What is the meaning of Ephesians 4:3? With diligence • Paul urges purposeful exertion: “Make every effort” (Ephesians 4:3). Living faith is never passive (compare 2 Peter 1:5, “make every effort to add to your faith virtue,”). • Diligence guards against indifference. Proverbs 4:23 reminds, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life”. • Such focused zeal honors the Lord who “gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:14). We work hard because Christ worked completely. To preserve • The call is not to create unity but to keep what the Spirit already established. “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20) pictures the same careful stewardship. • Preservation implies watchfulness. Jesus warned His disciples, “Stay awake and pray” (Matthew 26:41). Unity erodes when vigilance fades. • Practical steps: – Quickly address offenses (Matthew 5:24). – Refuse gossip (Proverbs 16:28). – Step toward reconciliation (Romans 12:18). The unity of the Spirit • Believers are “baptized into one body” by “one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Unity is a gift rooted in our shared new birth. • Jesus prayed, “that they may be one as We are one” (John 17:22–23), linking our unity to His own relationship with the Father. • This unity transcends background, status, and culture (Galatians 3:28). We stand shoulder to shoulder as redeemed people, not rivals. Through the bond of peace • Peace is the ligature holding unity together. Colossians 3:14–15 calls love “the bond of perfect unity” while urging, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts”. • Christ Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). When His calm authority governs us, relational fractures heal. • Pursue peace actively: – Speak words that build up (Ephesians 4:29). – Choose gentleness over retaliation (James 3:17–18). – Seek mutual edification (Romans 14:19). • Peace is not mere absence of conflict; it is the presence of Christ-shaped harmony that tightens the cords of fellowship. summary Ephesians 4:3 calls every believer to a vigorous, ongoing commitment: work hard to safeguard the Spirit-given unity of Christ’s body by living in peace with one another. Diligence keeps us alert, preservation keeps us faithful, the Spirit’s unity keeps us humble, and the peace of Christ keeps us bound together in love. |
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