Walk in a Worthy Manner

Paul makes a shift in teaching here in chapter 4. He has explained the good news of our salvation in chapters 1–3, and now he turns to show us how that news ought to play out in the good lives of God’s people. He begins with walking in a manner worthy of the Gospel. He meant for the Ephesians to live out this "Good News" in their lives. He outlines some characteristics that should be present in their fellowship, and by extension, in ours as well. The question becomes, "Are these things characteristic of your life?" If not, adjust your attitude accordingly knowing that we are, as stated in verses 4-6. "One body and One Spirit". We cannot simply gather with those whom we agree with and share biases with. We are to remember that we are part of a bigger tent than that narrow view.

Opening Up Ephesians Chapter 7: Unity in the Faith (4:1–6)

Christians, by God’s design, come out of many different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. Christians also come from many different religious backgrounds, as Paul points out in chapter 2. In addition, even once they are in the body of Christ, Christians have many different gifts and abilities (4:7–13). But God gets glory by taking the wide array of different people he has created and bringing them all into “one body” with “one Lord” and “one faith.” That is the thrust of these first sixteen verses in chapter 4—“out of many, one.”

I say all of that to help you see that this is not a passage about walking a certain way before God as much as it is a passage about,

Walking a certain way amongst each other.

We truly are new men and new women and we should walk/act that way. It should be obvious.

New Unity or Old Divisions

Paul is asserting here that one way we “Walk in a manner worthy of our calling” is to live in unity and love with other Christians.

Does love for one another truly characterize them? or us?

Paul is not saying something new here. We read this same assertion in John 13

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So Paul, how do we do that? That would have been the question of the lips of the Ephesians. And in typical Paul fashion, he knows the question and outlines thee answer.

For me, we will work backwards. Starting at verse 3 and coming back to to verse 1

Eager to Maintain

NASB says “Being Diligent” some other translations use the word “zeal”

Funny story about zeal from my grandad Spade.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Eager

eager

■ adjective strongly wanting to do or have something.

▶ keenly expectant or interested.

—PHRASES

eager beaver informal an enthusiastic person who works very hard.

—DERIVATIVES eagerly adverb eagerness noun

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 68.63 σπουδάζω; σπουδή, ῆς

68.63 σπουδάζωb; σπουδήb, ῆς f: to do something with intense effort and motivation—‘to work hard, to do one’s best, to endeavor.’

σπουδάζωb: σπουδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ‘do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives’ Eph 4:3.

σπουδήb: ὁ προϊστάμενος ἐν σπουδῇ ‘whoever has authority must work hard’ Ro 12:8.

What do we find ourselves working hard at?

We have all met people that seem hair triggered and ready to launch as soon as any tiny offense is given. They are given to argue, excuse, ridicule and complain.

They are eager or diligent or zealous to fight. That is not to characterize us.

So, what should characterize us?

Staying with our backwards approach

Bearing With One Another in Love

Colossians 3:13 ESV

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Bearing with the differences not just the similarities.

Luke 6:32 ESV

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.171 ἀνέχομαι; ἀνοχή, ῆς

25.171 ἀνέχομαιa; ἀνοχή, ῆς f: to be patient with, in the sense of enduring possible difficulty

How in the world will we bear with one another?

With Patience

Colossians 3:12 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

1 Timothy 1:16 ESV

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Proverbs 15:18 ESV

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Humility and Gentleness

Titus 3:2 ESV

to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Peace exists when humility and gentleness are present. It cannot exist any other way.

Walking in a worthy manner is being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.