Hold The Line

Ephesians 4:1– “Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. 4 There is one body and one Spirit —just as you were called to one hope at 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 all.”(HCSB)

Knowing the mystery and that he had been given the administration of this mystery, having prayed for the believers to know God’s power and love, Paul basically says “with that in mind let’s get down to brass tax”.

That is what he means by the “therefore”. To add weight to what he is about to say, to let his readers know that he understands how hard it is and will be he calls himself the prisoner of the Lord. He has chosen to walk this path that has taken him to prison and he is calling the others to walk it with him.

This is the life they had been called to and are expected to walk in a way that is worthy, worthy of the calling. And who called them?

The Lord did, not Paul – God called them to this life.

Is living the mystery as God wants it to be going to be easy?

Absolutely not. Loving and living as one will require their all and nothing less. It will take the Spirit filled life.

I want to break down this passage because it is so much weightier than how we often translate it to be in the English.

Beginning with the word “humility” we see that God is asking us to do something very contradictory to the flesh. This word means to think lowly of ones self, having humiliation of mind.

This is the exact opposite of the worldly message of self-esteem where we are called by the enemy to think highly of ourselves, to esteem ourselves instead of others and God. This is by no means easy, but highly necessary.

Our next word is “gentleness “. It is really the word “meekness”. Unfortunately we do not really understand this word.

It is not an absence of power, but a very intense power that is restrained and in control. Meekness means knowing you have power, but not always exerting that power, or right, on others.

Jesus is our greatest example of this. He had the angels at His disposal before His arrest and He restrained that power for the joy that laid before Him, for the sake of His Bride and in obedience to His Father. This is what this word is calling us to be.

Then comes “patience”, a word we simply do not understand. This word does not mean just sit around and wait while we twiddle our thumbs.

This word is the idea of fortitude, standing guard, being fortified. It is being longsuffering in action. Knowing you may be fortified, standing guard, for a long time, but willing to keep standing guard until God moves you.

Are you beginning to think, “O.K. that’s enough, please that’s enough”? Like I said this is not easy, but God does not stop here.

He talks about accepting or bearing with one another. However, the word for “accepting” really means to “hold yourself up against”, in this case, one another.

Are you getting the picture? We are to hold ourselves up against each other in love.

Now here is the idea. The idea Paul is trying to create is a military line. Like troops in formation, we are holding up against one another as a military line and the thing that glues us together is love.

I want to take the next phrase together.

It is “diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit”. The word “diligently” means to make every effort with speed.

O.K. what are we doing with speed and with every effort? We are keeping.

The word “keeping” means to watch as in a watchman on the wall, to guard from loss or injury or to hold fast.

We are on the ball, so to speak, and keeping watch on, guarding, and holding fast the unity or oneness of the Spirit. We do this with the peace or oneness that binds us together– our love for one another.

Oneness or Unity is hard work, work that requires every effort and determination to stay the course.

It is also something that does not automatically happen just because we are one body with one Spirit who lives in each of us.

No He will not force this upon us but gives us the directions to achieving it through the power of His Spirit.

We as the body are not one because we do not want it or seek it.

We do not think lowly of ourselves. We do not restrain our power or rights. We have little fortitude and longsuffering and are unwilling to hold up against one another in love.

We do not stand guard over the unity and oneness of the Spirit through any bond of peace. We do not love one another as He has commanded us to do.

We do not do this and I am sad to say that for the most part I am afraid we do not even really attempt it. We are comfortable being apart especially in our different denominations. This should, just as it was for Paul with the Ephesians, be a matter of prayer and concern for us today.

We are to hold fast or hold the line, so to speak, on the matters of doctrine and life that follow in the book. Staying firm on the fact that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, above all, through all and in all.

Church… you must hold the line, hold fast. You must stand guard over the oneness of the Spirit with all diligence.

Let us live the mystery in such a time as this.

Vicky

Esther's Legacy

For Such a Time as This…

Hold The Line

Knowing the mystery and that he had been given the administration of this mystery, having prayed for the believers to know God’s power and love, Paul basically says “with that in mind let’s get down to brass tax”.

This is the life they had been called to and are expected to walk in a way that is worthy, worthy of the calling. And who called them?

The Lord did, not Paul – God called them to this life.

Is living the mystery as God wants it to be going to be easy?

Absolutely not. Loving and living as one will require their all and nothing less. It will take the Spirit filled life.

I want to break down this passage because it is so much weightier than how we often translate it to be in the English.

Beginning with the word “humility” we see that God is asking us to do something very contradictory to the flesh. This word means to think lowly of ones self, having humiliation of mind.

This is the exact opposite of the worldly message of self-esteem where we are called by the enemy to think highly of ourselves, to esteem ourselves instead of others and God. This is by no means easy, but highly necessary.

Our next word is “gentleness “. It is really the word “meekness”. Unfortunately we do not really understand this word.

It is not an absence of power, but a very intense power that is restrained and in control. Meekness means knowing you have power, but not always exerting that power, or right, on others.

Jesus is our greatest example of this. He had the angels at His disposal before His arrest and He restrained that power for the joy that laid before Him, for the sake of His Bride and in obedience to His Father. This is what this word is calling us to be.

Then comes “patience”, a word we simply do not understand. This word does not mean just sit around and wait while we twiddle our thumbs.

This word is the idea of fortitude, standing guard, being fortified. It is being longsuffering in action. Knowing you may be fortified, standing guard, for a long time, but willing to keep standing guard until God moves you.

