Therefore…walk worthy

In my current Busy Mamas Bible Study I had to go through the book of Ephesians.  In chapters 1-3 I highlighted everything that God has done for me.  This was very eye-opening to see so clearly what God has done for me.  Sometimes, a girl who was raised in a Christian home, and never committed any “major” sins, I take for granted exactly what God did when He reached out and saved my soul.  Ephesians 4:1 opens with the words, “Therefore…walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”  The next three chapters list command after command – each of which we are to do because of what God has done for us (chapters 1-3).  It is a “reasonable” service to do these things in response to everything that Christ did for us in salvation!

• 1. 3 – Blessed us with all spiritual blessings
• 1. 4 chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world
• 1.5 predestinated us to the adoption of children
• 1.6 made us accepted in the beloved
• 1.7 redeemed us through His blood
• 1.7 forgiven our sins
• 1.8 abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence
• 1.9 revealed the mystery of His will
• 1.11 given us an inheritance
• 1.13 sealed us with the Spirit of promise
• 2:1 quickened me, when I was dead in sin
• 2:4 loved me with a great love
• 2:5 quickened me together with Christ
• 2:6 raised us up together to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus
• 2:10 created me in Christ Jesus unto good works
• 2:10 ordained that I should walk in good works
• 2:13 brought me near by the blood of Christ
• 2:14 broken down the wall of partition
• 2:16 reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God through the cross
• 2:16 slain the enmity

Our responsibility in response to these things…

• 4.1 Walk worthy
• 4.2 Keep the unity
• 4.14 Be no more children [but be mature]
• 4.15 Speak the truth in love
• 4.15 Grow up into Christ
• 4.17 Walk not as other Gentiles
• 4.22 Put off the old man
• 4.23 Renew your mind
• 4.24 Put on the new man
• 4.25 Put away lying and speak truth
• 4.26 Let not the sun go down upon your wrath
• 4.27 Do not give place to the devil
• 4.28 Do not steal, but work with your hands
• 4.29 Do not have corrupt communication
• 4.29 Speak edifying words
• 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit
• 4.31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and malice be put away
• 4.32 Be kind
• 4.32 Forgive as Christ forgave
• 5.1 Be followers of God
• 5.2 Walk in love
• 5.3 Let uncleanness, fornication, and covetousness not be named among you even once
• 5.7 Be not partakers with the children of disobedience
• 5.8 Walk as children of light
• 5.10 Prove what is acceptable unto the Lord
• 5.11 Have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness
• 5.11 Reprove the works of darkness
• 5.15 Walk circumspectly
• 5.16 Redeem the time
• 5.17 Be not unwise
• 5.17 Understand God’s Will
• 5.18 Be not drunk with wine
• 5.18 Be filled with the Spirit
• 5.19 Speak psalms and hymns to yourselves
• 5.20 Give thanks always for all things
• 5.21 Submit yourselves to one another
• 5.22 Wives submit to your husbands
• 5.25 Husbands love your wives
• 5.28 Husbands love your wives as your own body
• 5.33 Husbands love your wives as yourself
• 5.33 Wives reverence your husbands
• 6.1 Children obey your parents
• 6.2 Children honor your father and mother
• 6.4 Fathers provoke not your children to wrath
• 6.4 Bring up your children in the admonition of the Lord
• 6.5 Servants obey your masters
• 6.7 Do your service as to the Lord and not to men
• 6.10 Be strong in the Lord
• 6.11 Put on the whole armor of God
• 6.13 Take the whole armor of God
• 6.14 Stand therefore [against the devil]
• 6.18 Pray always
• 6.18 Watch with perseverance

So, go – and walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called!

Thinking Differently

I guess I might be described as a pessimist.  I tend to think negatively rather than positively.  But I am trying to change the way that I think.  If I am walking in the Spirit, then I will be thinking with the mind of Christ.  I am reading in Ephesians, and chapter 6 describes the Christian’s armour.  Verse 17 tells us that we have the helmet of salvation.  The helmet protects the head {obviously}.  A wound to the head would almost surely be fatal.  But we have the salvation of Christ to protect us. 

