Lately I have been thinking about these words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesian church:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, 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 in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB)
Notice the fact that Paul does not complain about the fact that he had committed no crime that deserved such punishment. Unlike many of us he does not blame others for his situation. In fact he was often warned by others that this very thing would happen if he returned to Jerusalem. He followed Christ to Jerusalem and then to Rome. Now, even though he was confined in a prison cell, his heart, his mind and his spirit was free in Christ. He was not bound by fear of what others could do to him of what others thought of him. He belonged to Jesus.
From the beginning of this letter Paul revealed the wonderful plan of God for His church and His universe. Heaven and earth are to be united in Christ! Maybe for him this knowledge and his relationship with Christ was the key to the great peace he possessed even in trying circumstances. I believe he greatly desired this same peace for all believers. While he was confined in a small space, most of us are free to walk about. More than that we are free to live lives of humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance in love for one another. Walking depicts movement. We are not to stay the same but to progress in this calling to live like Jesus.
In another place Paul warns about the need to stand fast in the freedom of Christ. (Galatians 5:1) An effort is needed to maintain our freedom to love and live in Christ. There have always been forces that try to press us into conformity to the will of others instead of Christ. In fact our own hearts can lead us into different kinds of bondage. Even good causes can do the same. Remember Martha, who scolded her own sister for not helping in the kitchen. Jesus corrected Martha, not Mary. Mary had chosen freedom in Christ! (Luke 10:38-42)
Over the past 50 years I have felt compelled to urge others as Paul did back then, to walk worthy of their calling in Christ. At the same time, I hope and pray that my motives were not selfish or my methods did not cause any harm. We do not always know what God has in mind for everyone else. We must trust that He can lead others in the way He has planned for them. In this way we can preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul, through the Holy Spirit is attempting to motivate and stimulate the Ephesians, and by extension, us as well, to love and to good actions of compassion and grace. (Hebrews 10:24) These do not save us. Only Christ can do that. I know I need to be encouraged in this way. Only I hope that we are careful to honor one another and to respect everyone’s freedom in Christ. Manipulation, coercion, intimidation should have no place in the life of the church today. Each one of us has a purpose in Christ and gifts that are different. May we all rejoice when God uses us all for His pleasure, His glory, and the expression of His love for all humanity!
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