The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ephesians 4:1,
"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
What follows this statement is revolutionary in a personal way to each of Paul's readers. In this chapter alone he tells us to be "completely humble and gentle", be patient and bear with one another, keep a unity within the church, to put off our "old self" (the sinful nature), to be "made new in the attitude of your minds", put on the "new self" (created to be like God!) in "true righteousness and holiness", speak truthfully, refrain from anger, stealing and unwholesome talk, don't grieve the Holy Spirit, and "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every from of malice." Be kind and compassionate to one another and to forgive one another.
How many of us believers are engaged in this process? This is no mere task to earn a merit badge... we are talking of changed lives here, change to the core of our being! What could possibly motivate us in such a task? Paul states it as clearly and straightforward as possible in our verse here: these changes reflect living life worthy of the invitation God has extended us! Our calling by God through the gospel message carries with it a tremendous inheritance that becomes ours!
What is it worth? Paul puts it in terms of where the rubber meets the road in our lives. Our inheritance we are receiving is worthy of us engaging in all the Lord asks of us here! Do these things get us to heaven? No. Will not doing these things keep us from getting to heaven? No. Will doing these things earn us God's love and acceptance? No. Those things are all ours due to God's grace!
These things we do because what he gives us is worthy of it! It expresses the value of the Lord to each of us as we live out these things in our lives. It is, in a way, a measure of the greatness of the grand inheritance that is ours in the Lord! Paul leverages this wonderful inheritance that is ours to urge us in living our lives in a manner that brings pleasure to the one who loved us, who gave his Son for us that we might have a place at his table!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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