“Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called”
Ephesians 4:1
For our 25th wedding anniversary, we were blessed to have the opportunity to go on a Mediterranean cruise. We explored amazing new areas of God’s beautiful creation. One of the highlights for me was walking down the marble-paved road through the ruins of Ephesus. Among the sights, we saw the Great Theater mentioned in Acts 19:29 where Demetrius started a riot to get rid of Paul and the remains of what was once a massive library. These were truly awe-inspiring sights of what was once a major commercial, political, and religious center and where Paul spent time during his second and third missionary journeys.
Since returning from our trip to Ephesus I have been engrossed in the book of Ephesians, making every feeble attempt possible to get the fullest grasp on its teachings. What was Paul’s reason for writing? What was the condition of the church at Ephesus? Was it being influenced by paganism or was it making a difference to the Ephesian unbelievers? Questions I still ponder to this day.
One verse continually stuck in my head … Ephesians 4:1. What does it mean to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” for which God has called us? What is “walking in Christ”? And why do such? Paul gives the answers in Ephesians 4:2-3 beginning with humility, followed by gentleness, patience and the ability to tolerate others. All these should be motivated by love, agape, sacrificial love, for one another. And they should be done to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I focused on the word “implore,” which in the Greek is “parakaleo,” the same word Paul uses in Romans 12:1 when he says “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” It’s an imperative, meaning it’s not an option but a strong command to act. It’s strong because it’s of vital importance that I, being called by God and therefore being a part of the church (called out ones), reflect the image of God (Ephesians 5:1) and be Light in a dark world (Ephesians 5:8). It is a call to walking in Christ.
Simply put, as part of the body of Christ, I must behave like Christ to be able to reflect Christ so that unbelievers may come to the Cross and know Christ. Therefore, I have the responsibility to walk in the manner for which I (and you!) have been called. The irony is I cannot do this in my own strength, but only with the power of Christ in me.
Live for Christ!
Dave
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