[Sunday, June 15, 2025] The Hope of His Calling | Ephesians 4:1-6
[English Sermon 영어 설교]
Sunday, June 15, 2025 - Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn
The Hope of His Calling (Ephesians 4:1-6)
2025. 6. 15. 주일예배 설교- 에베소서 강해 13
본문: 에베소서 4:1-6
제목: 부르심의 소망
설교자: 손진국 목사
In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul mentioned the blessings bestowed on believers through the triune God: God choosing us, Christ redeeming us, and the Holy Spirit sealing us as a guarantee of salvation. In chapter 2, he proclaimed that Gentiles, who were spiritually dead in their transgressions and sins, received salvation through God's grace, and a new community of faith, the church, came into being, with both Jews and Gentiles becoming members of the body with Christ as the head. In chapter 3, Paul revealed two mysteries he understood through revelation: that salvation in Christ was extended to Gentiles, and that the church is part of God's grand plan to unite all things in Christ.
In chapter 4, Apostle Paul discusses practical matters of how believers, who have understood the great role of the church in God's salvation work, should live in their daily lives.
The main theme of today's passage, verses 1-4, is the unity of the church. This is the hope of our calling. What is needed for the church to be united?
1. Live a Life Worthy of the Calling
[Ephesians 4:1] As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
All of us, like Paul, have received a call from God, and we have a responsibility to live in a way that is worthy of that calling. So, why did He call us? [Ephesians 1:4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love The verse that says He called us to be holy and blameless before God means that God called us to transform us and enable us to live as His people.
So, what does it mean to live a life worthy of the calling? [Ephesians 4:2-3] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Making every effort to keep the unity that the Spirit has given is the appropriate attitude for called believers. Jesus did not say, "Become the salt of the earth" in the Sermon on the Mount, but "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). Similarly, it should be noted that Paul did not say "in order to be one," but "what the Spirit has made one." Jesus broke down the barrier between Gentiles and Jews and created them anew as one body. Unity has already been achieved in Jesus Christ.
"Make every effort" is a present imperative. It means to constantly strive and exert effort. Keeping the unity that has already been given does not happen automatically; it requires significant and continuous effort, labor, and sacrifice.
Those who have received the Lord's call and are bound to Him have already been made one by the Holy Spirit. Also, the Spirit enables us to keep the unity He has brought.
Just like all churches in the world, the Ephesian church must have had diverse types of people. Therefore, Paul is telling them to make every effort to keep the unity that has been given to them in Christ.
What does it look like to diligently maintain unity within the church? There would be various ways. Praying together with common prayer topics is one such way, and praying together for the difficulties and problems faced by church members is another. Also, preparing together and participating together for church services or events would be another. And diligently gathering with cell group members and having strong relationships is also the same.
[Application] Am I living a life worthy of my calling? Do conflicts and problems arise where I am, or is there harmony and joy?
2. Attitude required to fulfill the Hope of the Calling
[Ephesians 4:2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Here in verse 2, four attitudes to fulfilling the hope of the calling are presented.
(1) Humility
Paul places humility first as a life worthy of the calling. The Greek word for humility, tapeinōphrosynē, meaning to press down or oppress, was a shameful and contemptible word at the time, only associated with low and lowly people like servants. However, after Jesus Himself humbled Himself, it became an attitude that all believers should adopt. Humility is an attitude of acknowledging one's shortcomings, sinfulness, and limitations before God. Humility is also an attitude of regarding others as better than oneself in interpersonal relationships.
Paul finds the example of humility in Jesus. [Philippians 2:7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Jesus, who is God, becoming human can be said to be the epitome of humility.
Our attitude should not change according to circumstances, but we should be humble always, everywhere, and with everyone. Of course, humility is never easy. Raise your hand if you think, "I am humble." Because the moment you think you are humble, you are no longer humble. It is our tendency to pretend to be humble out of politeness or consideration for others, or to subtly boast about how great we are, and to disregard others through our words or actions. Therefore, to be humble, one must see the good qualities of others and acknowledge and respect their value.
[Application] Look at the person next to you and talk about their strengths and their value in the family and in the church.
(2) Gentleness
'Gentleness' refers to the "state where great power is well-controlled and expressed in a certain direction." Conversely, not being gentle means "acting without restraint, being untamed." God sometimes allows suffering and adversity to refine believers with gentleness. Moses became a gentle person through his wilderness training. True gentleness comes from self-control and virtue.
[1 Corinthians 10:23] “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. Paul says that even if it is right, we should not overly assert ourselves; even if we have power, we should not use it excessively; and even if we have freedom and rights, we should not use them all, but only build up the virtue of Christ.
At that time, there were strong believers who thought it was okay to eat meat offered to idols, and weak believers who thought it was not. Paul was a strong believer, but he said that if his eating meat caused his brother to stumble, he would never eat meat again, showing that he reserved his rights. This is a gentle attitude.
