Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll describes what it means to walk worthy.
When you walk in a manner worthy of the calling, you will be like Christ and the world will notice. You have to wear a badge. You have to wave flags. You don't have to put symbols on the back of your car. Or wear a necklace, the big cross on it.
You don't have to do that. You'll walk the walk and you won't be able to deny it. So what does God really expect from those who follow Him? What's the standard we're striving to achieve? Well, in Ephesians we read these words from Paul, I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another, and love. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues an in-depth study in Ephesians 4.
Finding it difficult to rise to a level of contentment in a season of global unrest? Well, let's give our attention now to this timely admonition from Paul. In Paul's style, he usually lays a solid doctrinal groundwork and that takes up the better part of the letter, certainly half of it, often more. And then there's a turning point, which I call the hinge, like a door has a hinge. The hinge in Paul's letter then introduces the practical side. So we have orthodoxy, and if you will, orthopraxy. We have doctrine and we have duty.
We have the theoretical and then we have the reality. And it all hangs on the hinge. And when you study Paul, you find the hinge, you know you're moving from the vertical emphasis to the horizontal emphasis. From our relationship to God and understanding him better to a relationship with other people and relating to them better.
Let me show you this. Turn to Romans chapter 12 and I will introduce you to one of the hinges. These hinges never squeak, by the way, they're well oiled and they often are our favorite verse of a particular letter. Romans 12 one is the hinge. The first 11 chapters have been full of great doctrine. Depravity, salvation, the work of Christ, the cross, sanctification, and then you move into the whole study of the Jew and the Gentile and God's sovereign work in calling and electing.
Then you get to the hinge. Paul writes in verse one, therefore, that's the word, therefore, I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies. See the practicality in it? To present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And if that isn't enough, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.
Do you feel the long index finger punching you in the sternum? Do you feel Paul now suddenly saying, stop thinking theoretically and start realizing this is designed to change your life. The secret is the word therefore. One of my Bible teachers used to say you need to always figure out what the therefore is there for. And in this case, it's to change the emphasis from the vertical focusing on God to the horizontal focusing on your relationship to the Lord and to others. Look at Colossians chapter three.
He does this again and again. He's talked for two chapters about the great doctrines of Christ, because in writing to the Colossians, he's dealing with the heresy of the day. Gnosticism, an intellectual religion that kept people from Christ rather than drew them to him, and he's established a very firm Christology for two chapters. He gets to chapter three and there it is again, the hinge. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Look at the practicality. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.
Isn't that masterful? He's established that Christ is the preeminent one above all of the affairs of this life, knowing that there's everything in life to drag us down. He says in chapter three, now focus on Christ.
Seek the things that please him, that honor him, and you'll be able to handle whatever life throws at you. Ephesians is really the classic example of that, and when we get to chapter four, once again, we come to another hinge. And as a matter of fact, if you could read it just as Paul wrote it, you would see that 4, 1 of Ephesians has the very same opening three terms in the Greek text as Romans chapter 12 verse 1. Why it's rendered implore in verse 1 of chapter 4 of Ephesians and beseech in Romans 12, 1, you've got to ask the translators because it's the very same word. I beseech you, therefore, is the way Romans 12, 1 begins, Ephesians begins the same way.
Though it reads differently because the eye is emphatic in the original, and so the writers, or I should say the translators in hopes of capturing that, put the eye above the imploring. He says, therefore, I go. I Paul the prisoner.
Remember, I'm on your side. Remember, I'm the one who has stood in defense of the Gentiles. I, Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk.
To walk how? To walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Worthy sounds like something you do in front of a king, or you sing in front of the Lord himself, but this is about us. This is axion, A-X-I-O-N. We got our word axion from it, and the root word is to weigh something. In fact, really, when you check it out, it means to be of equal weight. It's a mathematical term, isn't it? You who love math.
There's an equation, and axioms, axioms indicate that the equation is true because what is true on one side is of equal truth on the other, and it becomes axiomatic. Here it's not about math, it's about life. I implore you to walk in a way that balances out your calling. Your calling is great and pure and holy. Your walk is to be pure and great and holy. Remember the old chorus? Some of you will remember, after all he's done for me, after all he's done for me, how can I do less than give him my best after all he's done for me?
That's an axion, that's an axion chorus, if you will. All he's done for me, how can I do less than balance it out with a life of obedience that follows? So beginning in chapter 4, he implores us to take the truth we've learned about God and Christ and the Spirit and to carry it out in our daily walk. Let me give you a little outline, I think it will help you. In the next 16 verses, they kind of fit together, sort of like dominoes standing on their end.
