Walk Like An Ephesian

 

Eph 2:8-8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Intro: We normally think of one’s walk as their means of locomotion, or how they move from one place to another. Our walk is something that develops early in our lives, somewhere around the age of 1. However, there is another sense in which this word is used. It can also refer to a person’s walk of life. That is, what they do with their life and how they live their life can be described as their walk.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul uses the word “walk” 6 times. Each time he does, he uses it in the sense of one’s conduct or manner of living their life. He is writing to these Ephesian believers to show them how they are to live their lives as they pass through this world as pilgrims and strangers. He is writing to teach them how they are to live their lives.

I want to touch briefly on each of these 6 verses this evening. What Paul told these believers 2,000 years ago is still valid for us, in our world, today. Let’s take a few minutes to look into these verse and learn how to Walk Like An Ephesian.

I. 2:10 THE WORKING WALK

A. While we are not saved by our good works, Eph. 2:8-9, we are saved to work, James 2:18. No amount of good works can produce salvation, but salvation will produce a limitless number of good works.

B. God has saved us to serve, and He has prepared the works which we are to do as we pass through this life. He has a special assignment for each person He saves. 1 Cor. 12:7, 11.

C. We are His workmanship, (Poem, Masterpiece). He saved us to show us off and let the world know what He can do with sinners. He has chosen to paint the glory of His grace and love upon the canvas of our lives . He has chosen us to show a lost world what a great God can do with a lost sinner.

D. As we abide in Him, we will have no problem carrying out the assignment which we are given, John 5:15.

II. 4:1 THE WORTHY WALK

A. The word “worthy” comes from a word that means “to balance the scales.” What Paul is saying here is this: “Let your walk balance with your talk.” Simple stated, we are called upon to be what we claim to believe!

B. Too many believers claim to believe on thing, yet live another. Such things should never be! This verse reminds us that we have been called by God to a part of His saving plan. We are to walk “worthy” of that calling. We are to balance our lives with the fact the He has called us “out of darkness into His marvelous light.“, 1 Pet. 2:9!

C. Only one who’s life balances is worthy of the name Christian!

III. 4. 17 THE WHOLEHEARTED WALK

A.    Paul’s emphasis in this verse is that believers ought to be different! They have been saved and they are no longer to live like the world around them. Remember, those who are in Jesus are “new creatures“, 2 Cor. 5:17.

B. Ill. The corruption and vice of the Ephesus of Paul’s day. It was a wicked city filled with wicked men and wicked worship. (Ill. The Temple of Diana (Artemis) was there, Acts 19:24-28. It was a place associated with paganism, prostitution and crime.). The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said this about Ephesus and the Ephesians, “the darkness of vileness. The morals were lower than animals and the inhabitants of Ephesus were fit only to be drowned.” Ephesus was no easy place to live. But, Paul calls upon them to be different!

C. The same clear lines of demarcation should still exist between the people of the Lord and the world around us! We have been saved to be different. The way to do this is to avoid the path of the lost, Eph. 4:17-19, and to walk in the path of life, Eph. 4:20-32. We can live for God!

IV. 5:2 THE WONDERFUL WALK

A. Paul tells the Ephesians that their lives are to be characterized by love. Jesus said that love was to be the earmark, or the defining trait of His disciples, John 13:35. The love Paul refers to here is the word “agape“. We know that this refers to “God’s kind of love.” It is unconditional that is based on a conscious choice, after close evaluation. In other words, it means to love someone in spite of what they are, what they have done, or what you know about them. It is loving like Jesus. Spelled out clearly in 1 Cor. 13:1-8.

B. This love should be evident in our lives in three areas.

1.     Love For The Savior – Matt. 22:37 – This kind of love will keep us Holy.

Matt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

2.     Love For The Saint – 1 John 3:14 – This kind of love will keep us Humble

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

3.     Love For The Sinner – Matt. 22:39 – When we learn to love the lost around us like Jesus does, this kind of love will keep us Hot!

Matt 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

C. The ability to love this way is not natural, but it is the supernatural work of God in us!

V. 5:8 THE WITNESSING WALK

A. Note the contrast in this verse. We “were darkness“, lost folks still are. Now we “are light“. Our whole nature has been changed and we are to live that change out before a world trapped in darkness.

B.     As we do, our lives becomes living testimonies to the awesome power of God to change the sinner! Lost me see the change and are stirred in their hearts, Matt. 5:16. You see, it is not just enough to walk in the light, we are light, 2 Pet. 1:4; John 9:5; Matt. 5:14. Because who are who we are by the power of God, we are to live out the Light of God’s truth in every moment of life!

VI. 5:15 THE WISE WALK

A.    The word “circumspectly” means, “accurately, exactly, diligently.” Paul’s call is for believers to walk with their eyes open. We are to watch each step we take, looking diligently for the snares of the devil, 1 Pet. 5:8, and for the opportunities of the Lord, John 5:19-20.

1 Peter 5:8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

B. The idea of this verse is two-fold. We can either live our lives like fools. That is, we can fall for the devil’s traps, we can walk in disobedience, or it can be something as simple as living your life for the wrong things. All those make for foolish living. Or, we can live as wise men. This means that we make every minute count for the glory of the Lord, Eph. 5:16. We use the opportunities God gives us and we watch out for the traps and tricks of the devil. We don’t just set our sail to the wind and go where the day takes us, we plan our time around the will of God so that we can accomplish much for His glory.

Conclusion: So, how is your walk? Have you seen ways it could be better? Are there things that need to be fixed this evening? If so, Jesus is giving spiritual tune-ups.