To be gentle, one needs a soft disposition that controls one's emotions and controlled power. The Apostle Paul mentions the virtue of not easily becoming angry and knowing how to control oneself in interpersonal relationships to Timothy: [2 Timothy 2:24] And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
The prophecy [Isaiah 53:7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. was fulfilled through Jesus. Jesus died on the cross in obedience to God's will, but He did not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but showed love to the end.
[Application] Have I ever acted wickedly because I could not control my emotions? Who among those around me is a gentle person, possessing both a gentle disposition and the virtue of self-control?
(3) Patience
Patience means not reacting immediately and waiting and enduring, even when being troubled or unfairly treated by others. Patience was a sign of the grace and love God showed us. If God were to inflict immediate judgment for human sin and transgression, no one would survive on this earth.
[2 Peter 3:9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Just as God has been patient with us, we too must be patient and wait for others.
Among the attributes of love in 1 Corinthians 13, "patience" comes first. "Patience" also appears when mentioning the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,). This means that while it is not easy to be patient by human will, it is possible when guided by the Holy Spirit.
[Application] Do I acknowledge that God has been patient with me? Who is the person that the Holy Spirit is telling me to be patient and wait for?
(4) Forbearance
To bear with one another means to actively embrace and accept the weaknesses and flaws of others in interpersonal relationships. The reason we should bear with others is because the Lord has accepted us and continues to accept us.
God accepted us as we are, not because we met the conditions He desired. When working for God, mistakes happen, and there are times when people's hearts don't align. Even if someone has a different opinion from me, I must have a broad mind and embrace that person. When we understand and bear with each other, most problems are resolved.
[Romans 15:7] Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. This means that when we look out for and encourage each other with a heart that accepts others as they are, conflict disappears, and the church enjoys peace.
[Application] Is there someone I cannot accept or bear with right now? Is there anyone who understands and accepts all my flaws and mistakes?
Humility, gentleness, patience, and loving forbearance are precisely the attitudes that Jesus showed us. To realize unity in a diverse church and live a life worthy of the calling means to imitate Jesus and live a life of practicing love. Believe that the Holy Spirit has bound the church together with the "bond of peace," resolving all conflicts and restoring harmonious relationships.
3. The Essence of the Calling is Unity
Of course, unity does not mean that everyone's consciousness and actions should be uniform and identical. Rather, we must have an internal and spiritual unity. We differ in appearance, personality, hobbies, and preferences. Despite these many differences, we also have many commonalities. We are all sinners before the cross. We need Jesus' salvation and eternal life. Ultimately, we will all stand before God.
Paul emphasizes "unity." This is because the unity of Christians is God's will. Jesus interceded for our unity. According to [John 17:21-22] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—
In today's passage, verses 4-6, Paul explains the basis for the church maintaining unity.
[Ephesians 4:4-6] There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The use of the word "one" seven times signifies that the essence of the calling is unity. "One body" refers to the church formed by Jews and Gentiles becoming one. Paul refers to the church as the "body of Christ" in Ephesians 1:23 and says in chapter 2 that the "two" have become "one body." Just as a person cannot be divided, the church as "one body" cannot be divided.
"One Spirit" indicates that the church, which is "one body," is united with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit seals believers as a guarantee of salvation, opens the way to God, and dwells in the church. We were formerly outside of Christ and without hope in the world, but through the work of the Spirit, we have come to have "one hope." The ultimate hope of believers is found in Ephesians 1:10: to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. That is, to look forward to the completion of salvation.
"One Lord" refers to the Lord who is the head of the church. The church is governed by only one Lord, Jesus Christ. "One faith" indicates that the church is a community of faith that takes only the Lord Jesus Christ as the object of its faith. The church believes in Jesus Christ alone as Savior. This is because God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. "One baptism" indicates that the church is a community of faith formed through a sacred ritual that symbolizes union with Jesus Christ.
"One God" indicates that the church is a community of faith that serves only the true, unique God. God is the one who is over all, through all, and in all. The ultimate goal of God's salvation work, which operates in Christ, is to unite all things, in other words, to make them one. Therefore, the church must set an example of unity.
When building the Tower of Babel, people said, [Genesis 11:4] Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” When humans showed a desire to unite among themselves, God scattered them over the face of the whole earth. We must be one, but Jesus Christ must be at the center.
[Application] In the community, do I strive for unity with other members, or do I strive to stand out more than other members?
I hope that all believers will become those who diligently maintain the unity accomplished by the Lord until He comes, by being humble, gentle, patient, and lovingly forbearing with one another. I pray in the name of the Lord that by the power of the Spirit, all of you will strive to keep the unity given in Jesus Christ in your daily lives, whether at home, at work, at school, or in church, and follow in the footsteps of the Lord's cross.
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.