The Spirit Unites Through Word and Sacrament :: Ephesians 4:1-6

Paul writes, I, therefore, encourage you ... I, the prisoner in the Lord ... to walk worthily of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, enduring with one another in love, being eager to treasure the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; one body and one Spirit, just as y’all were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (vv 1-6).

[Prayer]

Heavenly Father, you have called us through the work of Your Son to be your beloved children. In his humility, gentleness, and patience, he endured the cross and rose from the dead, and now he unites us to himself and each other in Holy Baptism and the Holy Sacrament. Grant us the mind of Christ, that we endure together, trusting in Your mercy that abides in all things, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

[Introduction]

And it came to pass one Saturday long ago that Jesus was invited to eat at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees (Lk 14:1). And there they stood ... unworthy of the calling to which they had been called. There they stood, scrutinizing Jesus, watching to see if he would have mercy on someone who was suffering. There they stood ... quietly ... insisting on keeping ‘the Tradition of the Elders’ ... not scripture. There they stood ... pridefully ... declaring to the world around them that ... We don’t need anything special from God today. 

In light of Luke’s account of the healing of the man with edema (Lk 14:1-6), it’s not hard to understand the point of the parable Jesus shares. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, Jesus said, and the One who humbles Himself will be exalted (Lk 14:11). 

With this great doctrine of the Christian Church having been set forth, Saint Paul reminds us how our lives should be shaped. The Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened, sanctified each one of you. Therefore, I encourage you ... to walk worthily of the call to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, enduring with one another in love, being eager to treasure the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (vv 2-3).  

4. Paul reminds of this because it is pride that divides and humility that unites. 

Jesus ... and Paul ... both make that perfectly clear today. 

The pride of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day was ... and still is ... rotten fruit. Pride is, first and foremost, idolatry. It’s focused on me, myself, and I ... not God. It sets you and your feelings above God. Pride is focused on how well you think you pray ... on how often you come to church ... on how well you strive to keep up appearances. Pride says I am not like that other guy.

Thus, pride divides. Pride brings discord and disunity. Pride destroys families, marriages, and churches. Pride says we are better than others. Pride says we don’t need the forgiveness of sins today. Pride says I have all that I need based on my belief. But pride [comes] before the fall (Prv 16:18). As Jesus ultimately says in Matthew 23[:13], Woe to you Pharisees and scribes ... [the proud] because you shut the kingdom of the heavens before the face of men (Mt 23:13). You will do all you can to keep others from receiving the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

The antidote to pride is humility. Humility recognizes our absolute need for the unmerited forgiveness of sins ALL THE TIME! Humility enables you to confess your sins ... knowing that even though that confession is inadequate ... we can still look to the cross and the empty tomb, knowing that our sin was crucified with Christ, and the new man will be able to arise to walk [in a manner] worthy of the calling to which you have been called (v 1). Humility acknowledges trust in the grace of God alone and the forgiveness of sins on account of the blood of Jesus alone. 

3. It is in this truth ... the forgiveness of sins on account of Christ ... that we find our unity. 

Humility takes hold of this ... treasuring the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (v 3) ... which is the forgiveness of sins that come through one Lord, one faith, one Baptism (v4). It treasures our bondage together as we bend a knee together to the Father, seeking and receiving forgiveness from one another ... sharing it with one another.  

Unity begins when the One Lord comes to us ... to serve us ... in his Divine Service to us. This is the place where the Gospel is proclaimed and the Sacraments administered rightly. This is where we are united as Paul said in 2 Corinthians: All of this is from God, who reconciled himself to us through Christ and gave to us the service of reconciliation ... the Divine Service ... because as God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them (5:18-19a). 

God made this possible by uniting himself first with us ... enduring our abuse of him ... our sin, iniquity, and transgression ... our pride ... without complaint. He silently ... humbly ... carried our sin to the cross. As Paul wrote in Philippians: Christ Jesus did not count equality to God something to grasp, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave. And being found in the shape of a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death [on] a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above all names (Php 2:5-9). And because he is risen! ... He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! ... we have the one hope that belongs to our calling (v 4))! 

2. Unity is found nowhere else.

When we try to create our own unity by our own efforts, disaster is what results. Fathers will be separated from sons by pride. Mothers will be separated from daughters by pride. Brothers will be separated from sisters by pride (Lk 12:53). Then we start thinking that the unity of the Church consists in agreeing on human arrangements, human traditions, human rules ... pride ... instead of the Divine Service. 

But it is the Holy Spirit who unites the Church as we confess in the Augsburg Confession. Our churches also teach that one holy church is to continue forever. The church is the assembly of saints in which the Gospel is taught purely and the sacraments are administered rightly. For the true unity of the church, it is enough to agree concerning the teaching of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments. It is not necessary that human traditions or rites and ceremonies, instituted by men, should be alike everywhere. It is as Paul says, “One faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” (Eph. 4:5, 6).

1. Now if we believe in Jesus, we will unite around his Word and sacraments, will we not? 

We will receive his Word and follow it together, will we not? The one faith that believes in the one Lord Jesus believes the same Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, does it not? The central teaching of God’s word is that we are forgiven of all sin by the blood of Jesus, is it not? And that it is by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that apprehends this forgiveness and shares it in unity with one another, is it not?

I know you answer these questions affirmatively. Therefore, hear the evangelist to the Hebrews ... Let us hold fast the confession of unwavering hope, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another for the purpose of stirring up [self-sacrificing] love and good works, not abandoning our gathering together, as is the custom of some, but encouraging, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near (Hb 10:23-25). 

That means we should walk worthily of the calling to which you have been called. You are called to stand together on the foundation of Christ, returning to our baptism daily, confessing our sins and hearing absolution together. That means we should return to the Supper as often as possible in the unity of the Spirit. The bread we break and the cup we take are a communion in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor 10:16). We are called to stand together through these means. 

Here is how we say it in Luther’s Large Catechism ...

I believe that there is on earth a small holy group or congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ (Eph 1:22). This group is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with many different gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms (Eph 4:5-8, 11). I am a part and member of this same group, a sharer and joint owner of all it possesses (Rm 8:17). I am brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Spirit, by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God (Gal 3:1-2). ... In the past, before we attained this, we were altogether of the devil, knowing nothing of God and of Christ (Rm 3:10-12). So, until the last day, the Holy Spirit abides with the holy congregation (Jn 14:17). Through this congregation, he brings us to Christ, and he teaches and preaches to us the Word (Jn 14:26). By the Word, he promotes sanctification, causing this congregation daily to grow and to become strong in the faith and in its fruits, which he produces (Gal 5:22-23). 

We further believe that in this Christian Church, we have forgiveness of sin, which is wrought through the holy sacraments and absolution (Mt 26:28; Mk 1:4; Jn 20:23) and through all kinds of comforting promises from the entire Gospel. Therefore, whatever ought to be preached about the sacraments belongs here (LC II 51-54).

And there you have it .... brothers and sisters in Christ!

THE HOLY SPIRIT UNITES US IN THE GOSPEL THROUGH WORD AND SACRAMENT

Now to the one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all (v 6), the one God who rules the whole universe, governing all things for the benefit of those he has called ... to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus ... forever and ever. Amen (3:21).