Ephesians 4, Philippians 1-4

Through the New Testament Reading - Philippians 1-4

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 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. 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.

Ephesians 4:15-16
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Day 5 – My Personal Response to Ephesians 4

I was reminded last night of my commitment last week to seek reconciliation with a former acquaintance with which I've fallen out. I haven't done it. I forgot.

(the rest of this portion of my journal is inappropriate for public display. sorry.)

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We are "we".

I do a lot of studying, and I read or listen to a lot of (parts of) sermons. This is part of my job, as I prepare every week to preach. A few times a week I find myself judging the writers of the sermons I read, or judging Christians generally as I learn more about how the Bible describes the true Christian life. The irony is not lost on me as thoughts along the lines of, "I sure am glad I'm not self-righteous like some of those other Christians" pass through my mind. I repent every time, and ask God to change me, and remove that judmentalism from my own heart.

In my best moments, I remember that we are "we". In the body of Christ, there is no "us" and "them". If Christians are judgmental, "we" are judgmental. If we are not following Jesus as he taught us, "we" are wrong. The Lord's prayer says, "forgive us our sins". When I pray this in solidarity with all my brothers and sisters around the world, it gives me pause. We are a body. If my finely tuned bs-o-meter is catching wind of trouble in the body, that is an occasion for me to pray on behalf of that member, or humbly and graciously seek to help them follow Jesus more truly. If I see all of my brothers and sisters as essential members of this same body, I must reach out in an attitude of grace. Judgment simply cuts me off from the body, rendering me as useless as a disembodied hand.

So I will continue to watch my pronouns. In my heart and in my speech, I want to remember that both the brother I see on television and the sister I see feeding refugees across the world are both "we". I will pray for both, and seek God's healing for our broken body.