Jonah Albrecht

11th Sunday After Trinity

August 4, 2024

Ephesians 4:1-7;11-16

Finding a Way Forward in Christ

1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Finding a Way Forward in Christ

How do you identify? What is your political affiliation? Are you part of a church? Are you single? Married? Divorced? I’m sure many of you have had thoughts run through your mind of someone asking you those exact questions at one point or another. Each one of those questions, and countless others, are common in today’s world. It seems like we live in a time where you have to belong to some sort of classification or grouping. While there is nothing wrong with having differences, it can very easily get in the way of our relationships with each other, muddling the waters of the unity we share here at church.

It seems like the longer the world goes on, the more divided it becomes. To a certain extent, that is true. Yet, even in Paul’s day were divisions occurring. These divisions weren’t just about what political candidate one person preferred to another, or what profession they were in; no, these divisions threatened the unity of the church. In Corinth, Paul had to deal with people who thought they were better because they were a Pauline Christian, or a Simon Peter Christian, or Apollos Christian, or even a Jesus Christian. This caused divisions within the church and resulted in a portion of a letter being necessary to address it.

In our text this morning, Paul isn’t addressing any one particular difference within the church. Rather, he is urging the people to Find Their Way Forward in Christ. Their unity of faith under the one true God was something that far-surpassed any differences they might have in their lives. Together, as a congregation, their unity makes them strong to withstand the divisive attacks of the devil. But more importantly, Paul Reminds them to hold fast to the unity that all Christians share in the Holy Christian Church. A unity that is impossible to break because the Lord, our Savior Jesus holds it together by His blood that He shed for our sins.

The first question to answer is this, “Why does Paul need to speak on unity to begin with?” The short answer is because of sin. Sin is the opposite of unity as it was what destroyed the perfect union God shared with Adam and Eve. It separated them, and the rest of us from perfect holiness. Even with sin, however, most people still got along. That is, until the Tower of Babel. We are told in Genesis that the people disobeyed God’s command to spread out and fill the earth following the flood. Instead, they banded together, in division against God, in order to build a tower to reach the heavens to the glory of man and not God. And so God confused their languages and forced them to spread out.

Ever since the Tower of Babel, the world has been deeply divided. The Jews called all non-Jews, Gentiles. The Romans called all non-Romans barbarians. Hitler claimed that the Arian race was the master race. There are still white supremacists; there are still major divisions based upon parentage or skin color. That is the way it has been ever since God confused the language at Babel and caused people to look at each other with suspicion and disdain. That is the way it will be until the end of time.

Today you can see the same sentiment on a wide range of topics. If you don’t conform to one person’s beliefs, you might just be a demon and the scum of the earth. How can we possibly find a way forward; how can we navigate this violent animosity towards those who abide by the principles of Scripture and not the wayward musings of a sinful world around us?

To start, God reminds us of the unity that only He can provide in the Holy Christian Church. Here it is not race against race, majority vs minority, nation against nation. Here there is unity created by the Holy Spirit. There is no separate Jewish, Gentile, White, Black, American, Hispanic, Baptist, Catholic, or Lutheran Christian Church. There is one body — the body of Christ. It is created by one Spirit. Each person who is called by the one Spirit is called to one and the same hope. Each one called by God, regardless of age, racial, national, educational or economic background. Each is called to the hope of eternal life. There are no national boundaries, no segregation policies, no wrong side of the tracks.

Then there is — 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Contrary to what you see on things like the coexist stickers on car bumpers, there are no other faiths than the one faith in Jesus as Savior from sin. The pathway to heaven is exclusive. But that is not the same thing as divisive. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Nothing has united more people from differing backgrounds than the exclusive path to heaven through Jesus Christ. This was true in Jesus’ day. From high society people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea; to what were viewed as the lowest of the low: lepers and prostitutes, these were all equals because they shared the one faith that could actually save them.

