Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 41. Eph 4:30; Col 3:1-4.

Title: Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 41. Eph 4:30; Col 3:1-4.

 

Conditions for the filling of the Spirit.

 

The next instance of scripture concerning the Spirit's ministry in us is also a negative command from Eph 4:30.

 

Chapters 1-3: the privileges of salvation.

Chapters 4-6: the obligations which such privileges put on the saints.

 

Eph 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

 

Christian experience to weigh as much as the believer's position in Christ. The word axios is the antithesis of antinomianism. Who we are in Christ is not to differ from what we live and experience in time.

 

Eph 4:2 with all humility [power under control] and gentleness [not disputing with God], with patience [longsuffering with people], showing forbearance [hold up] to one another in love,

 

Eph 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

The emphasis of walking in a manner worthy of your calling is upon our relation to others in the RFOG.

 

Being diligent, spoudazo, means to make a determined effort.

 

We have a further description of the mutual forbearance which is spoken of in the previous verse.

 

Preserve is the word to keep and it means to guard by exercising watchful care.

 

Only the Spirit can bring unity to a group of Christians in a local church as only those who are spiritual are humble, meek, patient, and forbearing. Yet we who are spiritual still need to be diligent to guard that peace with watchful care. Too often believers have neglected any determined effort towards this end, and in the interest of their own self-will and desire, they have caused division and dissension in the local church.

 

This is the beginning of the context of "do not grieve the Holy Spirit."

 

The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is further enhanced by verses 4-6.

 

Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

 

Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism [baptism of the Spirit that entered every believer into the body of Christ],

 

Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 

Eph 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

 

Though there is to be unity in the body of Christ the individual is not overlooked. Grace is given to each member.

 

He is not here speaking of the charisma or extraordinary powers of the early Church temporary gifts but rather the charis or the grace given to each member.

 

According the measure of Christ's gift sounds on the surface to mean that some received more or less than others, but the measure of Christ's gift is His inheritance as victor in the Angelic Conflict of which ever believer is a co-heir. Our spiritual gifts differ but our position in Him does not. We have each been graced out with more gifts than we could possibly fathom in one lifetime.

 

Eph 4:8 Therefore it says,

"When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."

 

Some believe the captives to be demons and others believe the captives are the OT saints that were temporarily held in Hades. I'm of the second camp.

 

Eph 4:9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?

 

Eph 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

 

Eph 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

 

Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

 

Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

 

Knowledge and faith go hand in hand. The more I know of Christ after salvation, the more I put my faith in.

 

When I believed in Christ as my Savior I did not know much more about Him other than His quality as Savior. But after learning the doctrines of His fulness, which are the sum of the qualities that make Christ who He is, I had more to exercise faith in. So, to the unity of the faith is added the knowledge of the Son of God.

 

The unity amongst the members of the church is based on the knowledge of the Son of God. God the HS reveals Him to each member through the gift of PT. It would be ideal for all to be at maturity but that is impractical. It is the goal of each member to grow to maturity which is when faith is unified with a full knowledge of the Son of God. Knowledge is epignosis which means a full knowledge, or a precise and correct knowledge.

 

And so, we are all to have our minds set on gaining in full knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, while yet realizing that we who are finite will never be able to comprehend all of the infinite perfection of the Savior. It would seem that not even for all eternity could we approach the infinite. Though a head twister, we must press on in what we can know of Him and reach forward to the place where our knowledge and our faith are unified.

 

The HS is your teacher. Do not grieve the HS.

 

Eph 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children [infants], tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming [methodeia - a deliberate planning or system];

 

Eph 4:15 but speaking the truth [aletheuo - truthing it] in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,

 

There is no word for speaking as could be commonly used. "Speaking the truth" is one word in the Greek, aletheuo.

 

"aletheuo" = truthing it! Walking in the truth is qualified by "in love." It is not speaking the truth in all hazards, but a love of truth that is for the edification of others.

 

This begs the question, "What does truth look like without love?" It looks like prideful knowledge that only puffs up. It looks like the person who always wants to state what they know without a care for the edification of others, while self-justifying it as truth. In our modern vernacular, "I'm just being real."

 

1Co 13:2

And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

 

The truth has a purpose and that is to transform us into conformity with the image of Christ. We are commanded to love as He loved. The truth, taught by means of the Holy Spirit, is the only means of getting this mind within us, but to have knowledge without love is only arrogance.