The Calling And The Walk

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Ephesians 4:1

Now before we do any walking, we are going to have to find what this vocation or calling is. It is always best to read the directions first, before setting out. We might even go in the wrong direction. Today we are not free to do what we may think is right in our own eyes as it was in the time of the judges. Such results in anarchy.

Let us refer back to the word calling in 1:18. There the apostle prays that they may know the hope of His calling. This calling has to do with sonship as we find in 1:4,5. Now we are better able to think what might be involved.

Back in the first 3 gospels we find that Sonship was mainly in connection with the kingdom promised in Gen 49 and again to David. But when we get into Eph 1:10 we find that there is a much broader aspect of this Sonship. It tells us that in the fulness of times the Son will be Head over all things both in heaven and in earth.

Now the hope of His calling in 1:18 goes much farther than an earthly kingdom in which are the children of promise. It has to do with things in heaven. This is something that a lot of folks have overlooked. They have not realized that there is a program for the heavens as well as for the earth. They do not know that redemption takes in the whole creation. So it is well to study the plan and purpose of God in relations to the ages.

But still we do not see our relation to His hope and calling. It is found in Eph 3:6. We are heirs, if so be we belong to the one body which is the church with its citizenship in the heavenlies. And we are also partakers of the promise made in Christ before the ages began that there would be eternal life. Those who belong to this group or church, who have been adopted into sonship, are made meet to partake of His inheritance in the holiest of all. Col 1:12

There it is. Placed as sons that we might partake of the inheritance of the Son. Called sons, even as He was called the Son of God. This is the calling. And we are besought to walk worthy of such a calling. What a responsibility!

How can we do it? First we are to endeavor or strive to keep the unity of the Spirit. We are not to make any unity, but to keep one already made. It is made without hands in the heavenlies.

In subsequent chapters the word walk is used 3 times;

1. Walk in love. As or because Christ has also loved us. The Lord told His disciples to love one another, and that this was the sign by which the world would know that they were His disciples. In this connection read 1 Cor 13.

2. Walk as children of light. The children of darkness stumble and cause others to stumble.

3. Walk circumspectly. It has to do with wisdom. The suggested opposite is walking as fools.

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