (Acts 5:1-11)

4:26

When angry, do not sin. Remember anger is an emotional arousal caused by something that displeases us. Out-of-control anger is referred to as ‘temporary insanity’. God warns us not to let a day go by without dealing with our anger. It is our responsibility, no one made us angry, we chose to BE angry. We should be angry at sin, yet not at the person. Difficult? Very. Impossible? No. We need to go to God, confess the ‘reasons’ for our anger and seek to forgive, even if the offender(s) do not deserve forgiveness. If it is a situation we are involved in, we need to do whatever is in our power to rectify a wrong. Example: I am angry at our corrupt government, yet I must do whatever I can to correct the situation; so I pray that God would intervene and convict and change those in government. Yet, I remain open to God’s leading to join with others to correct the evil government, laws, etc.

4:27

Paul tells us we MUST deal with our anger, or it will give the devil a foothold, an opportunity to cause us to sin and not be in God’s Will. If we fail to deal with our anger, Satan will use it against us. Knowing this should cause us to deal with anger as quickly as possible. Anger not dealt with, will lead to sin.

4:28

Paul tells those who steal to stop it. He also tells us to not let the thief steal from us anymore. This is an important point. Who is stealing from you? Are you stealing from yourself by going into debt? God instituted the rights of ‘private property’ as one of the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not steal. If you don’t own anything, then no one can steal from you. We are to protect our property and not let others steal it. This includes the government! Socialism is a devious method of stealing from those who have worked to earn something. Any form of ‘entitlement’ becomes stealing. Paul goes on to say that the thief should become industrious, making an honest living with his own hands and hard work, so that he, too, may be able to give to those in need. There are those who are in true need, not lazy want. Be careful to note the difference. If a man foolishly puts himself “in need” we have no obligation to “bail him out”. Certainly, we should not let those in need starve, but we should not restore what he “lost”. Even God’s Word says, “If someone refuses to work, then he shouldn’t eat.” II Thessalonians 3:10.

4:29

Never let any foul or polluting language, or evil words, or unwholesome or worthless talk ever come out of your mouth. Speak only words that are good and beneficial to the spiritual growth and progress of others; fitting it to the need and occasion, so that your speech may be a blessing and give grace to those who hear you speak. Unsure if you should say something? Ask God, is this good and beneficial? Am I encouraging and uplifting another? If not, just pray silently. Remember, even a fool is thought to be wise when he says nothing; but if he speaks, he removes all doubt. Proverbs 17:28

4:30

Never, ever grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Did you realize that you can cause pain and sadness to the God of the Universe! You can’t grieve someone who doesn’t care about you. The Holy Spirit deeply loves you; He lives within you; He gives constantly to you; you don’t want to quench or grieve Him! You have been, and are, sealed with the Holy Spirit who is working continually to transform you into the image and likeness of God. He is constantly striving to free you from all temptation and power of sin. I Thessalonians 5:19-22.

4:31

Let all bitterness, indignation, and wrath; that is rage; bad temper, resentment, anger, animosity quarreling, contention, slander, evil speaking, abusive or blasphemous language and malice be completely banished and removed from you. Anger and bitterness poison the inner man. The basic cause of bitterness is an unforgiving spirit. Do you want to have joy and be happy? Then learn and master how to forgive and forget. What? You want me to forgive AND forget! Yes, if you think constantly about a wrong done to you, then you have not forgiven. You must choose to banish thoughts of the incident from your mind. Certainly, you remember enough of the incident so you will not be a victim again, but you do not dwell on it. Ask God to help you in this area.

4:32

Now Paul tells us how we should act; Be useful and helpful and kind to one another. Be tenderhearted, compassionate, understanding and loving. Forgive one another readily and freely just as God in Christ Jesus forgave you. Don’t they deserve to be forgiven? Remember, Jesus forgave us when we were his enemies, wretched sinners, deserving death and hell and eternal separation from God. We must do the same for others.

There is so much Truth and application in this chapter; the only way to truly grasp it, is to read and pray over each verse, asking God, through the Holy Spirit, to show you His Truth for your life. We pray you will truly seek to become transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is your True Worship of God: Obeying His Word in all areas of your life.