Salvation has a daily, present, practical outworking {not just the future home in heaven} called sanctification – the process of becoming like Christ.  If I am walking in sanctification today, then it will protect my head – my thinking.  So many times I know that Satan attacks me by getting me to think wrong thoughts, which lead to wrong attitudes, and wrong actions, and cause hurt and remorse.  I want my thinking to change – to be saved!

Here is how that looks to me:

• I think I can’t handle this but God’s Word says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
• I think this isn’t fair but God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
• I think there is so much noise and chaos in my house right now but God says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
• I think this situation is terrible but God says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
• I think I have too much to do but God says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• I think my kids are so much work – why did I want to be a mom? but God says, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (Psalm 127:3)
• I think I can’t love/forgive that person but God says, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”  (Romans 5:5).  It is His love in me that I can offer to that person.
• I think I can’t get victory – it’s just my besetting sin but God says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57) and “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The Will of God

When I was in college I had a professor who used to point out any verse that told us what the will of God is.  He would tell us to mark down those “will of God verses.”  You know, the Will of God isn’t hard to find – He spells it out pretty clearly in His Word!  God has a general will for all of His children, and He has a specific will for each of us individually.  I think we would all agree that God’s will is for us to live holy lives, and for us not to live in sin.  That’s His general will.  Deciding where my family should live, what job to accept, or what ministry to serve in would be God’s specific will for my life.  He can reveal that through His Scripture too, just not spelled out as clearly in black and white letters.

Today I was reading Ephesians and I came across a “will of God” verse.  In Ephesians 5:15-21 it says,

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,  16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;  21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

There in verse 17 the Apostle Paul challenges us to be wise and understand what the Will of God is.  So what is it?  Right there in verse 18 – be filled with the Spirit.  God’s will is that every one of His children would walk in the Spirit.  And if you take the context, I think we could say that all of these things are God’s Will for us today:

• Walk circumspectly {careful to consider all circumstances; prudent}
• Be wise
• Redeem the time
• Be filled with {controlled by} the Spirit
• Singing spiritual songs
• Giving thanks for everything
• Submitting ourselves to each other

Walk in God’s Will Today!

“But God…”

Ephesians 2 illustrates the great difference between our position as dead in sins before salvation (vs.1-2), and the amazing position we share now, sitting together with Christ in heavenly places (vs.6).  How did this transformation take place?  All because of God.  “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us;” (vs.4).  His love and mercy made all the difference!

Before salvation:

• Dead in sins (vs.1)
• Walked according to the world (vs.2)
• Lived in Satan’s realm (vs.2)
• Disobedient (vs.2)
• Lusts of the flesh (vs.3)
• Fulfilling the desires of the flesh (vs.3)
• Children of wrath (vs.3)
• Gentiles in the flesh (vs.11)
• Aliens from God (vs.12)
• Strangers from the covenant of promise (vs.12)
• No hope (vs.12)
• Without God (vs.12)
• Far off (vs. 13)
• Separated from God (vs.14)
• Afar off (vs.17)
• Strangers and foreigners (vs.19)

“But God” gave us this new life and totally transformed us, so that we can walk in Him and not fulfill the lust of the flesh:

• Quickened – made alive (vs.1)
• Loved (vs.4)
• Saved by grace (vs.5)
• Raised (vs.6)
• Seated with Christ in heavenly places (vs.6)
• Rich through the grace of Christ (vs.7)
• Saved by grace through faith (vs.8)
• Given salvation as a free gift (vs.8)
• His workmanship (vs.10)
• Living unto good works (vs. 10)
• Made nigh (vs.13)
• We have peace through Christ (vs.14)
• Reconciled (vs.16)
• One body through the cross (vs.17)
• The punishment (enmity) against us is slain, abolished (vs.15-16)
• Access to the Father through the Spirit (vs.18)
• Fellowcitizens with the saints (vs.19)
• Household of God (vs.19)
• Build on the foundation and Corner Stone (vs.2010
• Growing (vs.21)
• The habitation of the Spirit (vs.22)

Now that’s a reason to smile and have a “happy heart” today!