I…Beg You….

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Ephesians 4:1

How serious a matter is it for us to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling as saints?  Apparently, to Paul, it was a serious matter.   There are at least two things he does in our text which indicate this.  The first thing he does is refer to himself, as ‘the prisoner of the Lord.’  By this reference, he obliquely points out that he has taken this walk of faith seriously enough to follow it to its’ logical conclusion.  That has landed him in prison for the sake of Christ.  The second thing he does is to beseech, or beg, the Ephesians to walk worthy of this calling.  Paul was an imitator of Christ to its’ logical conclusion.  He wanted the Ephesians, to likewise be imitators of Christ.  It is the small steps we take all along the way which lend us to the large conclusion.  Small actions, repeated, lead to large consequences.  Because Paul understands this, he begs the Ephesians to take this walking worthy as seriously as he does.  He understands that this is the only appropriate response to grace and the only true reflection of genuine gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ.  Paul’s entreaty to the Ephesians is also an entreaty to us.  If we have received grace, with what degree of gratitude will we respond?  How will we walk worthy of the calling with which we were called?

Our Holy, Wise God and Heavenly Father,
we rejoice that You have laid out before us
a pathway to follow, step-by-step.
We praise You that You have set Christ before us,
as the brilliant example,
Whom we can imitate as we walk along this path.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning