Ephesians, Day 4
The Walk — Part 1 (Ephesians 4:1 – 16)
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1 – 3).
The term “Christian” means “little Christ,” and it was originally used to make fun of early believers. Interestingly, however, is that these believers wore that name with pride. They were honored to be called a little Christ. As Christians, we are to emulate Christ because we represent Him and we should be honored to have such a task. Many years ago, my older brother worked for Pepsi, and I would joke with him and tell him that I would have a case of Coke delivered to the office for him on his birthday. He would get really worried because he knew that he could lose his job if he were even caught drinking a competitor’s soda. Now, I never did send him the Coke, and he eventually changed jobs, but I will always remember that look on his face. He represented Pepsi and constantly wore Pepsi apparel.
As Christians, we too should be concerned if we are not living out what we say we believe. Will God kick us out of His family and would we lose our salvation if we get caught sinning? Of course not! But when we are not living as we should, we need to be aware of the fact that we are tainting Christ’s name — We are not walking in a manner worthy of the calling. So, what does it mean for us to walk in a manner that is worthy of being a Christian? Thankfully, Paul lets us know in the following verses.
Christians are to maintain unity within the body. The word “body” here is crucial because all Christians, no matter what their background or where they are now, are all part of the same body. We are all part of the same team, and as such, we are to support one another and not tear one another down. Too many times have I seen Christians spend too much time fighting amongst themselves and not focusing on extending grace to one another as we have received. Even I have been guilty of this. Does this mean that we should allow sin in our midst in order to maintain peace? Not according to Romans 6. What this means is that because we are of the same body, we are to get along for the common goal of glorifying Jesus Christ.
A body has many parts, and they are designed to work together. I am sure that at some point in your life you had an arm or a leg fall asleep. How frustrating is it when your arm or leg decides not to do what you want it to do? The whole body suffers. Every body part serves a purpose, and when every part is working properly, the body is strong and healthy. When Christians work together to benefit one another, then the body of believers will be strong and healthy. We get in trouble when we start to serve ourselves instead of others. So, as a Christian and as a part of the body, be the best representation of Christ possible. And when you fail, repent, get back up, and carry on. Never give up!
Pastor David Guenin