THEREFORE

 
October 27, 2020                                          THEREFORE
Ephesians 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:20-24 “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former way of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
The word ‘therefore’ is an important connecting word. Paul is admonishing us make the connection of what God has done with the life we live. It is a no-brainer, but being a believer should make a huge difference in how we live on a day-to-day basis. If we have ‘learned Christ,’ if we have ‘heard Him’’ and have been ‘taught in Him,’ our life will show evidence of a relationship with Him. All too often, one can claim to be a believer, and yet the life lived is a contradiction of the life Jesus calls us to live. I have often said that to live life as God designed does not happen automatically; it is a mystery in that only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we live the life we are called to live as believers, yet, we have a part to play; we must work with Him as He works in us. That is why Paul is ‘entreating’ us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. God paid a great price for us to be reconciled to Him; Jesus died and was raised from the dead on our behalf; we have been made new and the power of sin has been broken—THEREFORE, let us walk in a manner worthy of Him. The old familiar saying is true: we must ‘walk the talk.’ If we compartmentalize our life into spiritual and non-spiritual, we are in error. Because He lives in us and has transformed us, we have the wonderful opportunity to honor and glorify our Father in all we do. It is a miracle indeed, but we can experience His life and His presence even in the most menial task we do. Brother Laurence discovered that even washing dishes could be an act of worship. From the verses above we see that we can be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, a preserver of the peace-and from other scriptures, we can love one another, encourage one another, give and serve, and reflect the life of Jesus in all we do. Of course, we cannot live this life in our own strength; in the Ephesian verses above, we are reminded that we must lay aside our old self and put on the new self that is in the ‘likeness of God.’ Routines in life are normal, but we must not let our routines dull our sense of hearing and walking in the ways of the Lord. We have the opportunity to live our life in concert with God; to enjoy and experience His presence moment by moment.
1 John 2:5-6 “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
Blessings,
Buddy