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"In Christ" expresses our doctrinal position.
"In the Lord" indicates our practical relationship.
I may address a fellow believer as a dear brother "in Christ" far more freely than I can
call him a brother "in the Lord". This distinction must be remembered when applying the
teaching of I Cor. 7: 39:--
"She is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only IN THE LORD."
This limitation means much more than that marriage should not be contemplated as
between a saved and an unsaved person. Many an unhappy and profitless marriage has
been contracted by two children of God. The trouble has arisen from the fact that though
they have both been one "in Christ", they have not been one "in the Lord". They did not
seek the same thing, they did not believe or practice the same thing. Their callings may
have differed, and division and bitterness have often been the result. The apostle was a
prisoner not only of Christ Jesus, but of the Lord. As such he could exhort those who
recognized the same Lord to walk worthy of their calling, and later, exhort them to
consider his own walk as a pattern.
The theme of chapter 4: may be discovered by noticing the way in which the apostle
returns to his subject. First he speaks of the walk positively, as worthy of the calling,
with all humility of mind. Then, after a long digression concerning the unity of the
Spirit, he returns to the walk, this time speaking negatively--not as Gentiles, in the
vanity of their mind. This again is followed by teaching concerning the new man. It will
be more apparent if set out thus:--
Eph. 4: 1-32.
A |
1, 2. The walk, positively. Humility of mind.
B
| 3-16. The One Body.
A |
17-19. The walk, negatively. Vanity of mind.
B
| 20-32. The New Man.
This division of the subject brings to light an important truth. By omitting the
parenthesis of 3: 2-13 we realize that the Church of the One Body is the temple of the
Lord. This prayer is in direct contact with the apostle's "I therefore" of 4: 1, and links
the One Body on to the Temple, indicating that the body aspect is the outward (and
perhaps only temporal) manifestation of the real and lasting temple character.
Now, we see further by the analysis of chapter 4: that the One Body is also a
reflection of the New Man. This is confirmed by a reference back to chapter 2: 15, "For
to create in Himself of twain one new man". No doctrine of Scripture is isolated. All is
part of the great purpose of the ages. While we must ever seek rightly to divide the Word
of truth, we must remember that within the dispensational section to which we belong our
faith is one, our hope is one, our Lord is one.
The walk of the believer appears to be presented as having a threefold relationship in
the opening exhortation.