Ephesians 4:1 -3 we see, ‘Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ We need to walk in a manner, worthy of our calling. We see in Romans 8:29, ‘29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.’
God is calling us to partake in the nature of Lord Jesus Christ. In our everyday life, we need to partake in His nature. In Ephesus, Paul was given this message. We very well know, that the first message to the Ephesus Church was given by Aquilla and Priscilla. When they were in Corinth, Paul accompanied them. Then Paul left Aquilla and Pricilla in Ephesus and went on with his missionary travel. It is the Word, which Aquilla and Priscilla gave to Ephesus in the beginning and it spread over there. We see that the Ephesus was a bustling city. It was the capital of Asia Minor at that time, which is in Turkey right now. We can know the resistance which they had. We also know the corrections Aquilla and Priscilla gave to Apollos also, as Apollos was also preaching there about the baptism of John. We see the brief introduction in Acts 18, of what Paul did in Ephesus. When he came back to Ephesus, after three and a half years, Paul was giving strong messages to the brothers over there and it is the result of that, the Church was formed in Ephesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, this gripped my heart. It is the labor that Paul has taken, that the Church was there. We see the strong messages which Paul gave to Ephesus over the three and a half years. But in the end, In Revelation, John revealed about the Ephesus Church. We see in Revelation 2:2 – 4, ‘ ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.’ Let us assess ourselves. In this matter, of ‘love’, is this love growing in me? In every day of my life? We have a confidence growing in us, with the knowing of the Word. This confidence can grow in us and make us deaf and dumb to the current reality. This was the burden in my heart, dear brothers and sisters. We might also have this confidence in our life. Every day, we hear the Word of God, how is our love towards our God?
In Ephesus, Paul is giving strong message. There it says, Ephesians 1:3 ‘3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ‘Blessings of the Holy Spirit. Verse 11 says, ‘11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,’ This is what God has done for us. He has given us an inheritance of Holy Spirit. Thank God for that. We see in verse 17, ‘17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.’ We see the burden which apostle Paul had. It says, ‘18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,’. We see in, Ephesians 2:5,6 ‘5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,’ He has seated us in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. It is not an earthly blessing, which we can see as in Deuteronomy 28. It is a spiritual blessing and that too in the heavenly places.
When we are here on the earth, we need to be heavenly minded. This is the Word came to me. Over the time, we can develop self-confidence. Where we lose that first love and pure devotion to Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, we need to submit ourselves to God. We need to claim the Holy Spirit, every day in our life. Ephesians 4 says, ‘Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ What are we called for? ‘, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ Dear brothers and sisters, are we patient with one another? Is there humility in us? Gentleness in us?
There are areas in our lives, where there is pride, there are some areas which lift us up. We know very well what happened to the angel whose heart was lifted up and had a desire to go up. The areas, where we tend to project ourselves, thinking, ‘I am better than others in Job’ or whatever the field is. Bible says, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We should be diligent to preserve the unity in the Church. Because there are areas in our lives, which comes that there might be differences between us. These differences, Satan will come easily, taking the benefit of them. The unity in our home life. How is it? dear brothers and sisters. Are we one with wife? Is the husband and wife together? because, this is going to affect the Church and our children also. In the wake of this, check, how is my family life? The relationship with my children? Is there any improvement? In this new year, Am I able to walk in that manner? Always have this in mind, have a check, every day.
As Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” It clearly states that, Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. And says, ‘learn from me’. Dear brothers and sisters, we need to learn every day from our Lord Jesus Christ. The humility that He had and the gentleness He had. And the compassionate heart He had. Thank God for this verse. The only way we can go through this year is, like this. Hebrews 12:1,2 ‘Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ In this year, 2020, we have to run this race. How do we do it? By fixing our eyes on Jesus. There is no short cut. By giving ourselves to Lord Jesus Christ. Taking up the cross every day and claiming the promises which He has given and claiming the Holy spirit every day of our life. 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. There was a joy in Him, enduring the cross, despising the shame. Let us look unto him, every day of our life.
In Romans 6, we see that there is a freedom from the power of sin. ‘4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.’ This is how, we walk with unison of Christ. Submitting to our Lord daily. It is the Lord who is raising us up. We need to die in our flesh every day. 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 2 Corinthians 5:7 we see, ‘ for we walk by faith, not by sight’. We are walking by faith. It is not by sight; we are not able to see, because things are not in reality before us but we walk in faith.
Galatians 2:20, ‘20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’ Every day, I crucify my flesh. I live in faith in the son of God. He is the one, who is leading me in every day of my life. Ephesians 5:1, 2 ‘Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.’ It says here, ‘Be imitators of God’. Every day we should walk in love. ‘, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.’ We are looking at Christ and He is our destination. Every day, we need to submit ourselves. Offer ourselves also, as sacrifices in every day of our lives.
1 John 1:7 says, ‘7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin’. We can have fellowship only if the other brother is also walking in the light. One brother is walking in the light and the other brother is walking in the darkness, then there is no fellowship. Because, he is not able to come into the light. Dear brothers and sisters, the blood of His son, Jesus Christ, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 2:6 says, ‘ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.’
For the next, coming months in this year, 2020, we need to walk, we need to abide in Him, and we need to walk in the same manner, He walked. Thank God for the Word.