One bumps up against another, which pushes the third and then the fourth. We have in verses 1 and 2 the charity of our character. It's an old word for love, I'm sorry it's gotten lost in the passing of time. I love the word charity. The charity of our character. That's the first two verses. That grows into the unity of our body.
That's 3 through 6. The charity of our character turns into the unity of our body and then this is enhanced by the diversity of our gifts, 7 through 12, and then that results in the maturity of our growth, 13 to 16. This is one of the greatest sections in all the New Testament on the Christian life. The charity of our character, the unity of our body, the diversity of our gifts and the maturity of our growth. Let me tell you something that's far more important than growing larger and that's growing deeper.
Far more important than numerical size is the size of our maturity, the depth of our roots. That's what the Apostle is pleading for. But it isn't going to be easy. That's why it's the Spirit's work through us. It's not the work of the flesh. He says to walk in a manner worthy of the calling and now he tells us what is involved in that. So like Paul to do that. He gives us five words.
Now you become the vulture, okay? You find the words in verse 2 that are the ones worth attention. It's obvious. It's clear. The walk that is worthy is a walk that is full of humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance for one another, and all of it done in love.
John R.W. Stott calls these the five foundation stones of Christian unity. That's a good word. These are solid stones upon which unity is built. You get this in place, you'll never split a church. You carry these things out, you'll get along well in your small group ministry with one another. You'll be able to make it without too many arguments because there's humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance for one another, and it's in love. Humility.
Let me spend just a few moments on each one or at least part of them will be a group. First, humility. That means putting Christ first, others second, self last. Very simple formula.
Christ first, others second, self last. It's not popular. You won't read about humility in the Wall Street Journal.
You won't find it in the business journal of your company. And you usually won't see it among the strong leaders who are so busy promoting themselves. In fact, did you know that it was despised in the days of the Greco-Roman world? It was considered a slavish, a slave kind of mentality. It was degrading to be humble. If you were the king or the emperor, you acted like it.
Bow the knee, bow the knee. I am the one in charge. And a life was only as safe as the turn of your thumb if you were the emperor. You were the almighty. That's why they call themselves names like Augustus, the great and mighty ones. And along came Christ, who pointed out the importance of a humble recognition of the worth and value of the other person. That's humility. Humility isn't a living doormat.
Don't let anyone ever tell you that. That's not Christ's definition of humility. It's a lowliness of mind toward one's own merit. Humility, one of these five foundations stone, is Christ-like. Matthew 11, 28 to 30, Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, for I am meek and lowly in heart.
There it is. The only time Christ ever described himself in his temperament was in Matthew 11, 28 to 30. And he calls himself humble of heart. One man writes, lowliness was much despised in the ancient world.
The Greeks never used their word for humility in the context of approval. Still less of admiration. The crouching submissiveness of a slave.
That's what they meant. An abject, servile, subservient attitude. Not till Jesus Christ came was a true humility recognized. He humbled himself. Only he, among the world's religious and ethical leaders, has set before us as our model a little child. Think of that.
He came and said, except you be as a little child, you can't come into the kingdom. The self-forgetfulness of a child. One of the things we love about children.
It's remarkable at times. Next word is gentleness. See that word? This is a synonym for weakness in many people's minds, but meekness is not weakness.
Did you know in the etymology of this word, it has in mind strength under control? It was used to describe a horse that was broken. Let me ask you, is a horse that's broken any less strong than before it's broken? No.
Just under control. It's no longer dangerous or wild. You can mount the horse. You can ride the horse.
It will work with you in whatever may be the project or the need. It's broken. It's called meek in another part of the scriptures. The meek person thinks as little of his personal claims as the humble person thinks of his personal merits.
This is the absence of any disposition to assert personal rights. I'm going to ask you, is that rare in the 21st century? Probably as rare as any quality we could name. When is the last time you met a strong, natural leader who was humble and meek? You can number them on one hand, usually with fingers left over.
Christ was like that. The whole point of this is that when you walk in a manner worthy of the calling, you will be like Christ and the world will notice. You have to wear a badge. You have to wave flags. You don't have to put symbols on the back of your car or wear a necklace, the big cross on it.
You don't have to do that. You'll walk the walk and it won't be able to deny it. Humility leads to gentleness, which results in patience and tolerance.
Now, don't rush too quickly beyond that. Tolerance in our day has gone to seed. Now you tolerate everything. I mean, if you've got conviction, you're intolerant.
That's ridiculous. Christ had the deepest, strongest, most solid set of convictions one could imagine. But he was this gracious individual with the sinners, never once making a demand on them that was inappropriate. He talks about patience and tolerance.
What a perfect combination with love here. Let me tell you, we are so lacking in these qualities in these United States of America, it's embarrassing. What other country is told not to act ugly when they travel?
