EPHESIANS: Worthy Walking
EPHESIANS Number 38
In Watchman Nee’s excellent little book on Ephesians entitled “Sit, Walk, Stand”, he breaks the message of this letter into three component parts. The first of these, “sit”, is the primary teaching of the first three chapters of the book. We’ve been told that we have been greatly blessed, that we exist for a purpose, that God has raised us and seated us with Himself. Being seated is a restful position. Knowing that we are so enormously loved and blessed, and so safely placed into the Love of God in the heavenly realm, we can sit restfully and securely knowing all is well with us. Our future is secure, and we are safely encrypted in God right along with Christ.
Ephesians chapter four begins the second of Nee’s three components of Ephesians, namely “walk.” As we begin studying this part of Ephesians, let’s watch for this theme and notice the gracious way this comes about in our manner of living.
Ephesians 4:1–6
“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. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (KJV)
Before we discuss walking worthy of our calling, I want to pause to consider Paul’s use of the word prisoner here. Even if you don’t know much about Greek, you may have heard the word (doulos). This word means slave, or bondservant. Many of us are familiar with Paul referring to himself as a slave, bond-slave, or bondservant. Here in Ephesians 4:1 (and in Philemon and 2 Timothy) however, he selected a different word, and I think it is beautiful.
The word Paul selected here is (desmos). This word refers to “that which restrains someone, making them a prisoner.” The simple meaning of the word is “prisoner”, but it refers to that which ties, or fastens someone, a bond or fetter. Paul has been captivated by the Lord Jesus. He is inexorably bound to Him; he is tied to Christ.
I think Paul chose this particular word because he does not intend for us to read what follows, or frankly to view our relationship with Christ, as bondage in any negative sense. Rather I think he is intimating the bond of Love. Devotion and the loving desire to live in harmony with God. He tells us in Philippians 2:13 that, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (KJV)
Father works to make our desires consistent with His own. He does not do this through coercion or manipulation, but rather by compassionately guiding us and demonstrating for us His gentle Love and genuine care. In this way, we become fascinated by the Lord Jesus, bound to Him and captivated by Him. It is from this wonderful place that we should consider the guidance that follows.
Our text goes on, saying, “[I] beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” We are being invited, or called, to live lives characterized by that which typifies a godly way of life.
Right off the bat we might notice that the Apostle does not command us. Rather, he urges us in the strongest terms. He begs us to live in a manner worthy of, or “in fitting with,” our position.
I think the use by the King James Bible of the word “vocation” can help point us in the right direction here. I’ve called plumbers to my house a few times over the years. Every single one of them did plumber-like things. They conducted themselves in the manner of plumbers.
My family roots are in the field of dairy farming. All my family members who farmed conducted themselves like dairy farmers. I have several friends who are engineers. Every single one of them thinks, talks, and acts like an engineer.
That’s what Holy Spirit is working to impress upon us here. We are children of God. We are born of His seed, and we’ve inherited His traits. We are Christ-ones, holy-ones, saints. We have been re-created with this identity. We have been called to this position. It is only natural that we should think, talk, and act like righteous, holy, saints of God.
