Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Eph. 4:1-6 | Part 1 | Allen Mashburn

In verse 1 Paul calls the church to remember where we came from and all that the Lord has done for us in Christ. He uses the word “therefore” to call to our minds all that He has taught us thus far in the book of Ephesians. He has been writing about doctrine, precept, and belief. Now, he turns his attention to duty, practice and behavior. The phrase at the end of verse 1 that reads, “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” is worth another quick glance.

 

The word “vocation” refers to “a calling; or a career.” It refers to “a person’s life’s work.” The calling we received from God to come to Christ by faith was not a call for a weekend getaway. It was a call to live a radically changed life for the glory of God. We are called on to live differently because we now know Jesus. We are live lives that are “worthy” of what we have been given in Christ. The word “worthy” means, “to balance the scales.” We are to live lives that prove we belong to the Lord. We are to live lives that glorify Him in the world. We are to live such weighty lives that we “balance the scales” with God.

 

Having told us what God expects of us, Paul now moves to tell us how to bring this to pass in our lives. He teaches us in these verses how to walk the worthy walk. One of the clearest ways the church can prove the reality of what it teaches is by living out the essence of what Paul talks about throughout the book of Ephesians.