Our Manner: Walking Worthy
In Ephesians 4:1 we read both that the Church has both calling and a manner in which she carries out this calling.
Similarly, Jesus had a calling: to reconcile humanity to God. And He also had a manner: He taught in synagogues, proclaimed the gospel, healed the sick, and ultimately humbled Himself to death on a cross before ascending in triumph (Matthew 4:18-23). Jesus had both a calling and a manner in which he fulfilled his calling. In the same way, our calling includes not only what we do, but how we do it.
In verses 2–7, Paul outlines the manner in which we as Christians are to fulfill our calling: with humility, gentleness, patience, and love toward the saints. We are to be diligent in maintaining unity through the bond of peace, because we are one Church, united in one body (Jesus’s body), one Spirit, and one God. Our unity isn’t something we manufacture—it’s something we preserve. God has already made us one. We are simply called to live like it’s true.
Equipping and Building Up
A few verses later, Paul writes that the Lord God gave to this unified church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for two reasons:
For equipping the saints for work of ministry
For building up of the body of Christ
This is not a redundancy but an emphasis on our calling and the manner in which we do it. Paul says it quite plainly: The Church is to equip the saints by building up the body. The implication is that if the body of Christ is built up, then we can do what God has called us to do, which is our proclamation mission. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that we are ministers of reconciliation—our calling is to proclaim reconciliation with God.
At the same time, we are called to build one another up in faith. This is what discipleship or spiritual formation looks like. When Paul writes that we are to be humble, gentle, and patient with one another, he clarifies that this is for the equipping of the saints and the building up of Christ’s body. We have both a calling and a manner of treating each other that enables us to fulfill this calling. We must grow up and go out.
We’re a Body—We Grow Together
This is where Paul’s analogy of the body becomes especially relevant. He compares the Church to a body (Eph. 4:15–16), which is both beautiful and practical.
For example, if you break your arm, you don’t ignore it—you focus on healing it. You go to the doctor. You get it set. You follow it up with physical therapy because when your arm is broken, you can’t do what you need to do.
Similarly, when one part of the Church hurts or has need (whether physical or otherwise), the whole Church is affected. That’s why we’re called to:
Be patient with one another
Bear with one another in love
Speak the truth in love
Grow up together in every way into Christ
Healing and growth take time. And they require community. It’s as if Paul is saying to the Church: You have a ministry. You have purpose. And it’s going to take all of you to get it done. And you’re all going to have to be healthy and functioning. You need to be healthy, and you need to help others be healthy. Be patient with the “broken bones”. Be patient with the healing of others. Be patient and forbearing.
Not Health for Health’s Sake / Spiritual Growth Isn’t Optional
Still, our goal isn’t simply to be a healthy church for its own sake. We don’t walk in love and godliness for the sake of love and godliness. We have a purpose: to live out the calling to which we’ve been called. This calling is articulated throughout the New Testament:
Make disciples (Matt. 28)
Be fishers of men (Matt. 4:19)
Proclaim His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9)
Be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5)
Make known the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10)
These passages point to a calling that includes both conversion and growth—evangelism and discipleship. We are called to walk in a manner worthy of that mission.
As John Piper writes:
“Worship is the goal and the fuel of missions.”
We serve others because we already worship.
We do missions so that others might worship.
Worship, then, is both the reason and the result of our Kingdom work.
Growing in Maturity
But how do we live that out? How do we become a people shaped by worship, ready to make disciples, proclaim God’s excellencies, and reflect Christ?
Paul gives us the answer in verse 14: we must mature in faith and godliness.
Think of the animated film Mulan. Mulan joins the army in her father’s place, eager but untrained. At first, she fails at everything—running, fighting, archery. But under the captain’s guidance, she and her fellow recruits are trained, strengthened, and transformed. The famous training song says it all: “Mister, I’ll make a man out of you.” Mulan was eager. She was willing. She was an official member of the army, with a uniform and everything. But she was unskilled, and immature in the things of the military. And the army expected that! That’s why they had boot camp. It was the goal of boot camp for the trained and skilled military leaders to come alongside and “make a man,” make a soldier, out of the recruits.
This is the Church’s role, too. When someone becomes a believer, they are brought to new life, but that’s just the beginning. Yes, now they are a Christian, but no, they are not necessarily ready and able to go and make disciples. Spiritual formation is like bootcamp—it takes time and direction. For this reason, Paul refers to some believers as “children” and others as “mature.” Maturity is the goal.
A mature Church, Paul says in verse 13, will have:
Unity in faith and knowledge of God
Maturity
The fullness of Christ
This matters because spiritual immaturity leaves us vulnerable. Paul writes that immature believers are like children tossed by waves—by false doctrine, human cunning, and deceitful schemes (v.14).
Ephesus was a port city, and the Ephesians knew the dangers of the sea. Paul uses this metaphor on purpose. It’s a vivid image. That phrase “tossed to and fro” evokes danger. A child alone in the ocean. Waves crashing. Pulled under by currents. That’s what it’s like to stay spiritually immature: vulnerable to false teaching, deception, and confusion
But Paul doesn’t leave us there. The way out is to be unified, and mature, reaching toward the fullness of Christ together.
Paul says Christians are to help each other grow in godliness, which means Christians are to mature both in their faith and in their behavior toward each other.
Which is why Paul gives us some direction on how to do that with Eph. 4:15-16 which say:
“We will speak the truth in love. We will grow in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work (ya gotta do it), it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
You Matter in This Body
You are not just a passenger in the Church—you are a part of the body.
You are needed.
Your spiritual health matters. Your maturity matters. And your unique gifts matter. You are not just being discipled for your own sake. You are being discipled for the sake of others, so that the Church might be built up, and so the world might see and know Jesus.
You have a calling:
“To equip the Church and proclaim the gospel—so that the world may worship the one, true, and living God.”
And a manner of living worthy of that calling.
Postscript: Gossip the Gospel
The word evangelism comes from the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news.” That’s also where we get the word gossip.
So in a way, evangelism is just gossiping the gospel.
We’re not all preachers. But we can all share a story. Talk about what Jesus has done in your life. Mention Him in everyday conversations. Share the good news (in a manner worthy of the gospel).
Because it’s just too good to keep to yourself.