Walk Worthy (part one)

a series on church health and Christian maturity – Ephesians 4

A healthy church is one that is growing in maturity in Christ. The trajectory of maturity is always moving toward stability and unity through self-edification. Paul writes to the Ephesian church on the topic of unity and how it serves to produce a mature church:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(Eph 4:1-3)

Paul describes two essential characteristics of a life worthy of the God who saved us. First, he speaks of the individual responsibility to humbly walk with God and serve others. We are called to be lowly (humble) and meek in our character and patient and empathetic in our relationship with other believers.

Secondly, in our humble “putting-up” with others (another way of saying ‘forbearing one another), we are to be actively seeking to maintain the unity of the Spirit. To do this, we must always be growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that Jesus is our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30). The letter from James tells us that godly wisdom is peaceable. In chapter 3, verses 16 to 18, James states: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

The Christian has every resource at his or her disposal to fulfill the call of God in a manner worthy of our Lord. We have new life in Christ. The Bible teaches that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born-again to enter the kingdom of God. By the grace of God, we are called to manifest Jesus to the lost:

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

(Eph 3:9-12)

The believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Who empowers the believer with wisdom, understanding, discernment, and grace. We are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. In other words, the unity we seek to maintain is the unity empowered by the Spirit of God. We are partners with the Holy Spirit in the development and keeping of the unity of the body of believers.

A third resource God has given us is the guarantee of answered prayer. Jesus repeatedly declared that anything we ask in His name will be answered (John 4:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-26). To ask in Jesus’ name means we are seeking to know Who He is and actively obeying what He commands. Immediately after declaring the guarantee of answered prayer, Jesus states, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

The guarantee of answered prayer is contingent upon whether what we are asking is worthy of Christ, thereby contributing to God’s glory. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” One of the requests that guarantee a response from God is the prayer for wisdom. James tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, ask God, and God will give without hesitation or partiality (James 1:5). James is emphatic: God will give liberally to everyone who asks for wisdom.

A guaranteed victory

Paul triumphantly declares in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Later he would write, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph, and make(s) manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” We have a guaranteed victory in the work of God. According to the eternal purposes of Christ, the believer who walks worthy of the calling of God is a partner in the eternal work of God for His glory.

There is no such thing as a stagnant Christian. You are either advancing in the grace of God, or you are emaciating spiritually. You are either being renewed in your mind and thus transformed into the image of God (Romans 12:1-2), or you are asleep and in disobedience (1 Cor. 15:34). But do not despair. No matter where you find yourself in your walk with God, there is always grace for growth. As long as you have breath, you have the opportunity to glorify God by obedience to Christ and His word.

Humbly seek God’s wisdom. Seek to serve others in love. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide your growth and study the Word of God to feed your spiritual needs. In our next lesson, we will evaluate Ephesians 4 further and define the role of church leaders and the importance of doctrine for the unity of the local church.