One Spirit

Text: Ephesians 2:13-22; 4:4-6

I.    Introduction

A.  Belonging

1.    DNA research has revolutionized one’s search for ancestry. Many, who once had no hope of discovering their biological roots are now turning to DNA services.

2.    In 2019 a documentary called The Missing Piece explored the reunion of two Korean born sisters who had never met because they didn’t know the other one existed.[1]

3.    All of us long to belong, but even in the church we can struggle to feel like we do.

B.  Background

1.    Paul begins this section of Ephesians by revisiting and more specifically addressing the blessings of being in Christ.

a.    He concentrates on their past lives lived in sin and away from God.

b.    He then turns and expresses how great God’s mercy was towards them in the giving of Jesus to make a relationship with God possible.

c.    In verses 11-12, Paul addresses the Gentile brethren particularly. They were strangers to the covenantal protections of God’s people.

2.    In our passage today, Paul then addresses how they were “brought near.”

3.    F.F. Bruce titles these two sections “Their Former Plight” and “Their Current Access.”[2]

II.            One Spirit

A.  Newness

1.    Being in Christ brings a lot of changes in our lives.

a.    New (v 13)

b.    New (v 14)

c.    New (v 15)

d.    New (v 16-19)

2.    As a Christian, you have the blessings of :

a.   

b.   

c.   

3.    The Spirit is the connection point of all these new blessings (v 18).

a.    This is because they are now identified through the seal of the Spirit, which guarantees (Ephesians 1:13-14) the blessings described earlier in Ephesians 1:3-12.

b.    Paul writes of the seal of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, and Romans 8:16.

4.    In essence, Paul is reminding the church at Ephesus that those who are in Christ .

B.  New (v 20-22)

1.    The church is not just a family, community, or place of like-mindedness; it is the place where God now in the Spirit.

2.    As God had dwelt in the Tabernacle and Temple by His Spirit, He now dwells in the church.[4]

a.    Exodus 40:34

b.    1 Kings 8:11

c.    John 14:15-17

d.    1 Corinthians 3:16-17

3.    This place is founded upon the teachings of both the prophets (NT) and the apostles (NT) with Christ as the cornerstone, determining the beginning point and direction of the church.[5]

4.    As each of us is added to this building, we contribute to the stability and strength of God’s house (Ephesians 4:16).

6.    “What is God doing in the world in the interval between resurrection and Parousia (the second coming)? According to Paul, God is at work through the Spirit to create communities that prefigure and embody the reconciliation and healing of the world. The fruit of God’s love is the formation of communities that confess, worship, and pray together in a way that glorifies God.”[6]

C.  in the Spirit

1.    Most people want to be different, to stand out in some way (e.g., popularity, fame, etc.).

2.    In Christ, we are called to an ambiguity of sorts. We are called to constantly and back to Christ, not ourselves.

a.    One Spirit calls us to unity in the of one another (one man)- Be a people who seek to add others to the dwelling place of God.

b.    One Spirit calls us to unity in the of our existence (one purpose), which is to be the of God on earth (we are His workmanship).

III.         Conclusion

A.  Spiritual DNA

B.  Invitation