When Paul wrote Ephesians 4:1–6, he gave the church a challenge that is just as relevant today: “Walk worthy of the calling you have received.” But what does that actually mean? And how can we live it out in a world full of division, disagreement, and distraction?
Walking Worthy Means Living Like Christ
The word “walk” isn’t just about your steps—it’s your lifestyle, your daily decisions, your interactions with others. And “worthy” doesn’t mean you deserve God’s love; it means your life should match the calling God has already given you. That calling includes salvation, adoption into God’s family, and being part of the body of Christ.
In practical terms, walking worthy looks like:
- Humility: not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought
- Gentleness: strength under control
- Patience: bearing with one another
- Love: enduring even when others frustrate you
- Unity: making every effort to maintain the bond that Christ has already given
Paul isn’t asking us to manufacture unity from scratch; he’s reminding us that the Spirit has already done the hard work. Our responsibility is to maintain it, and we do that through what he calls the “bond of peace.”
The Bond of Peace
Peace here isn’t just feeling calm or avoiding conflict. It’s gospel peace, the kind Christ secured on the cross (Ephesians 2:14–18). It’s the reconciliation that binds Jew and Gentile, sinner and saint, together in one body. Think of it like the ligaments in your body—without them, everything falls apart. The “bond of peace” holds the church together.
Living in that peace means we don’t ignore conflict—we reconcile quickly, forgive freely, and love sacrificially. In other words, our unity flows from Christ’s work, not our feelings.
The Seven “Ones” That Make Unity Possible
Paul then grounds this unity in seven unshakeable realities. These are not abstract ideas—they are the foundation of the church and the practical strands that hold us together:
- One Body – All believers united in Christ. Unity isn’t optional; we belong to each other.
- One Spirit – The Holy Spirit indwells every believer. We depend on Him, not our own strength, for unity.
- One Hope – Resurrection and eternal life. This shared hope keeps us moving forward, even in conflict.
- One Lord – Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Submitting to Him protects us from pride and division.
- One Faith – Salvation by grace through faith. Secondary differences may exist, but the gospel is non-negotiable.
- One Baptism – Spirit baptism into Christ, expressed in water baptism. This marks every believer as part of the same body.
- One God and Father – Over all, through all, and in all. Sharing the same Father reminds us to treat each other like family.
Each “one” is a thread in the rope of unity. Alone, each thread is strong, but together, they hold the church tightly in Christ.
Why This Matters Today
Walking worthy of your calling isn’t about perfection—it’s about faithful, Christlike living in the midst of real people, real differences, and real challenges. Unity doesn’t happen because everyone thinks the same or behaves the same. Unity happens because we all share the same Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and Father.
When your church, small group, or even your family reflects these “ones,” the world sees Jesus at work. That’s exactly what He prayed for in John 17: that His followers would be one, just as He and the Father are one.
A Prayer for Unity
“Father, thank You for binding us together in Christ. Help us to live as one body, filled with one Spirit, clinging to one hope, under one Lord, holding one faith, marked by one baptism, and loved by one Father. Amen.”
Steven Bradshaw 
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