Ephesians 4

From the first and last verses in this chapter it is clear that Paul believes the Ephesians (and by extension, us) should now be marked by certain behaviors, since they have been saved by grace. He implores them, "Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love" (vv 1-2); and, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (vs 32).

What if we were a community of students marked by these behaviors?! Imagine if we were all so aware of the precious gift of grace which God has given to us in his son, Jesus, that in turn all that spilled out of us was love and affection for one another! Wouldn't unsaved students be shocked (and a little curious) if they saw us acting this way? (Actually I think a lot saved students would be shocked by a group of students who acted this way.) But friends, this is what we have been called to.

So let me challenge you in two ways:

Number one, be a fellowship of believers who knows the gospel well. I don't just mean head knowledge, I mean know it in the sense that you have experienced God's grace in your heart and now you can't hold it in.

And number two, be a fellowship of believers who can't hold it in! I'm not talking about an overactive bladder, I'm talking about the kind of fellowship Paul described in this chapter. Be known by the community we live in as a group of students who are so filled with the love of Christ that anyone who comes across your path will experience that same love.