I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.--Ephesians 4:1-2
To My Beloved Daughters in Him:
It was noted in the previous study that the first three chapters of Ephesians were about doctrine and the last three about duty...or the first three describe our position in Christ and the last three our practice. Paul begins Chapter 4 of Ephesians by beseeching us to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called. Here in verse two and three he enumerates the 5 characteristics of the worthy walk...with the goal being endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That is the goal...unity. The center of Christian unity is in the heart. It is not in a set of rules...it is not outward. In verse 2 Paul gives us 5 attitudes of the heart which bring about peace in the body and bind believers together.
The first step toward a worthy walk and unity is a lowliness or a humility of spirit. We who have been exalted and blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are to walk with "all lowliness"....in total humility. Scripture tells us we are to be clothed with humility. John MacArthur says that we have a "high calling but a low walk.
Humility is the foundational characteristic of the worthy walk and encompasses the others. Without a lowliness of spirit there would be no meekness, no long-suffering, no forbearance and therefore, no unity. Humility is the opposite of pride. It is thinking of others and putting them first. It is considering them more important than yourself.
Humility is also being self aware. It is seeing and knowing who you are and who your God is! It is looking at Him in all His majesty and grace and falling down on your face before Him in gratitude over what He has accomplished on your behalf! Pride is self deceit...humility takes an honest look at sin and confesses it to God as just that..sin. Humility gazes on God's greatness and majesty and is painfully aware of its own insufficiency and helplessness. Without humility even salvation is not possible. The Bible tells us that unless we become like a little child we can by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.--1 John 2:6
Christ walked in humility. He describes Himself as meek and lowly in heart...a place to find rest for our souls. We are to walk as He walked.
Our Lord made himself of no reputation and took the form of a bondservant and came in the likeness of one of His creatures and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. He did nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but esteemed US!!! as better than Himself. He died for us when we were yet His enemies so that we could be delivered from both the power and the penalty of sin. This is the mind that we are to have!
Being humble is esteeming yourself as unimportant....a low priority. Uh oh...I do not know about you but THIS is not the way I think. My mind and heart usually go to me...it is only by the power of His Spirit dwelling in me that I can think of anyone else. A humble person KNOWS his life is not about him but is about his God working His will in and through him. He has no personal ambition except that which his God desires. He does not get personally offended...he does not get angry on his own behalf. He steps aside and allows his God to work even in offenses and perhaps, especially in offenses against him. A humble person knows he is nothing and deserves nothing....he is grateful for what his God has done and lives with a thankful servant's heart of love and compassion toward those around him.
Humility brings peace but pride promotes strife. James 4 tells us that wars and fights come from our desires to have what WE want....not what the other person may desire and most decidedly not what God wants. Pride is selfish, breaks the peace and loves not. Beloved, humility puts aside self and loves AND love is the bond of perfection.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.--Colossians 3:12-17
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