In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul sets down the doctrinal teachings needed for grounding the believers in Ephesus in their faith life. From the fourth chapter on, Paul goes on to the practical part of living it out in every Christian’s life. He gives an appeal at the very start- “…to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” Let us examine our calling and our walk as a Christian.

 

THE CALLING

Paul says of us as “the called of Jesus Christ” (Rom.1:6). Once we were far away from God, people whose minds were darkened, stubborn, excluded from the life God gives (as Paul describes of the ungodly in  Eph.4:17-19) but because of His grace given (Eph 4:7) to us we are now part of God’s family!

 

• A Heavenly Calling (Heb.3:1): There is one hope of our calling (Eph 4:4)- all who have believed in Christ Jesus have one faith in God the Father who has called us. Its an upward call as Paul describes in Phil.3:14. We are only temporary dwellers on this earth but are destined for heaven, the dwelling place of God.

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• A Holy Calling (2Tim.1:9): We are saved not according to any of our good works but by Christ’s unblemished sacrifice of Himself that makes us right with God- nothing else! Hence we are called to offer all of ourselves, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God (Rom.12:1). 

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THE WALK

 

• Walk in newness of life (Rom.6:4): We have been saved from our old way of life, our spirit reborn so that we can be obedient to the Holy Spirit living in us and directing us in the new way of life in Christ. Eph.4:2 describes the qualities of such a walk: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Christ is the epitome of humility as described in Phil.2:5-9- setting an example for us to pattern our lives. We expect God to bear/put up with all our frailties but how often do we show the same extent of forbearance towards a brother or sister?

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• Walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor.5:7): We are to walk, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Heb12:2); “seeing Him who is unseen”(Heb.11:27). That sight is not of the natural eye but of the spiritual! That’s walking by faith! From the day we are saved till the day we reach His presence, it’s an everyday walk of faith. There are times in our walk when we can only hold on to God’s promises and trust Him to bring us through, for He who promised is faithful (Heb.10:23)! 

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We are no more ignorant or having the futility of thinking as the ungodly (Eph 4:17) but our minds are being renewed according to God’s Word when we daily meditate on it so that we can know how God expects us to walk. His Word if we allow to stay strong in us will help us from being swayed by every wind of doctrine that come to make us stumble. Besides in the local body of Christ, we are nourished to grow together in Him until we all reach to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).

Having understood our calling and the walk it calls for, can we allow the Holy Spirit to point to us our shortfalls so we correct them? Can Christ count us worthy of the calling in Him?

Meditate On: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts….”

(1 Peter 3:15)

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