Ephesians 4 - Live Well, Live Worthy

This is one of those chapters in the Bible that ought to be taught at least monthly in the Church.

        It reminds us that our job is to use our God-given abilities to build others up so that we grow more and more like Christ.  It is a great reminder that God’s church is growing, and that it will grow in unity in faith and knowledge of God’s Son until Jesus returns.

        May you and I do our parts today.  Let’s ask God for wisdom and trust the Spirit of God to provide for us.

You see, the law of Christ is similar, but much superior to the law of Moses.  To live as God’s new covenant people means coming humbly, boldly, and confidently into God’s presence daily for guidance and growth.  I trust that we will grow in maturity.  And I pray that God will show us his approval and make our efforts successful (Psalm 90:17).

The Christian is marked by both what we do and what we don’t do.  Sadly the church has seen far too much greed, hypocrisy, and man-made legalistic rules that come not from Jesus or his apostles.  We seem to have lost the core message of Ephesians even though we pretend to believe Scripture is inerrant.  It is indeed inerrant!

We tire of the modern leaders who so brazenly pursue fame, money, and self-righteous recognition.  They chastise G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Spurgeon for smoking a pipe while reflecting on God’s goodness or sharing a pint in fellowship with those they love.  Yet the same guys, like Ravi Zacharias, travel first class and own massage parlors, etc.

        On the farm when I was a kid we worked with the men of the community (Christian men from different churches) all day in the summer heat building steel granaries.  It was our farm, but the other men were volunteering their time to help.  I remember the men sharing a case of beer on the tailgate of a truck (warm beer mind you as there were no coolers).  We didn't drink beer in our house so this was interesting to me.  They let us boys also have a beer.  I remember it distinctly as a time of brotherhood and manliness.  Of celebration of good work and community.  Genuine fellowship.  Over the years as a hockey player, I shared many similar times with hockey teammates in the dressing room after games.  I cherished that time with my friends.

        These modern self-righteous leaders know little of that kind of community.  They pretend to be down to earth, but they disdain the rabble that would attend a rodeo and enjoy an honest fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.  God sees through it all.  He knows the hypocrisy.  He sees those who are hooked on sin that so snidely call out faults they see in everyone else.

        This chapter reminds us not to be hypocrites and not to copy the world.  Be Christian.  Be different.  Be genuine Christians following the law of Christ written on your heart and with your actions reflecting confidence in Christ’s freedom.

        We see here that the Do Nots are just as important as the Dos.  And vice-versa.  The first Do Not is to live no longer as the Gentiles do.  Those without the Holy Spirit are characterized by darkness, separation from God, confusion, closed minds, closed hearts, and no sense of shame, and they have wicked, lustful desires for pleasure, and the practice of every kind of impurity.

        Sound familiar?  Sadly, that actually describes many Christian men and women today.  Be honest.  Are we different from the world?  I suggest objectively that the modern church often looks to proudly live as Gentiles.  We desperately seek the world’s attention and the world’s approval.

        Living as children of God means we stop that.  Instead, we live for God.  It’s a way more exciting and interesting and fulfilling life anyway.  God’s our audience.  He’s the One whom we humbly and confidently go before each day for guidance and instruction.  

        Lord Jesus, we love you and trust you will help us build up young men and women in Christ today.  As genuine Christians.  May we honor you by living lives worthy of being called your people.  Amen.

Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist (Rodin Museum, Philadelphia).