Verses 1-6
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Knowing how much God has done for you, and the great kingdom you've been welcomed into, live appropriately as a citizen of that kingdom. Out of sincere gratitude for being saved, live obediently!
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In so doing, be humble and loving to your fellow believers, and be in peaceful unity with them. How?
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Our common faith is what unites us.
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To be in unity, the Bible never says we need to share the same gender, age, background, interests, hobbies, etc. Don't neglect fellowship with anyone just because you may not share these things.
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Look past the earthly things that make you different, and instead focus on the spiritual things that unite you.
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To be in unity and to love each other, all we need is faith in the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and the doctrine of that faith. Because there is one gospel, we can be one with anyone who follows that gospel with us.
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Verses 7-16
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We are all one body—one church—but we each have a certain grace from God that gives us different roles and gifts in the church.
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Christ distributed these gifts through the outpouring of the Spirit after His ascension to heaven (since the Spirit gives gifts [1 Corinthians 12:11]).
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Of the existing gifts, some correspond to certain roles in the church, and some that are considered leadership-roles. There are five listed here:
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Apostles (see teaching on 2 Corinthians 12 for a description of the role of an apostle).
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Know that apostles can exist today. You did not need to be Paul or one of the twelve apostles to be an apostle (Acts 14:14, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2:6, Revelation 18:20).
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Prophets (believers with the gift of prophecy) – They speak under inspiration of the Spirit to guide a church with instructions, warnings, or insights needed for that time (Acts 11:27-30, 1 Corinthians 14:3).
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Prophets definitely exist today, so don't despise prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Prophets will exist through the end as well (Revelation 11:3, 18:20)
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Evangelists – Believers appointed to lead in preaching the gospel to the lost and winning new converts (see Acts 8). Their work is often with unbelievers and new believers.
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Pastors – Shepherds or elders that oversee/watch over a certain number of believers (to protect them from dangers to their faith), set examples for them to follow, and focus on providing for their individual needs (1 Peter 5:1-4, Acts 20:28-29, Hebrews 13:17).
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Teachers – Believers that lead in bringing clear instruction and explanation of the Word of God to the church (Acts 13:1). Pastors also must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2), but not all pastors are gifted in teaching. Teachers are those gifted to teach with greater clarity and excellence.
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The purpose of spiritual gifts, and roles, are to supply the church with tools needed both to win the lost and to bring the saints to a mature, healthy state with:
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Unity and cooperation between believers (verse 13, 16),
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Believers know Christ (verse 13b),
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The church operates like Christ (verse 13c),
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Believers not swayed or easily deceived by misinformation (verse 14),
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Universal understanding and communication of truth (verse 15).
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Understand that the church's primary function is to bring existing believers to maturity. Keep this purpose in mind as you participate with other believers, and be a part of a church that prioritizes this purpose, working towards it continually.
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Every believer must give their supply in order for the church to grow effectively; so be present and involved with your fellow believers often. Find how you can help others, and take action!
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Verses 17-24
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Don't live in sin any longer, and don't live like unbelievers in the world. Christ didn't and doesn't teach you to continue practicing sin, but to repent of sin (Titus 2:11-12).
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Verse 18. Remember that unbelievers stay in sin, in part, because of their ignorance of the truth.
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Help unbelievers, if they are willing to listen, come to knowledge about God, and this will help them to repent.
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Verses 22-24. Keep your mind refreshed by reading the Word daily (Romans 12:2), and keep your spirit refreshed by putting off sin and being obedient to the Word (which is putting on the new man). It's important not only to renew your mind with the Word, but to renew your spirit with obedience!
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Simply put, when you read and do the Word, your mind and spirit will be happy, and with this joy and peace you'll be more open to receiving from God. Align every part of yourself—spirit, soul, and body—with God's ways, and your life will be transformed!
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Your spirit is perfect, holy, and righteous, created like God. Your spirit knows right from wrong. If you obey the Word with your mind and body, your spirit will be happy, and when you disobey, it will be grieved troubled. This will make your energy low.
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See Ephesians 2 for more details about the spirit. Also see commentary on Proverbs 20:27.
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Verses 25-32
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Verse 25. Lying harms the person who is lied to. Don't lie to believers, as that would be harming part of your own body (community).
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Verses 26-27. Control your emotions so that they do not lead to sin.
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Strong emotions for a time are not inherently wrong, but if you stay in them, or fail to channel them into something good, they lead to sin. Unchecked emotion/anger gives the devil a foothold in the church (2 Corinthians 2:10-11) and in your own life (Proverbs 25:28).
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Turn emotion into prayer or action that will help a person, but not reactions that will hurt them.
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Verse 28. Be a hard worker, and not only to provide for your own household, but also to provide for others. Work to the point that you can be a giver. Make this your goal!
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The standard of diligence in one's work, as the believer, is to be able to provide for those well beyond your own household—even to having an abundance for every good work and opportunity that you encounter (2 Corinthians 9:8). Simply start with your own household.
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Verse 29. Speak only what will be helpful to others. Any speech that isn't helpful is corrupt—rotten and/or worthless.
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Verse 30. Knowing that you have the Spirit, do not willingly choose to stay in sin.
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The Spirit is given to help us repent. If you ever stop repenting, you will grieve the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8).
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Verses 31-32. Rather than being impulsive and angry, be kind and gentle, and forgive people to the extent that God forgave you of your past. Practice forgiveness, and this will help to curb any anger or frustration for others.