Table of Contents
Oftentimes we forget, or are careless, or are just apathetic about how important our conduct and behavior, our attitudes and actions that are displayed to others are. At stake, however, is one’s character, reputation, and, for Christians, one’s testimony. When our boys were growing up, we tried to stress the importance of making the right choices and decisions knowing how those choices and decisions would affect their life later. Those choices and decisions have effects and part of the consequences is that poor choices and decisions reflect on them and dad and mom. One’s character, name, reputation, and testimony can be destroyed in a moment by a poor choice and unwise decision. Conduct yourselves in a respectful, honorable way so as not to impugn their name and reputation (and ours) is what we tried to instill in them. For the most part, they listened; but not always. In a similar manner, we as Christians do the same. That which is true in the natural, daily affair of life is also true in the spiritual, and with even greater, eternal consequences.
1 Ephesus
Was a historical city alive and active, vibrant, and vivacious, raunchy, and religious all at the same time. It was a large port city on the Aegean Sea with a bustling commercial life and nightlife that lured travelers and vendors from distant lands to hawk their wares and enjoy the delicacies of the city. Ephesus was considered the most important trading center in the Mediterranean region. It was a city of contrasts: a city of debauchery and a city of doctrine; an extravagant city and an evangelistic city. It was a city of sensuality and spirituality.
It was known as much for its worship (especially the temple of Diana) as it was for her wantonness. The apostle spent several years of his ministerial life there investing himself in the church and developing strong and sound leaders and it became the headquarters of the mission activity that reached into Derbe, Lystra, Antioch, Colosse, and other key cities mentioned throughout the New Testament. Some of the greatest leaders of the New Testament also spent time and ministered in the church here. Mark and the Apostle John ministered here. Timothy is believed to have been martyred there for denouncing the licentiousness of a feast of Diana.
The letter of Ephesians is one of duty, doctrine, discipline, and devotion. Over and over in this letter, the apostle exhorts the believers to a higher, loftier life offered by their Savior and a life that would bring honor and glory to Him that died for them, and a life that would separate them from the paganism of the city and, ultimately, bring satisfaction and peace to those who would follow the Lord Jesus.
2 Midway
Through the letter, Paul utters one of his exhortations to the Ephesians, saying, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” The first thing that captures my attention is the urging of the apostle to walk worthy of the Lord. Why did he need to urge the believers to do what should be the natural thing to do? Oh, but aren’t we all prone to wander, prone to stray? Aren’t we inclined to lose our passion, our drive? Yes, we do. Paul had seen some troubling signs creeping in during his three years in Ephesus. When he departed from the city to leave for Jerusalem, the elders of the church came to him to see him off. Paul, who loved them deeply, warned them, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock” (Ac. 20:28-29).
The fear of the apostle was not unjustified because of what the angel of the Lord said to the church in Revelation 2:2-4, “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.” Despite their good beginning, despite their years of faithfulness, and despite their noble works, they lost their passion and love for the Lord. If that can happen to a church that had such an illustrious beginning, it can certainly happen to us.
3 Suggested
As well in the exhortation of Paul is an urgency. Most of us are by nature creatures of habit. We tend to put of until tomorrow things that can and should be done today. “I will rake the leaves tomorrow.” Then it rains for a couple of days leaving the leaves wet and more have fallen. There is an urgency in following the Lord and walking worthy of the One who died for us that is now lacking in the church. There is a diminishing in urgency in walking worthy of the vocation of the One who has called us. The English word vocation in Ephesians 4:1 comes from the Greek klesis and means “calling, an invitation.” Believers are called to be holy, blameless, without repute, to be witnesses of the risen Lord, to work while it is day. An urgency is attached to the exhortation. But, in our modern-day of Christianity, that sense of urgency is diminishing under the appeals and attractions of the world. I remember when only certain stores were open on the Lord’s Day and all others, including restaurants, were closed. I remember when there was no Little League baseball games or practices on Wednesday night so families could go to church together. I remember when few businesses opened on Lord’s Day except for emergencies! What has happened? Where did it happen? The problem can be traced back to the lack of the church sensing the urgency to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we have been called. We cannot expect a fallen world to follow and walk worthy of the Lord, but the church is a redeemed people without excuse.
4 Walking worthy
Walking worthy of our Lord indicates that there is a unanimity between the Savior and the believer. That thought might not be as easily seen as the urging and urgency, but it is there. What do we mean in unanimity? The word speaks of being in agreement. The prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Am. 3:3). Unanimity speaks of concord. Paul asked the carnal Corinthians, “What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Co. 6:15-17). In Ephesians (4:3), Paul urged the church to endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3), until “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13). Unanimity indicates harmony and oneness as in the oneness between the Lord Jesus and the Father and which He desired for all believers. There in the garden, He prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (Jn. 17:21-22).
As Paul urged his church to walk worthy of their calling, so I exhort each of us to do the same and see the urgency because of the day in which we are living, which will result in enjoying unanimity with our Lord.
