EPHESIANS 4:1-2A WALK WORTHY OF THE CALLING WITH WHICH YOU WERE CALLED

Eph 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2  with all lowliness and gentleness,

              In this section we see Paul telling us to walk worthy of all that God has given us and called us to in Chapters 1-3.  Paul says based on all God has done for you, now you live this way.  Chapters 1-3 tell us what God has done for us, and Chapters 4-6 tell us our responsibilities based on His grace and mercy.

The power to serve God is not found in us, in our own striving or strength. It is the power which God Himself provides in Christ and by means of His Spirit. Chapters 1-3 speak much of God’s power, which is at work in us, enabling us to serve Him in a way that brings Him glory (see Ephesians 1:19-21; 3:16-21).

The doctrine of chapters 1-3 provides the motivation for our conduct. Chapters 1-3 are all about the grace of God and this grace produces gratitude.

In the Old Testament God said if you obey me I will bless you and now in the NT He says I have blessed you already so now you need to obey me

1. Gratitude for God’s grace is one of the motivations for our service.
2. Another is the hope and assurance we have of the fulfillment of God’s future promises.
3. Another strong motivation is the knowledge of our eternal security (Ephesians 1:13), and that God has not only provided the grace to be saved, but also to serve Him, to His glory.

In this lesson we will begin to consider the “new” way of walking which we are to learn and to practice as believers in Jesus Christ. May God grant that we would understand Paul’s instructions and that our walk would be consistent with our high calling in Christ.