Ephesians 4 (Part 4)
Dr. Roberto Miranda
(Audio: English)
SUMMARY: The passage from Ephesians 4:11-13 speaks about how God gives his people different gifts and endowments of the spirit to complement each other and allow the church to advance in its mission. These gifts are given to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up and attain unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God. The unity in the faith refers to the uniqueness of belief, harmony, and affinity of confession of things held in belief. The author notes that there is a lack of unity in belief within the evangelical church and worries about a segment that is distancing itself from central doctrines of the faith.
The speaker is concerned about the disunity of belief within the church today and emphasizes the importance of sound doctrine. He believes that what we believe will determine our power, anointing, and nearness to God. He cites the example of the Apostle Paul in Galatians, who passionately confronted a false doctrine being circulated in the church. The speaker also believes that there is a place for honest confrontation and clarity in proclaiming the truth, even as we acknowledge our own brokenness and need for God's grace. He warns against compromising the truth in order to please men, as this is making a pact with the devil. Ultimately, we serve God by declaring His truth, not by pleasing men.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of doctrine and teaching in the church, but also stresses the need for balance with the knowledge of the Son of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. He believes that the church should not compromise the gospel to please people and that the church should be a muscular, conquering image rather than a wimpy church. He warns against becoming pharisaic and rigid with doctrine and instead encourages a deep, personal relationship with Christ that will infuse life and joy into the church. The speaker believes that knowing Christ is crucial for every believer and that it will allow for a shortcut to the center of things in life.
The Christian life is not just about following rules and teaching, but also about love and unity in Christ. When we have Christ in us, we have access to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It is important to have a balance between law and grace, and to seek both the masculine and feminine aspects of Christ in our lives. We should continually seek intimacy with Jesus and allow His energy to renew us. Let us navigate life illuminated by the Holy Spirit and seek to be where God is always.
The speaker is concerned about the disunity of belief within the church today and emphasizes the importance of sound doctrine. He believes that what we believe will determine our power, anointing, and nearness to God. He cites the example of the Apostle Paul in Galatians, who passionately confronted a false doctrine being circulated in the church. The speaker also believes that there is a place for honest confrontation and clarity in proclaiming the truth, even as we acknowledge our own brokenness and need for God's grace. He warns against compromising the truth in order to please men, as this is making a pact with the devil. Ultimately, we serve God by declaring His truth, not by pleasing men.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of doctrine and teaching in the church, but also stresses the need for balance with the knowledge of the Son of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. He believes that the church should not compromise the gospel to please people and that the church should be a muscular, conquering image rather than a wimpy church. He warns against becoming pharisaic and rigid with doctrine and instead encourages a deep, personal relationship with Christ that will infuse life and joy into the church. The speaker believes that knowing Christ is crucial for every believer and that it will allow for a shortcut to the center of things in life.
The Christian life is not just about following rules and teaching, but also about love and unity in Christ. When we have Christ in us, we have access to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It is important to have a balance between law and grace, and to seek both the masculine and feminine aspects of Christ in our lives. We should continually seek intimacy with Jesus and allow His energy to renew us. Let us navigate life illuminated by the Holy Spirit and seek to be where God is always.
Ephesians
Series on Ephesians
10 Ephesians 4
13 Ephesians 4 (Part 4)
17 Ephesians 4:17 Called to live holy
18 Ephesians 5 - A call to purity
19 Ephesians 5 - Slaves and Masters
20 Ephesians 6
Why don’t we go to the word? And I’ve been kind of stuck in a passage that I thought, well it’s going to be about the fourth time that I preach on it, because I’m going through the book of Ephesians, by the way, if you haven’t been here in a while. I think I haven’t preached in two or three weeks because of different situations and we’re going through with a sequence and this passage is so rich in Chapter 4, of Ephesians, that really, I mean, I thought it would be a waste if we skipped over, just in the interest of all saying, well, we’re going ahead.
You know, the scripture is so profound, so multi-layered that you can spend time, as I’ve said before with one passage, and you know, from there go all over the place. I hope to visit other parts of scripture tonight but use this passage as a launching pad to some more diversified kind of readings.
You know, the scripture is so profound, so multi-layered that you can spend time, as I’ve said before with one passage, and you know, from there go all over the place. I hope to visit other parts of scripture tonight but use this passage as a launching pad to some more diversified kind of readings.
