Christianity is a relational faith. And Life in the Spirit is not just an individual experience, but corporate or relational experience. That is made super clear in this passage. The Spirit’s infilling results in worshiping with one another and submitting to one another. Where does this joy,this heart-felt singing, and this gratitude, and this humility and submissiveness come from? Because I want it! The whole world is looking for it! It doesn’t come from the success of his football team, or the absence of trials. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18-21 where deep joy in God comes from. It comes from the Holy Spirit.
In chapter 5:1, Paul urges us to imitate God. Be like God. Paul tells us in other places to imitate him, as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 4:16; 10:31-11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 3:7, 9); and he tells congregations to imitate other congregations (cf., 1 Thess 2:14). Only here in Ephesians are we told to “imitate God.” So the main point is clear: be imitators of God. I love the simplicity of this verse. But “How?” We see three “walks” (the key verb in this section, “to conduct your life”): walk in love (v. 2); walk in light (v. 8); and walk in wisdom (15).
We’re talking about a new set of clothes in Eph 4. Paul uses this metaphor, of “taking off and putting on” (clothes) to talk about what happens when you become a Christian.Of course, he’s not talking about physical clothes, but spiritual clothes – for a person may change their outer appearance and be a fifthly spiritually. The “clothes of Christ” changes everything. When we put on Christ, we receive a new spiritual identity and must now live differently. When a Christian puts off that corrupt garment of the old self (22), and puts on the new self recreated in God’s image (24), he then has new expectations and responsibilities corresponding to his identity. So what are you wearing? Have you come to know Christ? Are you dressed in his righteousness? If so, live out your new identity as new creations in Christ, for the good of others and the glory of God.
In Ephesians 4, Paul describes the body of Christ. We should not be like my uninterested third period health class when we cover this material! We should listen closely to Paul for we are part of this body as Christians! And should pay attention because, unlike a lot of changing health opinions, this is eternal truth.So what is the nature of a healthy body of Christ, and how does it function? That’s our question.Let me point out three marks of a healthy church. A Healthy Church is Marked by Spiritual Unity, Spiritual Diversity, and Growing Maturity. This is like a physical – a spiritual check up for us.
A lot of believers only pray when they have no other option. Oh, they may have some routine prayers that they pray – like at meal times, or on a Sunday – but when it comes to actually seeking God with desperation, they only do that when they have exhausted all of their human wisdom, when they have worked through every possible strategy, and they are at the end of their rope – they close their eyes, throw it deep, and hope something good happens. But this is a mistake. Why? It’s because the whole Christian life is supposed to be one of desperation. A lack of desperation shows that we don’t think much of God’s ability, and we think a whole lot of our own. Instead, we should remember how great God is when we come to him, and we should remember how much we need him.
