EPHESIANS 5:1-2 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. The Christian life is defined by the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture. It may be understood as “A walk in love modeled after Christ bringing pleasure and honor to God.” And here is the danger of making such a statement. It sounds good. It is Biblical. But what does that look like in the daily grind of living in a fallen world? How do we flesh that out in actions that validate we get what the Christian life truly is – a walk of love as Jesus walked? For all Christians, we need to “close the gap” between what Biblical truth we know and what we live.
In the New Testament letter to the Ephesians, the two words “in love” appear six times. Of those occurrences, three are found in the fourth chapter and each one of them will be our guide to living the Christian life – a walk of love as Jesus walked.
First, the walk of love involves displaying patience in all circumstances – I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1-2). One of the high marks of Christ-likeness and love is being patient with all people, in all circumstances, and all the time. And that is not easy! When we are tempted to be impatient with people or circumstances, stop and remember how patient the Lord is with us.
A second truth from the fourth chapter of Ephesians describing a walk of love as Jesus walked is in our speech – Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:15). We may speak truth but without love it is a weapon that hurts, not an instrument of healing. Francis Schaeffer said, “Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” To walk as Jesus walked, in love, demands speaking the truth in love, and not just love for the truth but love for the people to whom we speak truth.
Finally, a walk of love as Jesus walked always builds people up, never tears them down – Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:15-16). Do a quick self-assessment. Are we known as encouragers of others? Or do we hold reputations of being discouragers or simply indifferent toward people? It was never so of the Lord Jesus and is not to be so of us, His people.
This is the Christian life – a walk of love as Jesus walked; patient with all people, speaking the truth in love, and always seeking to build others up. May we be known as these types of Christians. After all, that is the only type of Christian there is.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to live the Christian life as You described it, not as I think it is or even make it be to suit me.”
QUOTE: “The life of love is the Christian life meaning self-denying sacrifice moment-by-moment for Christ and others.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim