“ONE Faith”
Ephesians 4:7-16
Sermon Series: ONE
Introduction: Does doctrine matter? Does it really matter what we believe? If we are supposed to have unity, does that mean unity at all costs, including the truth? Should we just agree to disagree or should we just abandon our beliefs? Or, if not, what beliefs are we to unite around?
Outline of Ephesians 4:7-16
1. The Foundation For Building A Church-The Work Of Christ (v. 7-10)
A. His coming to earth
B. His glorious triumph through His death and resurrection
C. His majestic ascension
D. His present reign
E. The bestowing of His marvelous grace upon us
F. The giving of spiritual gifts through His grace
The commissioning of spiritual leaders
2. The Means Of Building A Church (v. 11-12, 16)
Gifted leaders equipping the body.
Evangelists (“obstetricians”)
Pastor-teachers (“pediatricians”)
The members of the body using the gifts that Christ gave them to minister to one another (1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 12).
Everyone is to work together and fulfill his or her role (v. 16).
3. The Characteristics Of A Properly Built Church (v. 13-16)
There is a unity of the faith.
There is an intimate, personal, experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ.
There is spiritual maturity.
There is a reflection of Jesus Christ.
There is spiritual discernment.
There is speaking the truth in love.
There is the growth of the body.
What is the faith?
According to Jude 3-4, the nature of the faith is:
1. It is clearly defined. It is “the faith.” This refutes liberalism. This does not refer to believing in something but the faith is the basic core of Christian doctrine that is clearly revealed in the New Testament. It is not what we choose to believe but what God tells us to believe through the Apostles (Acts 2:42). The basics of the faith are: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons who are the one God, co-equal and co-eternal; Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, was bodily raised from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is someday literally coming back to earth; the Bible is the Word of God, inspired, inerrant, and infallible; and salvation is by grace through faith alone. Really, it is the things that are connected to the gospel. Paul told the church at Philippi to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). 1 Corinthians 15:3 teaches us that the gospel is of first priority. That is what we are to unite around. Jude 4 even strongly implies that false religions pervert the person and work of Jesus Christ and deny the grace of God.
2. It is totally exclusive. That is reflected in the fact that it is “the faith.” In fact, it is the one and only faith that is real and true. This is the faith while all competing belief systems are satanic deceptions. This refutes pluralism.
3. It is permanently settled. It is “once for all” delivered to the saints. This refutes modernism and relativism. It is not up for discussion or debate. It does not change with the times but is the unchanging truth of God.
4. It is divinely revealed. It is “delivered to the saints.” By whom? By God the Holy Spirit. Man did not create of invent it, but it was given to him by God. Therefore, we are stewards who are to guard this treasure that was given to us by God. It is not to be tampered with. This refutes humanism.
5. It is subtly attacked. This is what verse 4 teaches us, and this is why we must contend for it. There is no need to defend something that is not being attacked.
What happens when people deny the faith?
1. It sometimes leads to legalism (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
2. Or, it leads to licentiousness (where people use a perverted notion of love and grace to live however they want to live) [Jude 4, Titus 1:10-16].
What should we do with this teaching?
1. Make sure we know Jesus.
2. Make sure our doctrine is sound.
3. Be willing to die for “the faith,” but know which hills to die on and where to agree to disagree.
4. Separate from those who profess to be Christians and deny the faith (Romans 16:17-18). Share Jesus with those who do not know Him.
