Do you know anyone who has had a family member that was a black sheep, who didn’t keep to the family’s standards, lifestyle, or morals. Perhaps you have had someone like that in your own family. They have brought shame to the family, as they are not walking worthy of the family name and honor. This not only holds true for our natural families, but also for our spiritual family, as well. The Apostle Paul spoke along this line several times in his various epistles, and we see this in our Scripture for today.
As our Scripture opens, Paul told the Ephesian believers that their behavior and lifestyle needed to match up with that of the Lord Jesus and His Word, their walk needed to match their calling (vs. 1). This is something that still very much holds true today. As we look around us, though, can we tell if there are any Christians in our neighborhood or office by their behavior? Our living should match our position in Jesus. As someone once said, if Biblical Christianity were suddenly to become illegal where you live, would there be enough evidence to convict you as being a believer and follower of Jesus?
The Scriptures exhort us to live in a manner that honors and pleases Jesus. We might feel that this is too difficult to attain in our daily life. However, the Holy Spirit will teach us to walk worthy of the calling we were called to. He will keep us pure, and help us abstain from immorality if we call upon Him.
We read in verses 2 and 3 where Paul spelled out what constitutes a worthy walk. Some of the behaviors that he told the Ephesians to follow were lowliness (humility), gentleness, longsuffering (patience), keeping unity with fellow believers, and peace. Gentleness is directly tied with God’s kindness. Because He is kind, He is gentle. Gentleness suggests a kind and gracious soul. It is a willingness to accept limitations and ailments without taking out our aggravation on others. It shows gratitude for everything, and a forgiveness to others who make mistakes. It speaks softly, and is calm and unruffled.
In times of conflict, believers are called to show patience. We can do this if we stay quiet when verbally attacked, listen without being the one to immediately respond, praying for whoever attacks us, controlling our thoughts and emotions, speaking encouraging words, and being ready to forgive.
The Lord also wishes us to show a bond of unity with other fellow believers. Bible-believing Christians should agree on all essential elements of faith and morality - the fundamentals of the faith. These would be the inerrancy of the Scriptures (the Bible); God as Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus’ virgin birth; Jesus’ substitutionary atonement; and Jesus’ physical resurrection and future bodily return. There is only one way for believers to be truly united, and that is by being whole-heartedly obedient to the Lord.
The Church is the Body of Christ, and it is composed of every believer since the Day of Pentecost (vs. 4). Within this body of believers, we have one hope, and that is the pledge and promise of an eternal inheritance given to each believer, and which is sealed to each believer by the Holy Spirit.
Believers should follow one Lord, which is Jesus Christ, not the latest favorite preacher, author, or singer we hear on Christian radio (vs. 5). We should be following one faith, the body of doctrine revealed in the Bible, and which I stated above as the fundamentals of the faith. And we have one baptism, where believers publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Christians acknowledge one God and Father of all (vs. 6). He has absolute rule, control, and authority over the universe and everything in it.
As we close this brief Scripture passage, can we look at our lives and say with some degree of assurance that we are striving to the best of our ability to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called? Our identity will shape our behavior. If we identify more with the world and its beliefs, with the world system, its lifestyle and philosophies, and which is guided by Satan, then that is how our behavior will be. If, though, we identify with the Lord Jesus Christ, He and His Word, the Bible, will shape our walk and behavior. Let’s remember who we belong to!
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