The Christian Walk

Itrust we have lea rned to “sit” in Christ as in chapter 3. (Eph 2:6) – knowing what it is that has thrilled Paul, causing him to pray such a wonderful prayer for us. Now he exhorts us to walk.

We are to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling”. (4:1) We are to “walk no longer as the Gentiles in the futility of our mind.” (4:17) We are to “walk in love, just as Christ also loved you.” (5:2) We are to “walk as children of light.” (5:8) We are to “walk as wise men not as unwise.” (5:15) “I’m not interested in your talk - show me your walk!” Your walk is determined by the ground on which you stand; in this world (system) or in ‘heavenly places’?

Rise with thy risen Lord, ascend with Christ above, and in the heavenlies walk with Him, Whom seeing not, you love.

Walk as a heavenly race, Princes of royal blood; walk as the children of the light, the sons and heirs of God. A B Simpson 4:1: WALK in a manner worthy of your calling : with humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance – in love. Elsewhere these may be seen among the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). They take time to grow! A fruit tree does not produce its fruit by striving; as it takes in the sunshine and the rain, feeds upon the nourishment of the ground, it brings forth its fruit. Similarly, we cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit by our own efforts. We are to be “like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season.” Ps 1:3).

When we arrived in Canada, we bought an old house where there were four fruit trees in the garden.

They had been left alone and bore no fruit so I decided to prune them. My friends thought I had cut away too much and that the trees would now die. Imagine our delight the following spring when they bore a vast quantity of luscious fruit, apples, plums and cherries!

One evening, Anne and I were sitting on our garden chairs when I heard a very strange sound – a groaning fo llowed by an ‘ahhh’ of relief. I could not determine the source of the sound until I noticed one of the branches on the apple tree swelling with a sound of pain before it suddenly burst, and a beautiful apple appeared! Then another branch began to swell with the same result.

Anne and I were amazed as we watched cherries, plums, and apples suddenly appear after straining and groaning.

Now I hope you realise that I am making this story up! Fruit doesn’t grow that way. The story is very foolish – just like believers who think they can produce the Fruit of the Spirit by their effort!

No amount of striving will produce joy or peace or gentleness, etc., in your life – only abiding in Him can produce such fruit.

In passing: as we consider those fruits , we see that they grow more ‘exotic’ (rare) as we read along.

Further, the first three (love, joy, peace) are ‘inward’; the second three (longsuffering, gentl eness, goodness) relate mostly to my response to others, while the last three (faith, meekness, and temperance) speak of my response to God. (Words as in KJV) Humility is knowing myself as I am. Nothing more and nothing less! “I am a leader in the church of Christ” may be said with pride, boastfully or with humility as Paul is doing here. False humility (“Oh, I’m nothing but a worm!”) is a sickness akin to pride.

Gentleness is elsewhere translated as ‘meekness’ – teachability or pliability. It has been described as ‘controlled strength’ – like the stallion with the bit in its mouth.

Long-suffering (patience) – endures to the end, patience with men.

Tolerance with love – bearing with one another. This ‘love’ is ‘agape’ – which seeks nothing but the highest good.

4:17-24: Walk, no longer as the Gentiles walk. A contrast between the old nature and the new n ature (‘Gentile’ and New Man). The old man walked in darkness, lacking understanding, ignorant, and excluded from the life of God because of his hardness of heart, given to sensuality and impurity with greediness. These are all in contrast to what is demanded by the truth you have found in Christ.

Paul uses three very strong words to depict the heathen mind.

“hardness of heart” – porosis – petrified rock – calloused to lose all feeling.

“abandoned to sensuality” – aselgeia – does not care how he appears to others in his sensuality.

“impurity with greediness” – pleonexia – accursed love of possessing – lust for that which one has no right to.

We are to “lay aside” the old self; We are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind; We are to “put on” the new self.

These are actions we are accountable for – it is a continual attitude. Consider here, Romans 12:1, 2.

5: 1-6: Walk in love just as Chris t also loved you… These verses show us the lifestyle of a lover.

It is the ‘engagement’ covenant between two. There is no room for impurity in thought or living.

We are betrothed to our bridegroom, Christ, and are not to play the harlot with the world, as Israel did, though betrothed to God. Our best example is Jesus. His sacrificial life was as a fragrant aroma rising to God – acceptable. His was a perfect obedience and a perfect love.

It has been said that chastity is the one new virtue that Christianity brought to the world. The ancient world regarded sexual immorality so lightly that it was no sin at all.

Paul gives us two warnings: i) We are not even allowed to talk about such things lightly.

ii) We must not be deceived by empty words – voices that speak lightly of such things as the Gnostics did.

5:8-14: Walk as children of light. You were once children of darkness, but now the light has come to guide you and to shine in this darkened world. We are not to keep company with darkness but rather, to walk in the light (of our groom). We are to walk carefully, with discretion, knowing that we belong to another and not to the world.

Verse 14 would appear to be part of an ancient hymn – possibly used in baptism?

5:15-21: Walk as wise men, not as unwise. Know what the will of God is; study the Word, spend time alone with Him to allow His Spirit to teach you. Further, do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit.

Verse 17-21 : show us what we should become as we walk these ways. We must be a “Spirit - filled” people.

The follow three pieces of evidence of a Spirit-filled life: i) a praising spirit (v19) ii) a thankful spirit (v20) iii) a submitted spirit (v21).

Don’t tell me you are filled with t he Spirit if you are not a worshipper, nor if you grumble about the church or others in the fellowship. You are called to be a servant of all – submitted to serve.

There are many today who claim to be “Spirit - filled”. I believe we can question the reality of one who claims to be ‘Spirit - filled’ if these three ‘evidences’ are missing – more evident are grumbling, politicking, and pride. This is why Paul puts chapter 13 between chapters 12, 14 in 1 Corinthians. The latter teaches much about the charismata, gifts of the Spirit, and their operation in the local church, but such manifestations are such as a ‘noisy gong or a clanging symbol – nothing of value. Chapter 12 speaks of the excellence of love, which should be evident whenever the charismata are exercised.

“I’m not interested in your talk – I’m more concerned about your walk.”