The beginning of the New Year is a time of reflection as well as a time to look forward. Reflecting on the past helps us to see how far we’ve come; looking toward the future helps us to not only focus on how far we still have to go, but to make plans for how to get there. As believers in Christ, we should be able to look back over the past year and see changes in our hearts and lives that indicate progress toward realization of the hope that we will one day be like Christ. It’s also a time to focus on how far we still have to go towards that destination, and determine to whole-heartedly cooperate with God as He brings us to that end. Life is a series of choices and decisions that take us from one place to another. Since the oldest mode in the world of getting from one place to another is walking, the Apostle Paul uses “walking” to describe how we are to progress in our spiritual journey.
1) He reminds the believers at Ephesus how they used to walk in the past:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We all too previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Paul is reminding them that at one time they were walking dead men. They walked according to this world, according to the spirit working in the disobedient. They lived to carry out the desires of their fleshly thoughts.
2) He directs their gaze forward to how they now walk as believers in Christ. Verse 4 of that chapter begins with the words, “But God…” But God, because of His mercy and love intervened to bring salvation; not by the merits of man, not through any work of man, but solely and completely by the grace of God—God giving the desire and power to believe; faith being the expression of that belief.
For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
We are saved—not by good works, but for good works; works in which God prepared for us to walk. You may be wondering, “What are the good works God prepared for us to walk in?” Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians gives us a series of practical applications of how we are to walk, that is how we are to live in Christ.
- 4:1- walk worthy
- 4:17- walk not as the Gentiles in the futility of their thoughts
- 5:2- walk in love
- 5:8- walk as children of light
- 5:15- walk paying careful attention
In the next few weeks we will examine each of these individually to see how they apply them to our walk as a believer in the 21st century. Then, as backwards as it may seem to us, we’ll see in Ephesians 6 that it’s in learning how to walk that we learn to stand.
We must cooperate with the Father in His work of bringing every part of our lives together in the Messiah, that is in bringing every part of our lives under the rule and reign of Christ. That means every attitude, every relationship, every thought, every opinion, every action, every reaction, EVERYTHING submitted to the rule and reign of Christ. And that’s HARD WORK. Remember James 1:25, But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does. If we persevere in this hard work, that is the work of bringing everything in our lives under the rule and reign of Christ, we will be blessed!
Now you may be wondering, “How do we walk in those good works?” As believers, we walk according to the power God gives us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—in Him when you believed—were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the…immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. (Ephesians 1:18-19)
The power He gives us is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him all authority for all eternity. (Ephesians 1:20-23) That’s the ultimate in power! It’s the power that is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) It’s the power that is able to give us the desire, courage, and everything we need to do His will. (2 Peter 1:3) It’s the power of the Holy Spirit, our guide and comforter that, working in us as we cooperate, conforms us to the image of His Son, and brings God glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)
In the next few weeks you will have the opportunity to examine your walk as a believer in Christ, and order your steps according to God’s Word. As long as you are in this body of flesh, no matter what stage of maturity you reach in Christ, you will never get beyond the need of examining your walk in the light of God’s Word and your willingness to yield to God’s Spirit. I’ll say it again: It’s hard work! It’s work we want to procrastinate. It’s work we want to avoid. It’s work we want to ignore. But it’s work that will be blessed! Will you join me in encouraging one another to persevere in this work? Together let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)
