Walk Worthy

Eph. 4:1-2

I therefore, a prisoner of 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.

 

 

Paul is urging believers to walk worthy of their calling. In my thinking urging carries with it a sense of  of deep emotion, concern, and timeliness. It needs to be done now! But how do believers walk worthy if salvation is all of grace? And what does it mean to walk worthy?

 

Paul developed walking working as first beginning with the personal qualities of humility, gentleness, patience, love, and peace. On many levels, these are nearly impossible for man, but the key is grace, grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Christ was grace and truth. In His death He gave those who believe a measure of grace, a measure that supplies the believer with the strength and endurance to walk worthy.

 

Christ gave grace to all believers, but He also gave a special calling to those who were apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teacher. Their function was to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ. This statement solidifies the need for church, the body of Christ, and for shepherds and teachers. The shepherd/teacher/pastor presents  the Word so that believers might obey, grow, and build up the body of Christ. Responding to this teaching is a mayor part of walking worthy. So then individuals are to be involved with the body and to be taught by the shepherd so that their will be unity among the body.

 

 This equipping continues until the entire body of Christ attains to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer by children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Walking worthy is not just personal character, but it is also the strength and wisdom to spot error or false doctrine. It is being a mature believers and not a child easily influenced and exploited. How glorious to grow into the stature of the fullness of Christ!

 

Rather , speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ. Instead of being children exploited by the current fad of religion, believers are to grow into Christ. We are to be like Him because He indwells each one of us and should shine out through us. A major evidence of this relationship is speaking the truth in love. Not criticizing or attacking others who differ from us on matters of personal interpretation, but speaking only what is true, only what Jesus would say. He is the Truth! So whatever I do, say, or feel should be evidence that I am growing in Christ. His indwelling me and His great gift of grace are the only way that I can walk worthy.

 

Father,

Thank You Lord for giving me the gift of You Son who lives and indwells me. Grow me up to the measure of the fullness of Christ. Teach me what it truly means and how it will change my life.

 

In Jesus name,

Amen