Ephesians 4:1

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

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 if we don't read the map. 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 Eph. 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 Eph. 1:4-5. Now, we are better able to think about what might be involved.

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Haggai 1:5

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Haggai 1:5-7

Thus saith the Lord of hosts;

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS (Haggai 1:5)

1. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; (Haggai 1:6)

2. Ye eat, but ye have not enough; (Haggai 1:6)

3. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; (Haggai 1:6)

4. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm; (Haggai 1:6)

5. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages ...into a bag with holes. (Haggai 1:6)

Thus saith the Lord of hosts;

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS (Haggai 1:7)

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Ephesians 3:9

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,
who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Fellowship is a word that is sweet to the ears of almost everyone, especially believers. They have a basis for it that spans this present life and the one that is coming. For the sake of review, what is this basis? We will entitle this:

1. The Premises of Fellowship:

It must be built upon the good foundation of the following: (a) the Bible is the written Word of God, His revelation to us; (b) the Lord Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God, Deity. Faith in these essentials will provide a certain measure of fellowship for all believers regardless of their denominational differences.

Anyone who denies the unique Person and work of the Son of God is a deceiver and an antichrist (2 John 1:7). We are to avoid all spiritual fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11; 2 Cor. 6:14).

2. The Problems or Conditions of Fellowship:

The lines of communication must be kept open for unbroken fellowship. God's Word is the hub of the wheel of fellowship with The Almighty. Too often, neglect, indifference, or wilful sin enters into the lives of believers, and fellowship is impaired or broken. A saying goes like this: God's Word will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from God's Word. On the subject of fellowship, we are told this in 1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

But what does a believer do for fellowship when separated or isolated from others of like mind? This is a common problem for those who practice right division. We believe the Lord has more than sufficient grace available for those who are willing to stand alone in a case like this. Someone once said there is plenty of elbow room the closer we get to the Lord. If we learn this secret, there is a fellowship the vast majority of Christians know nothing of. Too much that is called Christian fellowship is really visiting and talking in church. Talking about our wonderful Lord and His Word is greatly neglected today.

True fellowship contributes to spiritual growth and the knowledge of God as Christians share experiences in the right division of His Word. They are also encouraged and inspired to live better and more fruitful lives for His glory. So fellowship in, around, and through His Word.

John 8:36

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Freedom is a subject much in the news today, but few know of the true freedom which is in Christ.

A much-used Bible reference on this is John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. This is used many times as a salvation theme, but actually, it was spoken to very religious (but lost) Jews. Even borrowed out of its context, this verse has a wonderful message for everyone today. In John 8:36 of the same Chapter, our Lord refers to Himself as The Son: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. The Truth and the Son are interchangeable, so Christ is Truth personified. This is The Truth that men everywhere need to know.

Freedom in Christ from the standpoint of salvation can be considered in three ways:

1. Freedom from the Penalty of Sin. The only thing that stands between God and man is man's sin. When we let Him, God takes care of this perfectly and completely; in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7).

2. Freedom from the Power of Sin. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace Romans 6:14. This is God's promise if we yield service and obedience to righteousness (Romans 6:16). It is not uncommon to hear of believers enjoying victory over the old man of sin, but the shackles of religion and tradition which Christendom has propagated for centuries still bind the overwhelming majority to this day. God does not free believers from these chains until they fully believe and obey His Word rightly divided.

Pride of race kept the Jews mentioned in John 8 in the power of sin. They gave mental assent to what He said until He claimed to be equal to God and the only One Who could save them from sin. Then, the very ones who believed were ready to kill Him. The power of sin should make us tremble and cause us to cling harder to our Saviour.

3. Freedom from the Presence of Sin. This will take place with The Resurrections. The bodies we have in Resurrection will not sin, even if exposed to it, and will be fit for a perfect environment. This should make us shout with joy! Bless God!