In the Holy Christian Church, there is no differing of opinion. Through the Holy Spirit, all members confess that they are a sinner who has disobeyed God’s Law and is worthy of His condemnation, but who is saved solely by the grace of God and through the sacrifice of Jesus. That is the one true faith.

There is one baptism. Baptism goes beyond the actions of a person. It is an action by God. For that reason, it is what creates faith in the hearts of infants and young children and seals the same faith for adults. There are not Baptist, or Catholic, or Lutheran baptisms, there is God’s baptism that saves.

Finally, there is one God and Father of all. Everyone who shares this one faith also has one Father by whom they were adopted as sons and daughters. One Father who is over all things for the sake of His children. One Father who fills all things with His grace and power. And one Father who has made His dwelling place with His people through His Word.

This is the first way we Find a Way Forward in Christ. We are reminded of the incredible, unalterable unity that we share with Christians across the world. This unity that transcends any differences, but firmly holds onto Jesus as Lord and Savior.

While the Holy Christian Church is unchangeable and its unity will never falter, the same cannot be said about the small “c” church, or individual congregations. We must deal with the fact that we still have our sinful flesh. Our congregation does change and our unity can falter. Disagreements can arise between members

That’s why Paul urges every individual Christian: with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Every church is comprised of sinful people. The longer you are a member, the greater the potential for disrupting the unity. Sooner or later, someone’s going to say something in Bible Class, a Voters meeting, or Women’s Group that will hit you the wrong way. The danger is that you won’t forget it. Every time you see that person, you will think of the remark they made.

Maybe it was a business deal that went sour. As fellow Christians you entered into it with the best of intentions. You wanted to help out one another. But things went wrong. Instead of resolving the matter by seeking or offering forgiveness, you tried to ignore it and it doesn’t go away. There are thousands of variations of the problem: how the unity of a congregation can be destroyed by sin. But remember, we are united by the bond of peace that God Himself has created among us.

The bond of peace brings together like-minded Christians around His Word and leads them to be lowly and gentle, longsuffering or patient, to bear with one another in love. Instead of looking at your fellow Christian with suspicion, or animosity, the Lord wants us to be humble and gentle toward one another. Look for ways to help, to support, and to encourage them. If you can keep the peace by giving in to what someone else wants and that doesn’t violate God’s Word, then by all means swallow your pride and move forward. If someone is lonely or sick or shut in, then show your concern, by making a call, or sending a note, or stopping by for a visit. If a fellow Christian has strayed into a sin, then go privately and talk to them about it in a caring and loving way. This love, this concern and consideration for our Christian brothers and sisters, is our bond of peace. It is what holds our congregation together.

Finding a Way Forward in Christ. It isn’t easy to do because we are so different from each other. Personalities will clash and opinions will strike a nerve. But God doesn’t leave us to our own devices. He gives us a blueprint to find that bond of peace that we so desperately need:

 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Speaking the truth in love is easier said than done. How excited do you get to tell your brother or sister their sin and that they should repent? Not very? Me either. It is a difficult thing to chastise someone; we see that especially in parenting. And yet, it can be the most loving thing we do for that person. Reaching out to them about their sin, but not leaving them out to dry. Reminding them of the great love Jesus had for them and you, that He died to pay for those sins. When we seek God’s forgiveness, He is overjoyed to forgive in abundance. Building each other up in the love of God and His grace, is a surefire way to strengthen the unity God calls us to have.

Have you heard the saying; iron sharpens iron? Well, it is actually from the Bible, Proverbs 27. The point behind that proverb is that two people should continue to shape and strengthen one another through their interactions. If there were no benefits to a congregation, God would have warned us in Scripture to not gather together. Instead, He says the opposite. He encourages us to come together in a unity of faith despite our sinfulness that tries to get in the way. The person sitting next to you, across from you, behind you, they are the iron that is to sharpen you and your unity together in faith.

Will there be clashes at times? Yes, that is inevitable. Nevertheless, we remember to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

You want to find a path forward through this divisive and tumultuous world? You have it right here. Joined together in one faith under one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.