Grow With Pastor Joe

If we were to take part in a survey about our feelings toward fried chicken livers, there would be a variety of answers to choose from. There would be the crowd, more than likely a small minority who can’t get enough of them. Another crowd would be the ones who think chicken livers are just ok. They’ll eat them but can do without them. Then the last crowd would be the other extreme by expressing their hatred of chicken livers. Can these three groups be friends? Let’s jump into a church setting now. You can pick just about any topic in a church or any other group of people and find division of different perspectives and preferences. But the question is, when do these differences totally separate the entire group? In church, should it be music style? Sermon length? Programs? Ministries? Or the worst of all…the color of the carpet? Sadly, when we think of unity we think of uniforms. Football season is coming up and each team will don their uniform showing which team they belong to. Make no mistake, wearing the same uniform doesn’t mean the team is in unity. Just ask any quarterback when he gets tackled because the linemen aren’t in unison. Christian unity is inward then outward. In Christian living, the inward is always the foundation and force behind the outward expression of actions or activity. Uniformity and unison are limited and outward focused. People can wear the same uniforms outward or sing the same notes in unison and still be utterly divided on the inside. The unity among Christians is based on our inward togetherness not our outward traditions. Every believer and church for that matter is traditional. We all have our own traditions; some are just older or newer in its expression. When we realize that unity is not as much about our outward behavior as it is about our inward belonging to Christ and one another we are able to then experience and enjoy the unity that God designed us to have. When we speak of Christian unity, we are not speaking of something that we can create on our own. Rather, we must understand that Christian unity is not produced by us but it is provided by and in Christ alone. It is Christ that unites us. We don’t produce it, but we must participate in it, protect it, and preserve it at all costs. Right now, your Christian walk is either helping or hindering the unity of your local church. Which one is it?

            As we get into Ephesians 4, we are going to see a major transition from exposition of truth to the exhortation to be transformed by that truth.  Eph. 1-3 declares what God has done for us in Christ (this is our wealth of riches in Him) and Eph. 4-6 gives us what God desires to do in and through us. Learning is for living. The positional becomes practical. Truth becomes transformational. The first three chapters show our relationship with and in Christ and one another. The last three chapters address the response and responsibility of the believer to walk accordingly. God wants our walk (lifestyle) to match our wealth. God wants you to become who you became by faith. He wants you to practically apply the positional truth that you affirm. Because I am in Christ I should live like it. Our outward behavior is to match our inward belief and is motivated by our unbreakable belonging to Christ and one another. Eph. 4:1-6 says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism,⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” There will be three things that we need to affirm and apply by faith to have a worthy walk of unity in Christ. We must see the vocation of our walk (V.1), the virtues of our walk (V.2-3), and the vitals of our walk (V.4-6). To be honest, each of the virtues and vital truths that we will see could be a sermon on their own. So, for sake of time and brevity, we will address these verses together to see the progression and practicality of putting them all together.

            First, we must see the vocation of our walk to protect and preserve unity amongst the body of Christ. Eph. 4:1 says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” Our vocation is the function of our faith. It is putting rubber to the road. Our Christian walk is our vocation. It is our job as Christians to live as Christians. There is no Christian left without purpose or responsibility. The word “walk” deals with the entirety of the Christian life. When we say the Christian walk, we are summing up our belonging, belief, and behavior. Our walk is the totality of our affirmations, attitudes, and actions. The Christian walk is our job description of living by faith until we reach the finish line of glory. God Himself has given us our wealth to enable and empower this walk, both personally and corporately among the body of Christ. There are three things to note in this verse that are of great importance to help us get a grasp on the responsibility that every child of God has upon their life.

One, we must see the request. Paul has already made requests in prayers (Eph. 1:15-22; 3:14-21). Now, he gives request to the believers by exhorting them to walk worthy in the unity that they have with and in Christ. The strength of the request is seen in the word “beseech.” This is a strong plea, imploring, and even that of begging. Do you think God is serious about your life? God is more serious about your Christian walk that you are. God cares deeply that we would walk worthy in the union that we have with and in Christ. This beseeching shows a deep heart felt emotional plea from the heart of Paul and God. There is urgency in the word vocation and the implication for what is to follow to be seen continually in the life of the believers. Paul begs them to walk worthy in their earthly walk to match their heavenly wealth. Our heavenly position in Christ is for our earthly walk in Christ. The two can’t nor should they be separated. The request is simple but serious. Each believer is responsible to practically live life based upon our position and possessions in Christ.

Two, we must see the reason for the request. I believe one of the great issues in the Church today is that many Christians know the “what” but not the “why.” Paul gives this to us by giving the important transitional word, “therefore.” This preposition connects the doctrine previously presented to the present and perpetual duty of the believer (yes, I know that it’s a lot of alliteration, but I just couldn’t help it). Our position and possessions in Christ now become the motivation to walk worthy in the unity of Christ with one another. Doctrine is wasted when it isn’t connected to devotion and devotion is lacking in strength when it is not based on the truth of doctrine. Once more, this connection shows that doctrine and devotion (or duty) is eternally conjoined. The “therefore” is there for us to look back at our overflowing wealth in Christ to then by faith see the outworking of it in our walk. This “therefore” acts as the application of the “amen” of affirmation (Eph. 3:21) to the doctrinal section of Ephesians 1-3.  Three, we must see the responsibility that is given. Any relationship brings with it responsibility. A boss and workers. Parents and children. Teacher and students. Coach and players. The responsibility is simple yet also straightforward. We are to have our conduct, both inwardly and outwardly correspond to our “calling.” This “calling” refers to our saved position and the privileges of being in Christ. Because we are rich, we shouldn’t walk poorly. As stated earlier, God wants you to daily become who He made you in Christ. We are not trying to find our identity. No. We are now living because and through our new identity that is found in Christ. The relationship, resources, and riches that our now ours in Christ demand responsibility on our behalf. Now, faith is not just active in affirming truth but active in applying truth as we yield to the Holy Spirit and truth of the scriptures. We can only live the Christian life inside the parameters of the scripture and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to be owned and operated by both. Everything that we apply flows from what we affirm. If we affirm our wealth in Christ (Eph. 1-3) then we can by faith apply the transformational truth in our walk (Eph. 4-6). True application in our walk is only by faithful obedience. Affirmation without application does no eternal good. God wants us to not only affirm doctrine but apply it in our daily duty of faithful obedience.

Grow with me as we study the believer’s wealth and walk in Christ.

Grow deeper.

Grow higher.

Grow wider.