What other country is so notorious for bad manners when in a situation that requires adjustment and toleration and patience? My friend Kent Hughes, who pastors a church up in Wheaton at the college church in Wheaton, Illinois, in his book on Ephesians, writes on this. This subject has a special poignancy today in a world which has so failed in its attempts at unity and is so alienated. I was in my teens, writes Hughes, during the 50s when ecumenism was the big thing with the mainline denominations. But it all came to naught because it was based on an eviscerated, spineless theology instead of a vertebrate system of Christian belief. Today, the World Council of Churches is little more than a mouse that roared. I was in my 20s and the 60s and I remember visiting Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco and being handed flowers and underground newspapers proclaiming a new day of peace.
The bright colors were colors of optimism, the commune's wishful microcosms of the new order, but today all that is left is some middle-aged anachronisms, cultural dinosaurs. We live in a cold, fragmented world. He goes on to describe where he recently spoke to a young man so starved for attention that he had his hair cut once a week just to be touched by another human hand in a non-threatening manner.
Life, says Hughes, for so many in this world is like an elevator ride, everyone facing forward, no eye contact, no conversation or interaction, and then everyone rushing off to their faceless endeavors. The world is looking for a new humanity, a third race, if you will, which is not only walking in unity but has open, inviting arms and hearts. That's what he has in mind here. In fact, he says there's a diligence involved in living like this. Look at the diligence in verse 3, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit and the bond. I think of the word belt with the belt of peace around this body.
Isn't that a great word picture? Diligent to preserve the unity. Think about it. You don't even create the unity. The unity is there. It's in the bond of peace in the spirit. When you step into it, you are a part of the preservation of it. In my growing up years, I lived under the influence of two good parents, a father who had my good at heart and a mother who seemed to weave her words through the words of the scriptures. The counsel I got was, if you will, almost a barrage of truth from one angle and then another. And I found myself enveloped in that in my growing up years. I didn't create that context, but it's my task to preserve it. And I live out the counsel, the wisdom of good parents in my life. When I step into the body of Christ as a result of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for me having paid the price on the cross, I step into the realm of unity that he has established.
That's what he wants for his body. But I will tell you, there is no more divided church on any continent in the world than there is in these United States. It is nothing short of tragic. Every city has its story of split churches.
Every city and many towns, even villages. Pastors that will hardly talk to one another to say nothing of supporting and encouraging one another. There is probably no more envious profession on earth than the ministry.
And I say that to our shame in my own career. The apostle is imploring ministers, congregational members, believers, young and old alike, lay down the arms, pick up the belt of peace, preserve it. In fact, the emphasis is so obviously on unity that he uses the word over and over. Look at verse four.
There is one body, one spirit, just as you're called in, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. Duh! I mean, how many times does he have to say it? It's so Pauline.
He gets on a word that says it and he drives it and he drives it home from one angle and then another. And you finally say, OK, I got it. OK, OK, wait.
It's like drinking out of a fire hydrant. I mean, this is unbelievably obvious, Paul. Then do it. Walk like this. You're listening to Insight for Living and Chuck Swindoll titled today's message A Worthy Walk. To learn more about this ministry, visit us online at insightworld.org.
To give you some context for the message you're hearing today, this program features just one slice of a much larger series. It's a verse by verse study through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. The series is titled Becoming a People of Grace. To enhance your study in this New Testament book, you'll want to order a copy of Chuck's commentary on Ephesians. As you'd expect from Chuck, the commentary is laid out in a format that's practical, easy to read, and filled with opportunities to apply what you've learned to everyday life. Plus, this particular volume comes with Chuck's commentary on Galatians as well. It's called Swindoll's Living Insights Commentary on Galatians and Ephesians. To purchase this 300 page hardbound commentary right now, go to insight.org slash store or call us if you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888. And then just before we sign off and the weekend begins, all of us at Insight for Living would like you to know that we're praying this study in Ephesians will inspire you to become God's agent of grace in a world that's craving to feel a touch of His kindness.
2020 will go down in history as a year filled with uncertainty, fear, and even disrespect. Because Jesus has torn the curtain and in doing so broken all barriers, it's all the more reason to become a people of grace. In that spirit, we're inviting you to join us in taking God's message of grace all across our country and even around the world through Vision 195. To give a one-time donation today, go to insight.org or call us if you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. Now, one of the best ways to maximize your giving is to become a monthly companion. By giving a donation every month, you'll have 12 times the impact over the course of one year.
To become a monthly companion, go to insight.org slash monthly companion. Join us again Monday when Chuck Swindoll's study, Becoming a People of Grace, continues right here on Insight for Living. The preceding message, A Worthy Walk, was copyrighted in 2000, 2001, and 2009. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
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