Ephesians 4:1-3

Day 29

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

Walk Worthy
There is a dramatic shift in focus at this point in the book of Ephesians.  Ephesians 1-3 sets our attention on the work of God in our salvation and the eternal standing all believers possess in Christ.  The first half of this letter addresses who we are in Christ because of God’s work. Ephesians 4-6 directs our attention to the daily life, ethic, behavior, relationships, and spiritual battles of the believer. In light of the three chapters with breathtaking, deep theology, now emerges the practical expression of those eternal theological themes. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. Positionally, we have already received the fullness of the eternal promises that God has granted to us because we are in Christ. We are already seated with Christ and united with Him in His completed work of dying for our sins.  Through Him we have been made alive forever. Christ completed His amazing work of salvation then sat down at the right hand of God the Father. He sat down because He completed His work. We are seated with Him now on the basis of our faith in His completed work.  There is no work for the believer to do for this amazing status. We simply rest in the perfect, triune gift of God. We did nothing to advance our cause before our holy God. We could not accomplish anything to warrant this position in God’s eternal domain. Instead, in Christ, God sees us as having completed the perfect work of salvation through the perfecting work of Christ. That is our reality now in the realm of our great and holy God. We now have a righteous status before God. We rest in Him. We are seated with Christ. 

Now having been made perfect before God, the work of God begins in our daily lives. Though the work of God is finished with reference to our eternal, righteous position in His sight, God now begins the daily transforming work to make us more like His Son. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29) This is God’s will for believers.  He is at work in us.  His desired goal for us in this life is for us to be conformed to Christ.  Our conforming should be seen in our Christ-honoring priorities, motives, decisions, words, actions, and passions. Christ provides the means by which we are made perfect. Christ also provides the standard by which God grants to us a standard worthy of imitation.  Notice Paul’s appeal to the church at Corinth.  Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. (I Corinthians 11:1)  Paul imitated Christ and called on the church to do so as well.

Paul described the life of the Christian as a “walk.”  The Christian “walk” depicts the progress and growth that must mark our lives.  We cannot stay the same as we were the day we first believed.  We were saved in Christ to become like Christ.  In chapters 1-3 we see our current status in the heavenly realms.  We are seated with Christ.  However, that divine perspective should not encourage a latency.  The believer should grow, develop, and progress.  The walk should be “worthy” of our calling.  We have been called into a relationship with the God of creation.  We have been called by His name as adopted children.  Therefore, our life should be distinctive.  The progress or “walk” should be observed in a variety of ways.  In Ephesians 4-6, Paul outlines various characteristics that are indicative of believers.  To begin the dialogue on the progress in the Christian life, notice the specific attributes Paul lists: humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, love, and peace.  These same attributes describe much of the ministry of Jesus Christ.  As imitators of Christ, these attributes should also describe our lives as well.  Believers in Christ follow after Christ.  Overt behaviors, external actions, words, and deeds, must all emerge from an internal imitation of Christ.  Our motives function at the base of all other aspects of our Christian walk.  The end result in this passage features the unity of the church.  The theme of unity will continue all the way through this chapter and into the next.  Paul expounds on the motives, theology, church leadership, maturity, and actions with the church that contribute to the church’s fellowship.  The oneness of the church begins with the attitude of each believer.  Pursue peace first through right attitudes.  Christ Jesus was humble, gentle, and loving.  We should diligently pursue peace and unity by walking in these attributes.

Suggested Prayer:  God, make me like Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Work in my heart to create in me a more humble, gentle, patient, tolerant, loving, and peaceful attitude.  Through the power and presence of Your Spirit, produce these attributes in my life.  Amen.

Ephesians