Pastor Rockwell / WALKING WORTHY AS A BELIEVER

WALKING WORTHY AS A BELIEVER

Ephesians 4:1-6

Introduction: This section of Ephesians has been described as the practical part of the book, covering the application of the principles outlined in chapters 1-3. These three chapters emphasize our position “in Christ.” This phrase is found 77 times in the New Testament. We are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ” (Rom. 3:24). Nothing “. , . shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:39). We are “sanctified in Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2). “God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. . .” (2 Cor. 2:14). “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:26). There are so many more examples. These verses emphasize our “position” in Christ. Look again at Ephesians 2:6 (KJV), “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Watchman Nee said, “We have sought to make it clear that Christian experience does not begin with talking but with sitting,” Ephesians 1-3 teaches the principle that the believer in Christ is made to “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). That doctrinal teaching then prepares the Christian to begin to “walk,” which is the content of Ephesians 4-5. In Ephesians 6 we are taught to “stand” (Eph. 6:11, 13, 14). These three principles give the believer in Christ Jesus the victory needed to be a believer committed to Christ.

It is worth noting that the word “walk” appears several times in this section of Ephesians (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). A Christian needs to present a good testimony, regardless of their location or activity. The first seven verses of this chapter can be considered an introduction to what follows afterward. These three chapters cover a host of applications the believer needs to incorporate in their life. We have seen our “calling” in Ephesians 1-3 and now the believer’s “conduct” is addressed in Ephesians 4-6.

Walking Worthy in Your Vocation, Ephesians 4:1-3. The first verse here sets the tone for what is to follow. The instructions herein are from the Apostle Paul, who considers himself a “prisoner of the Lord.” John Phillips has an excellent comment on vs. 1. He says,

“With these words, Paul dignified his chains. He was not the prisoner of Nero. He was the prisoner of the Lord. A mere Caesar could not arrest an apostle without God’s permission. Paul was undaunted. Since he had to wear a chain, he wore it like a chain of office. If every move he made had to be accompanied by the rattle of fetters, he made each clank of iron a note in a melody of praise to God. He converted his prison into a palace. He considered himself shut up with God.”

Have you ever considered that Paul never complained about his circumstances but used his situation as an opportunity to bring glory to his Lord Jesus Christ? Human nature often faces difficulties and considers them an opportunity to garner sympathy from others due to the challenging circumstances they are experiencing. Not so with Paul! He saw his circumstances as an opportunity to praise God. That is evident when you read the account of he and Silas while in prison at Phillipi (Acts 16:19-26). He and Silas were beaten with “stripes” then they were “thrust into the inner prison” and had their feet placed in “stocks” (vss. 23-24). The next thing the Bible says Paul and Silas did is stated in Acts 16:25-26 (KJV), “²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶ And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.” To most, this would be a time of saying, “Woe is me!” Not with Paul and Silas. Don’t overlook that the result was that no prisoner escaped (vs. 28); the jailer and his house [family] were saved and baptized (Acts 16:30-34).

Paul begins the call to the people with the words “I. . .beseech you. . .” One source suggests that one of the meanings of “beseech” would be akin to a call “. . .in supreme national emergencies.” This would lend urgency to the message Paul is giving the church at Ephesus and would be appropriate for us in the 21^st Century. It suggests that the message is essential. Then, he gives the urgent message as “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called?” The “vocation” is your occupation as a believer in Christ. The importance of living a lifestyle representative of a committed believer is essential. Many commentators will concur that a believer’s character is the matter at issue. We have pointed out how Paul spent the first chapter of Ephesians speaking of the “spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). We are not just sitting together with other believers; we are sitting with Christ. We are going to be “like Christ throughout eternity.” Maybe we should start practicing a little now. This epistle of Paul to the Ephesians contains some pertinent insights that we can apply today. The phrase “walk worthy” is a reference to the “lifestyle of the believer” (cf. Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 1:12). We are to live a life worthy of the Lord.

Notice the four characteristics mentioned here in vs. 2, “lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” These should always be a part of our lifestyle and character. They are:

Lowliness and Meekness.

