Praize Blogs

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

V.1- Here, the man who was "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,” in verse one of chapter one, is in this verse 1, “...the prisoner of the Lord.” This phrase means he is the prisoner in the Lord, or for the Lord’s sake. So, Paul was beseeching, or exhorting and encouraging, the Christians for the Lord’s sake so that they would not fall away. But also, for his own sake so that all the work he had put into the congregaton’s growth and development would not have been in vain. But it was mostly for Jesus’ sake, so that the people would honor and glorify God, in three Persons. 

Paul was told the Christians there that they needed to walk “worthy” (which means of sufficient weight) of their calling, or that they should walk in grace. They had to watch their behavior, their conversations, and their attitudes so that those watching them could see Christ in them, the hope of glory, to which they were called, and not evil. I think he was telling them is that he was a prisoner in jail by man, but that his spiritual captor was Christ. Paul hadn’t done anything evil that he should be jailed for since his conversion. He had nothing to feel guilty about.  He was in prison for the sake of the Lord he served. He wanted them to know that, yes he was in a physical jail with his hands and ankles shackled, but that his real bondage was the love of Jesus around his heart.  You can almost hear him say, “Now listen,” to make sure he had their attention.

Let’s read I Thessalonians 2:10-12.  “Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”  Paul told these people the same thing. He assured them of his love for them, and that all he had said to them was truth. He made it clear to them that he and his helpers worked night and day for them. Then he told them to walk as witnesses worthy of all that Jesus had done for them.

The calling Paul is referring to here is the calling put on them by the Spirit by God. Man can teach the mind of man, leading the way to his salvation, but God's Spirit enters into the heart of man and makes him aware of his longing for the Lord. God anointed and appointed each of those people for a particular task. Each of them was born with talents and gifts that God selected especially to fulfill those tasks. They were the ones who got side tracked along the way. Now that those people had found their way back to God, Paul wanted to help them walk in a way that showed everyone their grace and gentleness that was given them after being saved.

V.2- Paul wanted the Ephesians to walk in humility and meekness. He wanted them to be gentle, showing mercy on others as mercy was shown to them. Humility is an unselfish concern for others. What is meekness? It’s balance and an even temper. It is power and strength under control. So we need to think more of others than ourselves, and be willing to serve them with gentle kindness in whatever way is necessary to assist them through difficult times. When we use meekness, humility, and grace in dealing with the lost, our love might be just the thing that points them to Jesus for salvation.

Longsuffering is patient endurance, even in persecution and bad treatment. Bearing up means to stand firm and not lose courage under pressure. Let’s put this together in a sentence. “With gentleness and a balanced temper, we can endure all things, yet keep our courage strong.” How would that affect our witness?  In a positive way.

V. 3- So we are to endeavor (try, work hard at, strain the muscles) to “keep the unity of the Spirit” in peace. Colossians 3:14 tells us that love is the bond of perfection. So by having all these attributes built up in ourselves, we develop peace within ourselves, and with those around us. What is the “unity of the Spirit?” It is a union between believers and the Holy ghost. It is a bond forged in love. When we express love outwardly toward others, we keep peace with each other. When we are united under God, we become part of the same body, and have the same mind. We are in one accord with the Word, and our hearts and affections are for God. That is unity in the Spirit.   

God bless you as you practice humility and meekness this week.

More studies at http://www.newbeginmin1.org/BIBLESTUDYOPENING.html