January 15, 2023

“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, ESV)

I love the image of “walking” for the Christian life in Ephesians 4:1. Paul could have used the word “exist” or “subsist.” He could have used the word “run” or “sprint.” He could have used the word “stand” or “sit.” Those aren’t bad words for the Christian life, but he chose “walk.” It means we’re not moving backward or staying in the same position. Instead, we’re putting one foot in front of the other as we follow Christ.

But notice how this passage calls us to walk: “…in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.” You can think of this as a spiritual uniform. Science has demonstrated that uniforms change the way an employee behaves and feels about his work. For example, one website says, “By wearing uniforms, they not only identify themselves with the business, but they also serve as the brand ambassadors and the face of the company. This can both empower and motivate them to serve customers more professionally.”[1] It’s the same with the Christian life! We have put on the Lord Jesus Christ and are identified with Christ through faith so that we represent him in the world. And that’s why the great reformer, Martin Luther, says that we should answer “all temptations of Satan with this only…I am a Christian.”^[2]

But what does it look like to walk as a Christian? Look at verses 1-3 again: “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, ESV)

1. First, we are called to walk with “all humility.” That’s the opposite of pride! And commentators point out that, in Greco-Roman society, this word was always used in a pejorative sense. It was coined as a virtue only in Christian literature. That’s because it’s a uniquely Christian virtue.
2. But second, we are also called to walk with “all gentleness.” That’s the opposite of being harsh and unpleasant. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit and is defined like this: “the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance”^[3]And that’s how we should walk if we are truly called. A true Christian should be gentle and kind to his wife and kids. He should be gentle and kind to the waiter and the hedge clipper. His life should be marked by true Spirit-wrought gentleness.
3. But third, we are also called to walk with patience. That’s the opposite of impatience. It’s defined as the “state of remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome.”^[4] And I love the way it’s rendered in the old King James Bible – “long-suffering.” Be long-suffering as you wait for that diagnosis, long-suffering as you deal with sickness in your body, long-suffering as you pray for a child who has walked away from the faith, and long-suffering with that member of the church who is hard to love.
4. But fourth, we are also called to “bear with one another in love.” That’s the opposite of giving up on people. It’s a wonderful image of what the church should look like. We should bear with one another in love. Who are you called to bear within love today? Who are you tempted to give up on? Remember that giving up on people is contrary to the calling to which we have been called.

In all, this is how we are called to walk by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for God’s glory alone.

[1] https://cobmex.com/top-5-benefits-of-a-corporate-uniform-program/#:~:text=Customer%20Satisfaction&text=By%20wearing%20uniforms%2C%20they%20not,in%20a%20more%20professional%20manner.

^[2] John Trapp, Trapp’s Commentary on the New Testament (Baker Book House, 2010), 762.

^[3] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 861.

^[4] Ibid., 612.