Let’s Take A Walk, Ephesians 5:1, 2

Let’s Take A Walk, Ephesians 5:1, 2 

      

         The words sprint, dash, jog, trot, compare with the word “walk” as the speedy hare with the plodding tortoise.  These words speak of greater-than-normal exertion, because “in a race, all the runners run, but only one receives the prize” (I Corinthians 9:24). As the tortoise came on to beat the hare, so the one who walks ‘” in love” will in fact be victorious ln the pursuit of life eternal.

         “Walk” is used in the Bible to (1) indicate normal

moving around.  This is the sense of the word used when

Jesus was coming to the disciples, Matthew 14:25ff.    When Paul tells the Ephesians to walk in love, and

 as children of light (5:8), “walk” refers (2) to the journey

of life.  On this journey, how are we to walk?   We begin

with the passage just cited: we must walk in love.  If we

truly walk in love we will obey Him; “For this is the love

of God, that we keep His commandments” (I John 5:3.)  If

we walk in love of God, our walk with our fellowman is

natural.  So Paul writes, “Let all that you do be done in

love” (I Corinthians 16:14).

        

         We “walk … according to. the Spirit”, Romans 8:4.

Those who walk according to the Spirit arrange their lives  

as the Spirit directs, because “the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things

there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23).

         There is a choice we must make, between flesh and

spirit; Romans 8:5-8, “For those who live according to

the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For

to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind

on the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind that is set on

the flesh is hostile to God for it does not submit to God’s

law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh

cannot please God.”

         “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we

have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus

His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).  Understanding “walking in the light” is helped by considering

walking in darkness.  One does not have to

do only sin, to be walking in darkness; he is just

indifferent to the light, walking (living) as it suits him; and

occasionally, maybe accidentally, doing something good.

         By the same token, one does not have to be sinless,

to be walking in the light – his aim and preference is to

be obeying God, and when he stumbles, if he repents

and confesses his sins, the blood of Jesus cleanses

him.  People who are “in the light” are already

acquainted with the blood of Jesus.  There is no

forgiveness of sins “without the shedding of blood”

(Hebrews 9:22), but “it is impossible for the blood of

bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).  The

writer of Hebrews talks about the impossibility of goats’

and bulls’ blood for purification of the flesh, and then

asks, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who

though the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish

to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve

the living God” (Hebrews 9:13, 14).  The blood of Christ is

the price of forgiveness for every sinner.  It is therefore

the price for forgiveness for a straying Christian.

         This is what John is saying, in I John 1:7.   We must

watch, where we walk.  “Blessed is the man, who walks

not in the counsel of the ungodly …”.

        

         We should walk in “good works”, Ephesians 2:10,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for

good works, which God prepared beforehand that we

should walk in them.”  Do some have the idea that being

a Christian simply requires abstaining from that which

is evil, with no concern about doing good?  When

Scripture says we are created in Christ Jesus FOR good

works?  Jesus called us the “salt of the earth” and “the

light of the world”, and said “let your light shine before

others, so that they may see your good works and give

glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-

16).

         We read about the urgency of doing “good works”

in Hebrews 10:24, 25, “And let us consider how to stir up

one another to love and good works, not neglecting to

meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging

one another …”.   Here is instruction looking squarely at

our duty for good works, and for assembling with

brethren to encourage them to good works.  Good works

include everything we may do, for our neighbor or our

brother; Jesus said “And whoever gives one of these

little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a

disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his

reward” (Matthew10:42).

                  Saints fail in their reason for being if they neglect this responsibility for which they were created in Christ Jesus.
        

                  We must “walk in wisdom” in our dealings with

those who are not in Christ (Colossians 4:5, 6; and confer

Ephesians 5:15-17).  Carelessness in word or deed may

slam a door that could have been opened.   We need to

give thought to know how to answer each person. Speaking “the truth in love” does NOT look at

the message, the message is always to be “the truth”. 

Speaking the truth in love looks at the messenger, and

his attitude and handling of the word, to speak that word

in the most effective way possible.

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”