Lowliness. The word “lowliness” is found in two places in the Bible, here and in Philippians 2:3. The word in Philippians refers to the “lowliness of mind.” AI on the Internet has “lowliness,” defined as “a state of humility, meekness, and a lack of pride or self-importance.” The word implies the idea of being “humble.” In Greek culture, humility was a weakness, and the word for humility did not exist before New Testament times. Hoehner points out that “. . .Paul used this term when he mentioned to the Ephesian elders that he had served the Lord in Asia with all “humility (Acts 20:19).” When a person sees themselves as an essential part of any activity, even the church, they are not in a condition of “lowliness.” That is why “humility, meekness, and a lack of pride” are synonymous. Christians should never consider themselves superior or more important than other Christians.
Meekness. The primary meaning is “submissive.” There was a time when I discovered an illustration of meekness, which enabled me to understand the definition of “meekness.” While working on a large ranch in Texas I found that a horse is larger, stronger, and faster than a human who happens to be riding it’s back. When taking a young, unbroken horse to a place where it will submit to a person on its back, giving instructions and guidance on where the horse should go demonstrates meekness. A Christian may have a higher IQ or be better equipped to perform certain activities than others but are willing to submit to their guidance and instruction. That is meekness. When a Christian considers they are an essential part of a church or activity, they are not meek. It is essential to remember that “meekness” is not synonymous with “weakness.”

Longsuffering. Someone has said that “longsuffering” means to “suffer long.” The basis behind this word is patience. We encounter believers who have not grown in the Lord, and they can cause other believers to become impatient and lack endurance. This is where a Christian must practice “longsuffering.” This word is associated with the next one, “forbearing.” It is significant to note that “forbearing” is qualified with the phrase “one another in love.”
Forbearance. Note that the word “forbearing” has a relational meaning, as seen in the phrase “forbearing one another in love” (vs. 2). This places it in the context of other believers. The essential element for good relationships is gentleness. Personalities often clash because we do not “forbear.” Strong-willed individuals like me often have little patience with those who do not understand certain principles of the Christian life. The meaning behind “forbearance” is “to endure” or “to bear” (to put up with). This word is kin to “patience.” The phrase “Forbearing one another” is used in Colossians 3:13. It is in a list of things Paul tells the believers in Colosse and uses the phrase “Put on therefore” as one would put on their clothes. Not what he said in Colossians 3:12–13 (KJV), “¹² Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” The phrase “in love” was a favorite phrase of Paul. Christians should develop the attitude that they are “brothers and sisters” in Christ and should treat them as family members and not strangers. These elements of character will bring unity when applied to our relationships with others.

Working on Oneness, Ephesians 4:4-6. Here, the Apostle Paul again addresses the doctrine of the church. He starts vs. 4 with the statement, “There is one body. . .” which implies unity. This subject, “the church,” is a significant part of the New Testament. Notably, these three verses also illustrate the involvement of the Trinity in the believer’s life. If you count the word “one” in this passage, you will find it appears seven times. This is an emphasis of “unity.” The point is that of “unity” produced by the Trinity or “Godhead” (Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9) It is essential to note that there is “one Spirit” (v. 4), “one Lord” (v. 5), and “one God and Father” (v. 6), yet they are one. Next, note the “one body,” which is a reference to the church (see 1 Cor. 10:16; 12:27; Eph. 4:12). It is worth looking back at Ephesians 2:16–22 (KJV), “¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” [Emphasis added.] The local church is “one body” and are to promote unity. We have seen Paul’s exposition of the significance of the Jew and Gentile are all part of the church. Note vss. 18, 22 in the passage above. Hoehner says, “The passage 2:16-22 explains how this body, reconciled to Christ, now has access to God in one Spirit and how it is portrayed as a temple in which the Spirit dwells.” It was emphasized that the Jew was having problems with the church. The point being made here is the unity in the body. “. . .it is not that Gentiles become Jews, as in the OT, nor Jews become Gentiles, but that unbelieving Jews and Gentiles become one body of believers when they place their faith in the work of Christ at Calvary.”
Willing to Apply the Gift of Christ, Ephesians 4:7. The word “but” suggests a contrast from the previous verses (Eph. 4:4-6). It is a conjunction and is another statement concerning unity in the body of Christ. “Grace” is the ingredient that brings unity to the body since it is the element of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). If we are all children of God, which we are according to John 1:12 (KJV), “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,” then there is going to be diversity, but our unity is being “in Christ” (Rom. 3:24; 8:2; 12:5, et al). There are differences of gifts that are related to our relationship with Christ. It is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:4 (KJV), “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” The Spirit dwelling in believers is the major element for unity. One writer gives focus to unity. He says,

There is always the danger of our conceiving of unity in terms of uniformity. Our tendency is to think of unity as consisting of a number of things which are absolutely identical in every single respect, with no difference at all, such as a sheet of postage stamps. But the Apostle is at pains to show us that that is not true unity, but a dull, drab uniformity. Unity, he shows, is much bigger than that, a much grander thing. Any conception of unity which equates it with uniformity detracts from the essentital greatness and glory of unity. In other words unity is not something mechanical: it does not mean sameness.”

Every believer is “one” in Christ which is built on our common salvation and being a child of God. Paul emphasizes here the matter of “gifts” (vs. 7). Yet, in the oneness of the body there is also diversity. Note: Romans 12:3–5 (KJV), “³ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: ⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.