Teaching Of The Week  

Walking Worthy

By Wayne Clapp

  At the beginning of the practical section of Ephesians, Paul beseeches the faithful in Christ Jesus to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.
Ephesians 4:1b:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith ye are called,

  Beseech is a Greek word meaning encourage. This is genuine motivation. Fear motivation is counterfeit; it only produces temporary, superficial results. If believers are raised to motivate themselves the results are genuine. Our love for God energizes us to live for Him. Love and fear cannot coexist; we must determine which spurs us into action.

  Paul is reaching out from the depths of his heart to encourage them to walk worthy of the calling wherewith they were called. Having the noun (vocation) and the verb (are called) from the same root in the verse is emphatic. We were called by God, and His calling is magnificent. This was His idea. Our only logical response from a proper recognition of what He has done is to walk worthy. We are to walk in a suitable manner. Then to show what that worthy manner is he jumps right into it in the next verse.

Ephesians 4:2,3:
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

  I’d like you to think of these as five steps to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called. The first three steps are attitudes to maintain and the last two are actions to take. Lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering, are attitudes necessary to cultivate in order to walk worthy, but we must not only think right; we must follow through with action. Unless we forbear one another in love and endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we will never achieve a walk that is worthy of our calling.

  An attitude is a predisposition to act. It is not action, but it is a mindset that leads to or directs us to act in certain ways. It is important to keep our attitudes right because it provides a necessary head-start. When our attitudes are right, as situations or opportunities present themselves we roll right into it.

  Let’s take a look at each one of these.

  Lowliness is never forgetting what God has done for you. It’s an attitude of humility and modesty that is the first step to walking worthy.

Acts 20:19:
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind [lowliness], and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

  Just like walking worthy of our calling requires humility of mind or lowliness, so does serving. It is must easier when we esteem others better than ourselves.

Philippians 2:3:
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

  This verse doesn’t say that others are better than we are. It simply says that we should have the lowliness of mind to esteem them that way. This attitude of lowliness is an important starting point in our interactions with others and will open doors of service to us.

  The second step is meekness. Meekness is being teachable or coachable. It lacks arrogance and self sufficiency. It acknowledges dependency on others for instruction and training.

I Peter 3:15:
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

  We don’t act as if we have all the answers; we are just sure of the ones we have. We are always ready to share what we know, expecting to learn more we because we are giving of what we have. As we give by speaking the truth in love our meekness to God and reverence for Him allows us receive more in return.

Galatians 6:1:
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

  Again we see that maintaining a spirit of meekness will keep us out of trouble in interpersonal relationships, and allow us to continue to receive from God what we need to help our brothers and sisters when the occasion arises.

  Longsuffering, makrothumia, is patience in dealing with people. It is slowness in vengeance, self restraint to not retaliate, the ability to put up with people's idiosyncrasies. It stands in the face of retaliation and revenge.

I Peter 3:20:
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

  God put up with so much until He finally found someone who would believe and do as He asked.

Hebrews 6:12:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

  It is going to take faith and patience or longsuffering to stick around and be faithful until we receive God’s promise.

  Forbearing, anechomai, is holding one's self up or holding up each other. It means to sustain or to bear up under pressure. It rallies around equanimity and equality.

Colossians 3:13:
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

  We have to forbear and forgive one another because none of us are perfect.

2 Thessalonians 1:4:
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure [anechomai]:

  We often have to endure much grief as we remain faithful. That will require that we forbear one another in love. Love is devotion to God and each other. In this context, it emphasizes the horizontal component. Love is what allows us to forbear and keep hanging in there with one another.

  Endeavoring means that we are to exert diligence and timesaving effort in zealous pursuit of something. This is how we are to pursue the unity of the spirit.

II Peter 1:10:
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

  Our calling is sure, and our diligence insures that we will stick around to receive our reward. The opposite of diligence is slothfulness.

Romans 12:11:
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

  To endeavor properly we must maintain peace. We don’t want to be so fervent in our pursuit of unity we leave a wake of destruction, aggravation and hurt behind us. Peace is characterized by being untroubled, having an absence of conflict, and feeling safe or secure. This is peace must be horizontally manifested among the believers.

Colossians 3:15:
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

  Peace is a guarding fruit of the spirit, and we need to let it guard our lives.

Romans 14:19:
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

  Maintaining peace will allow us to build one another up.

I Corinthians 14:33:
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
  These five simple steps allow us walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called. Attitudes of lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering will provide the proper predisposition to forbear one another and endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. As we follow through on these directives we will have the joy of walking worthy of God’s call.