"In whom also you having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also have believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, "1
Now we see and establish core elements of the mystery of Christ; hearing the Word, believing the Word, and Receiving. This Receiving can be spoken of as receiving new birth, eternal life, forgiveness, redemption, and the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of inheritance. We are adopted, into the family of God, and sealed by the Spirit of God. The eternal purpose being, this fellowship with God and the manifestation of His glory through his family, His Church. Now this word for word is logos, and it deserves close attention. It is from lego which means to lay down, properly, to say (speak), moving to a conclusion (bringing it to closure, "laying it to rest"). It is a broad term meaning "reasoning expressed by words." This fits perfectly with a meaning of faith, to be persuaded, come to trust. It is by faith we are to walk, indeed, "for by faith we walk, not by sight."4 Grounded and established in Love we want to walk worthy of his name, I am his child.
Now some would say that the gospel is all of scriptures, this mystery was hidden since the beginning. And God chose by his eternal wisdom to reveal it through Jesus, for by God's grace are you saved through faith in Jesus. Through Jesus, God gives grace, he adopts, empowers and seals. He gives abundant life. This is good news, glad tidings, the gospel. This understanding of the mystery is important as we try to understand how we are to walk worthy. To do so we look more at this faith and word, and then at our calling. Having heard the word of truth, "The word is preeminently used of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit."3 Not only is Jesus the sacrificial Lamb of God but He is the Word of God.4 This Word created all things in the beginning.5 He is the author of faith.6 Faith instilled by the Word in our inner being when we believe, and as a guarantee of His inheritance as his child we are sealed with his Spirit, as promised by Jesus, the Holy Spirit he would send, not leaving them as orphans.6
We come to believe, have faith in Jesus and are brought into this new covenant with God, established by grace through faith. For by grace, God's great love for us, he sent his only begotten, to be our savior, and through faith when we believe, trust, look into Jesus whom God lifted up, we are saved. Jesus is the author and finisher and everything in between, so we are to fix our eyes on Jesus.7 It is important that we build on this foundation, For by grace are you saved through faith.
Now as we understand these core principles or foundation principles, faith, hope, and love, we are to walk worthy to our calling. How are we to walk? "with all lowliness, gentleness, long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Having been established and grounded in love, walk accordingly. Now we see this fruit of the Spirit mentioned elsewhere, these are the same attributes of love, attributes of God, God is love. Paul writes love is the greatest gift to be desired of all gifts.12 We can compare these attributes of the Spirit with the attributes of love; Love is not boastful but lowly, is kind and gentle, suffers long and is patient, it is not envious but bearing, not in disunity (unseemly, puffed up, seeking its own, easily provoked, keeping account of wrong) but in unity, rejoicing in truth. The words of Jesus speak of the greater commandants to love God and to love others, and gives us an example of such and a new commandment to do so. His words say by our unity others will know he is begotten of the Father and by our love we are his disciples.
Paul writes that through our love for one another and by our unity we are endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This word for bond is sýndesmos (from sun and deo; to bind with, be a fellow-prisoner, be bound with); properly a bond, a close identity which produces close harmony between members joined closely together. Paul mentions he is a prisoner of the Lord, he writes this from prison, its experiential.14 This is the way we are to think of this unity or oneness in His Church, being bound with a fellow prisoner. We see why the persecuted church has such unity, we are told to pray for them as if bound together with them. This oneness or fellowship is an element of the new covenant Church and its eternal purpose, where we have this fellowship with the Father. Anything endeavoring to break this unity in the core principles is not walking worthy in the Spirit of God.
Now some would say that the gospel is all of scriptures, this mystery was hidden since the beginning. And God chose by his eternal wisdom to reveal it through Jesus, for by God's grace are you saved through faith in Jesus. Through Jesus, God gives grace, he adopts, empowers and seals. He gives abundant life. This is good news, glad tidings, the gospel. This understanding of the mystery is important as we try to understand how we are to walk worthy. To do so we look more at this faith and word, and then at our calling. Having heard the word of truth, "The word is preeminently used of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit."3 Not only is Jesus the sacrificial Lamb of God but He is the Word of God.4 This Word created all things in the beginning.5 He is the author of faith.6 Faith instilled by the Word in our inner being when we believe, and as a guarantee of His inheritance as his child we are sealed with his Spirit, as promised by Jesus, the Holy Spirit he would send, not leaving them as orphans.6
We come to believe, have faith in Jesus and are brought into this new covenant with God, established by grace through faith. For by grace, God's great love for us, he sent his only begotten, to be our savior, and through faith when we believe, trust, look into Jesus whom God lifted up, we are saved. Jesus is the author and finisher and everything in between, so we are to fix our eyes on Jesus.7 It is important that we build on this foundation, For by grace are you saved through faith.
When we look clearly into the truth, these three will remain; Faith, Hope, and Love.8 Our hope is in Christ.10 We hope in him "that according to the riches of his glory" he grants us to be "strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being."11 The hope is in him, a reliance on him that he will deliver, we trust in his promises. Our faith helps us to be established, rooted, and grounded in His love.9 For by grace and through Jesus we have a new testament, "In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him."11 This strengthening helps us to comprehend and to know the dimensions of his love, "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." This love fills us with His fullness, it is the greatest of these; faith, hope, and love.8
Now as we understand these core principles or foundation principles, faith, hope, and love, we are to walk worthy to our calling. How are we to walk? "with all lowliness, gentleness, long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Having been established and grounded in love, walk accordingly. Now we see this fruit of the Spirit mentioned elsewhere, these are the same attributes of love, attributes of God, God is love. Paul writes love is the greatest gift to be desired of all gifts.12 We can compare these attributes of the Spirit with the attributes of love; Love is not boastful but lowly, is kind and gentle, suffers long and is patient, it is not envious but bearing, not in disunity (unseemly, puffed up, seeking its own, easily provoked, keeping account of wrong) but in unity, rejoicing in truth. The words of Jesus speak of the greater commandants to love God and to love others, and gives us an example of such and a new commandment to do so. His words say by our unity others will know he is begotten of the Father and by our love we are his disciples.
Paul writes that through our love for one another and by our unity we are endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This word for bond is sýndesmos (from sun and deo; to bind with, be a fellow-prisoner, be bound with); properly a bond, a close identity which produces close harmony between members joined closely together. Paul mentions he is a prisoner of the Lord, he writes this from prison, its experiential.14 This is the way we are to think of this unity or oneness in His Church, being bound with a fellow prisoner. We see why the persecuted church has such unity, we are told to pray for them as if bound together with them. This oneness or fellowship is an element of the new covenant Church and its eternal purpose, where we have this fellowship with the Father. Anything endeavoring to break this unity in the core principles is not walking worthy in the Spirit of God.
We are to be endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."15