The Blessed Effects of God’s Saving Grace (4:1–6:20)
Paul’s letters tend to divide into two fairly equal parts: the first half of the letter being a doctrinal portion and the second half a practical section. Practical is to be understood in the sense of an application of the doctrine to the everyday life of the reader.
This pattern can be observed also in the letter to the Ephesians. The first three chapters have dealt with the great things God has done for us in Christ. Through Christ’s redemptive work the Christian church was established. In that church both Jews and Gentiles, by God’s amazing grace, are welcome as equals and “are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (2:22). The concluding three chapters deal, then, with the Christian’s response to God’s grace. How does God want Christians to conduct themselves? The answer, of course, is with a life of holiness.
A life of holiness
Paul gives some fairly pointed advice for living a holy life, which can be summed up under three major headings. Holiness of life is to show itself in
1. Unity among believers (4:1-16)
2. Living a pure life (4:17–5:20)
3. Assuming responsibility in keeping with our Christian status in life (5:21–6:9)
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Paul reminds us that he is God’s ambassador, commissioned to preach the gospel. He has carried out this task to the extent of being arrested and imprisoned for his efforts. But even being a prisoner doesn’t stop him from helping his beloved Ephesians. As their spiritual father and mentor, Paul wants to see a balance between their Christian calling and their daily conduct.
The Ephesians didn’t bring themselves to faith. They didn’t by themselves find access to the Christian church. No, they were “called” by God’s grace. In his love God sent them his Holy Spirit through the gospel Paul preached. The Holy Spirit, who calls, gathers, and enlightens people, brought them in. When they were “dead in . . . transgressions and sins” (2:1), the Spirit gave them life—a new life with grand possibilities. Because the Ephesians have this new life in Christ, Paul can expect a proper response from them when he says, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
What kind of life does Paul—or, rather, God—expect? Paul lists four qualities, divided into two pairs.
First Paul says, “Be completely humble and gentle.” The realization of their own unworthiness before God would humble them, and in that spirit of humility, they are to be gentle toward others. These two are internal qualities, characteristics that the Ephesians bring to the scene.
The next two qualities involve irritations and aggravations from others. Here Paul urges, “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” The key to having patience and putting up with others is love. Again, the Greek word used here is that one-way love that doesn’t look for anything in return. It simply reflects to others the undeserved one-way love we have received from a gracious God (see 4:32; also Colossians 3:12-14, especially verse 13).
Why should the Ephesians put themselves out for irksome and irritating brothers? Paul points out that there is a great deal at stake. He urges, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Nothing less than “the unity of the Spirit” is at stake. When Paul speaks of the unity of the Spirit, we need to be very clear that this is a unity the Holy Spirit has accomplished. It is the unity that exists in the holy Christian church, into which the Holy Spirit has brought all believers in Christ. It is not something dependent on us or something we create by our right actions and conduct. It does not come about because we “make every effort to keep the unity.” Rather, Paul cautions us not to spoil the Holy Spirit’s good work by our own actions and lose the unity he establishes by disrupting the peace with petty quarrels and inconsiderate actions.