We have come to another verse in our study through the book of Ephesians that begins with the word "therefore." And while some may tire of hearing the Bible study rule, when we see a "therefore," it means that we need to stop and find out what it's "there for."
It is, as always, an indicator that we must go back and review what has been said previously, since the idea we're about to be introduced to builds on the foundation of what has been written. In this case, we need only to go back one verse and remind ourselves that Paul has just said that God must be always be given glory in the church.
Thus, the "therefore" means, "Because God is to be given glory in the church..."
Because God is to be given glory in the church, Paul is entreating us. The word "entreat" is par-ak-al-EH-o, which means to call someone next to you. It is not the command of a boss, but the request of a friend.
The Bible says that...
Eccl. 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything...
And Biblical instruction takes different forms for different seasons. There were times when Jesus preached from the boat, removed from the multitudes. And other times,
Matt. 15:10 ...He called the multitude to Him...
There are times when preaching and teaching is with apostolic authority. When the commands are given as the very voice of God. But in this case, Paul is saying, "Come here, friend. Let me put my arm around you as we walk. God is the One who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that you ask from Him or think about Him. He deserves glory from us, and I am entreating you to glorify Him in this."
Paul's entreaty to us is to glorify God. That glorifying takes the form of walking in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. What is that calling with which we have been called? It is, quite simply, the fact that God called you to be forgiven, to be saved, to be a Christian. Romans eight says,
Rom. 8:30 ...whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified...
Those who have been called have been justified. "Justified" means that your guilt has been erased. "I'm justified" means "just as if I'd" never sinned - made not guilty. And since we now have no sin on record, we're able to be admitted into heaven. That's why the writer of Hebrews said that we are...
Hebr. 3:1 ...partakers of a heavenly calling...
Paul told Timothy to
1Tim. 6:12 ...take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.
God called us and then justified us. We've been called with a heavenly calling, we've been called to eternal life.
And so, to glorify God, Paul is telling us as a friend to walk worthy of this calling. This turns out to be a major turning point in Ephesians, a dividing line between the first half and the second half of the letter, between doctrine and exhortation, between teaching and preaching. I like the simple and accurate way that Wuest explains it: "In brief, God says in chapters 1–3, 'I have made you a saint.' In chapters 4–6, He says, 'Now, live a saintly life.'"
We are to be walking in a manner worthy. The word worthy means to be comparable, to weigh the same. Your walk should weigh the same as your calling. In other words, your Christian life should be equal to Christianity. Your behavior before God should match that grace from God.
So what does that balanced walk look like? How does it appear when our walk weighs the same as our calling? Here's some ways to recognize it, straight from the Scripture, in the form of do's and dont's:
Dont's:
Rom. 8:4 ...do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2Cor. 4:2 ...not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God...
Do's:
Col. 1:10 ...walk in a manner worthy of the Lord... please {Him} in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God
Walk in good works (Eph. 2:10)
Walk as wise men (Eph. 5:15),
Rom. 6:4 ...walk in newness of life.
Rom. 14:15 ...walking according to love...
2Cor. 5:7 ...walk by faith, not by sight
Eph. 5:8 ...walk as children of light
Col. 2:6 ...walk in Him
1Ths. 4:1 ...walk and please God...
1John 1:7 ...walk in the light...
2John 4 ...walking in truth...
2John 6 ...walk according to His commandments...
What we see is that it ultimately comes down to John's command:
1John 2:6 ...walk in the same manner as He walked.
The "WWJD" philosophy is true. Walking worthy of Christ's calling is to walk as Christ walked.
This morning, let's approach the Lord in prayer and ask Him to reveal to us where there is an imbalance between our calling and our walk, and then let's commit to making them weigh the same.