Grow With Pastor Joe

Devotions for the Head, the Heart, and the Home

Eph. 4:1-6

Read: Eph. 4 begins the practical exhortation section following the positional exposition of who we are in Christ. Who we are in Christ determines and directs how we are to live in Christ. True Christian living is personal, but not individualized. All that you are and do belongs not only to Christ, but to His Church. When we approach life, it is to be lived with many others in mind beyond ourselves. Each of us make up the local assembly or body of believers. Each of us is needed and adds to the life of the local Church. We are not to ask what our church can do for us, but what can we do for our church? Ask yourself, “What can I do for Victory Way?” As we look at these verses there are two key things that everyone is equipped, empowered, and expected to do. (1) Be responsible. By faith, take on your personal responsibility to Christ and His Church. You are responsible for you and how you interact with God’s word, work, and will in your life and the life of the local church. Only you can be responsible for you. All believers have the responsibility to practice our position in Christ. No one can walk your walk for you. (2) Be responsive. These verses deal in great detail of the humble, loving, and faithful walk that we should have in our personal and public life. One of the issues of maintaining unity in church is that we are often reactionary and not responsive to the Lord and one another. The flesh reacts but faith responds in humility, forgiveness, and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. To put both of these things together we can simply say that each believer is responsible to respond in humility, faith, and love to Christ and His Church. Let’s ask ourselves how we can respond rightly to our responsibility to Jesus and His Church to the glory of God and health of the Body.

Reflect: Read Eph.4 and see the responsibilies of the believer in relation to Church. Discuss or write down what God wants you to be and do for Victory Way.

Rest: Rest your head, heart and home in the work that He is doing for, in, and through you to build and strengthen His Church.

Respond: Begin and end each day praying for a humble, faithful, and loving response to your personal and public responsibility to Jesus and His Church.