Are you beginning to think, “O.K. that’s enough, please that’s enough”? Like I said this is not easy, but God does not stop here.

He talks about accepting or bearing with one another. However, the word for “accepting” really means to “hold yourself up against”, in this case, one another.

Are you getting the picture? We are to hold ourselves up against each other in love.

Now here is the idea. The idea Paul is trying to create is a military line. Like troops in formation, we are holding up against one another as a military line and the thing that glues us together is love.

I want to take the next phrase together.

It is “diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit”. The word “diligently” means to make every effort with speed.

O.K. what are we doing with speed and with every effort? We are keeping.

The word “keeping” means to watch as in a watchman on the wall, to guard from loss or injury or to hold fast.

We are on the ball, so to speak, and keeping watch on, guarding, and holding fast the unity or oneness of the Spirit. We do this with the peace or oneness that binds us together– our love for one another.

Oneness or Unity is hard work, work that requires every effort and determination to stay the course.

It is also something that does not automatically happen just because we are one body with one Spirit who lives in each of us.

No He will not force this upon us but gives us the directions to achieving it through the power of His Spirit.

We as the body are not one because we do not want it or seek it.

We do not think lowly of ourselves. We do not restrain our power or rights. We have little fortitude and longsuffering and are unwilling to hold up against one another in love.

We do not stand guard over the unity and oneness of the Spirit through any bond of peace. We do not love one another as He has commanded us to do.

We do not do this and I am sad to say that for the most part I am afraid we do not even really attempt it. We are comfortable being apart especially in our different denominations. This should, just as it was for Paul with the Ephesians, be a matter of prayer and concern for us today.

We are to hold fast or hold the line, so to speak, on the matters of doctrine and life that follow in the book. Staying firm on the fact that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, above all, through all and in all.

Church… you must hold the line, hold fast. You must stand guard over the oneness of the Spirit with all diligence.

Let us live the mystery in such a time as this.

Vicky

Knowing the mystery and that he had been given the administration of this mystery, having prayed for the believers to know God’s power and love, Paul basically says “with that in mind let’s get down to brass tax”.

This is the life they had been called to and are expected to walk in a way that is worthy, worthy of the calling. And who called them?

The Lord did, not Paul – God called them to this life.

Is living the mystery as God wants it to be going to be easy?

Absolutely not. Loving and living as one will require their all and nothing less. It will take the Spirit filled life.

I want to break down this passage because it is so much weightier than how we often translate it to be in the English.

Beginning with the word “humility” we see that God is asking us to do something very contradictory to the flesh. This word means to think lowly of ones self, having humiliation of mind.

This is the exact opposite of the worldly message of self-esteem where we are called by the enemy to think highly of ourselves, to esteem ourselves instead of others and God. This is by no means easy, but highly necessary.

Our next word is “gentleness “. It is really the word “meekness”. Unfortunately we do not really understand this word.

It is not an absence of power, but a very intense power that is restrained and in control. Meekness means knowing you have power, but not always exerting that power, or right, on others.

Jesus is our greatest example of this. He had the angels at His disposal before His arrest and He restrained that power for the joy that laid before Him, for the sake of His Bride and in obedience to His Father. This is what this word is calling us to be.

Then comes “patience”, a word we simply do not understand. This word does not mean just sit around and wait while we twiddle our thumbs.

This word is the idea of fortitude, standing guard, being fortified. It is being longsuffering in action. Knowing you may be fortified, standing guard, for a long time, but willing to keep standing guard until God moves you.

Are you beginning to think, “O.K. that’s enough, please that’s enough”? Like I said this is not easy, but God does not stop here.

He talks about accepting or bearing with one another. However, the word for “accepting” really means to “hold yourself up against”, in this case, one another.

Are you getting the picture? We are to hold ourselves up against each other in love.

Now here is the idea. The idea Paul is trying to create is a military line. Like troops in formation, we are holding up against one another as a military line and the thing that glues us together is love.

I want to take the next phrase together.

It is “diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit”. The word “diligently” means to make every effort with speed.

O.K. what are we doing with speed and with every effort? We are keeping.

The word “keeping” means to watch as in a watchman on the wall, to guard from loss or injury or to hold fast.

We are on the ball, so to speak, and keeping watch on, guarding, and holding fast the unity or oneness of the Spirit. We do this with the peace or oneness that binds us together– our love for one another.

Oneness or Unity is hard work, work that requires every effort and determination to stay the course.

It is also something that does not automatically happen just because we are one body with one Spirit who lives in each of us.

No He will not force this upon us but gives us the directions to achieving it through the power of His Spirit.

We as the body are not one because we do not want it or seek it.

We do not think lowly of ourselves. We do not restrain our power or rights. We have little fortitude and longsuffering and are unwilling to hold up against one another in love.

We do not stand guard over the unity and oneness of the Spirit through any bond of peace. We do not love one another as He has commanded us to do.

We do not do this and I am sad to say that for the most part I am afraid we do not even really attempt it. We are comfortable being apart especially in our different denominations. This should, just as it was for Paul with the Ephesians, be a matter of prayer and concern for us today.

We are to hold fast or hold the line, so to speak, on the matters of doctrine and life that follow in the book. Staying firm on the fact that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, above all, through all and in all.

Church… you must hold the line, hold fast. You must stand guard over the oneness of the Spirit with all diligence.

Let us live the mystery in such a time as this.

Vicky