Ephesians: Sit, Walk, Stand!
Sit means to depend fully on Christ and rest in Him. Your identity is wrapped up in being an adopted child of God.
Walk means to live out that identity. Walk worthy of your high calling.
Stand means to hold your ground against forces of evil.
Walk, Ephesians 4-6:9
After laying a solid theological foundation, the second half of Ephesians is all about how we live out these truths. Paul’s opening challenge is to walk worthy of your calling – live out the implications of Ephesians 1-3. Examine your life and live slowly and carefully enough to reflect on the big picture of life. Live intentionally! How? Humbly serve and patiently bear with, even put up with, each other in love. The key to this is to get rid of self-centeredness. Make every effort to stay united in challenging circumstances. Nothing is stronger than the blood of Christ that unites you! Furthermore, use your gifts and abilities to promote unity around Christ and maturity in Christ. Build up His body. Don’t be a spectator.
Don’t act like two different people. Be the one person that you are in Christ. Take off your old way of thinking (in darkened and distorted ways) and acting (particularly with less and less moral restraint) and put on a new mind with new behaviors. Speak truthfully, be careful with your anger, and work hard so you can share with those in need. Speak words that are helpful and encouraging, and act with kindness and compassion. Put on behavior that reflects God and the sacrificial love of Jesus. Expose deed done in darkness by living an attractive, welcoming life that invites people to come out of the dark. Attract people by the light of your grace, graciousness and good deeds.
In our relationships with others, “submit to others out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:21. Have a lifestyle of humble, slave-like service to others, motivated by love and modeled by Christ. Actually seek out opportunities to serve. Serving means you are giving others God’s grace, undeserved kindness. They don’t have to be worthy of your kindness, that’s why it’s grace! A note to parents: Don’t cut back on the church and the godly “training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4.
The church is the bride of Christ. Christians are the bride of Christ. Christ loves His bride. Christ loved a very flawed, imperfect church enough to die for her! Christian, embrace Christ’s bride as well. Nurture, build up and care for the church.
Using a different metaphor, Christians are slaves of their Master Jesus Christ. Even if we face difficult circumstances, we live for Christ in the midst of them all. Whatever work we do should be done with care and good enough to show God, not just to get by. We should treat people with equal value and respect because they are all made in God’s image. God doesn’t show favoritism and neither should we! Live to please your Master.