I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, (2) with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, (3) endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (6) one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul while a prisoner in Rome. He has laid a solid doctrinal foundation in the first three chapters of Ephesians and now moves to application in our daily lives. The emphasis in our verses today is Christian unity and Paul uses relational words in his call to live in loving harmony with each other. Everywhere the indwelling Spirit is the principle of unity in the body of Christ and peace is the condition of unity. Unity already exists in faith but here the emphasis is on God who is not just over us but through us. In the faithful this is not just unity of opinion, of interest, of feeling, but something supernatural arising from common principle.

Unity is founded on biblical basis. Paul is not referring to the visible church but rather the unseen spiritual body of Christ composed of all genuine believers. It is the unity of the Spirit, not organizational or external. The Spirit of God dwells in all believers and demands the faithful behave as they believe. This one faith is not the faith by which we are saved but the faith of the Christian church. There are major issues in the church where there should be division – issues contrary to doctrinal/biblical principles. And there are divisions where unity should have been preserved – minor matters not doctrinal or where Scripture is not clear. The church is a habitation of God through the Spirit; not just that God operates through all but that He pervades all the faithful and abides in all.

I love to close with c.s.Lewis – “The word religion is extremely rare in the New Testament or the writing of mystics. The reason is simple. Those attitudes and practices to which we give the collective name of religion are themselves concerned with religion hardly at all. To be religious is to have one’s attention fixed on God and on one’s neighbor in relation to God. Therefore, almost by definition, a religious man, or a man when he is being religious, is not thinking about religion; he hasn’t the time. “

But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, (15) having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (16) and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (17) And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. (18) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle paul and the theme of our verses today is peace and believers reconciled relationship with God – being at peace with God is the foundation for peace with others. By dispensation Israelites were God’s people. Israel was near and the Gentiles were far off from God. Old Testament people were spiritually distanced from God – they were temporarily redeemed but now in the blood of Christ the new covenant is ratified by God with all His people, Jews or Gentiles. This reconciliation is accomplished by abolishing the Law; there is no more original covenant of works. Christ fulfilled all righteousness and redeemed those under the Law; He delivered believers from the obligation of fulfilling its demands as a condition of justification.
Believers are now under grace and in Christ there is no more wall between Jews and Gentiles – this is the great truth Paul taught. The Law has ceased and there is no more mere pardon but now there is justification in Christ. God remembers our sin no more. We are freed not just from the Law of Moses which could not reconcile us to God – could not justify us and make us holy – all of which was of Christ. Not by Christ as teacher (verse 17) but as sacrifice; not by doctrine but by blood.
Gentiles and Jews have both free access to God upon the same terms and in the same way. This access is not just liberty of approach, it is an introduction to His presence and favor. It is real redemption and reconciliation in the blood of Christ – an introduction into a state of grace.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which he purposed in Himself (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth – in Him. (11) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, (12) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. The theme of our verses today is the election of the faithful in Christ and praise to God for His unmerited grace. God chose believers – predestined us to these blessings – and in His sovereignty is our salvation. Predestination does not imply impersonal fate but the means to decide beforehand. Gods plan was before He created the universe. There are two sentiments here: the sense of the absolute supremacy of God with the corresponding sense of dependence of man and the conviction of the entirely gratuitous nature of the benefits of redemption. This salvation is neither by chance nor by our efforts but brought about by the purpose of God. All these blessings have their source in the electing love of God. He chose us – the believers – and the key here is we are chosen in Christ. It is the purpose of God to bring His people to holiness, sonship and eternal glory. As revealed in Scripture, God intended this through a Redeemer. We were chosen in Christ. This election is from eternity – before time – therefore everything is certain. There is no possibility of failure or any change of purpose in the sovereignty of God. According to His mercy He has saved us.
This election produces confidence but also humility. In Christ we are chosen to be holy – not just externally consecrated to God. Individuals are objects of election and holiness in no form can be grounds of election; if men are chosen to be holy they cannot be chosen because they are holy. Redemption is not in ourselves – we are not self redeemed – by grace we have been saved apart from any personal merit. As sinners we had no inclination or ability to choose Christ or believe in Him.
The blessing of salvation is part of God’s eternal plan to glorify Himself. Our verses restate Paul’s teaching that salvation is the accomplishment of divine purpose and choice. In Christ there are all pervading elements of salvation and eternal divine purpose to save. Salvation is done according to the kind intention of God’s will and good pleasure apart from any personal merit but as God’s choice and will.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure, (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (9) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution’s, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The 2nd letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. In the second half of this letter Paul is responding the the report that a minority of the church there were strongly opposed to Paul – Paul described the Opposition as Jewish false teachers or “super apostles”. These men were challenging his authority and status as an apostle; his teaching, his actions, and his character. One claim was that Paul was inferior because of his affliction – his thorn in the side. They were proclaiming a different Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel

In chapter 12 Paul spoke of “a man in Christ” (himself) who had been drawn up to the third heaven some 14 years earlier- because of that great revelation he had been given a “thorn in his side” to keep him humble; it reminded him of his limitations. Scripture is silent on what this “thorn” was. God did not cause it but permitted it. The repetition of Paul’s ask for removal of the thorn shows how intensely Paul wanted it gone. God’s answer was that His grace was sufficient and that God’s “ strength is made perfect in weakness”. The greater our weakness the more we sense God’s power. Our success does not depend on our natural abilities but on Gods power working in us. This is a warning of spiritual peril that accompanies great gifts. There is a poison of pride which is man’s ruin and the last vice to contend with. Imagine, this was Paul who had not subdued pride!

Chapter five of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states this principle of finding strength in God through our weakness. – “Remember that we deal with alcohol – cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power – that One is God. May you find Him now! Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.”

God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.