Daily Devotional: Day 194
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Ephesians 4:1, NKJV).
As a Christian, your primary and fundamental calling is not to be a Pastor, an Elder, a Deacon, Music Director, a Prophet, an Apostle, etc. Your most fundamental calling is to live a holy life. The call to holiness, therefore, is the foundation on which all other callings in the Church stand. If you are living a holy life, then you are fulfilling your call. Everyone is called to be holy and righteous, but not everyone is called to be an Apostle or Pastor or Deacon.
No matter the church titles you have, if you are not walking in holiness, your title can’t help you when you stand before the Son of God. Remember, Judas had a title, too. He was an Apostle, one of the 12; yet he was lost because he failed in holiness and did not repent. He was an Apostle, but he was also a deceiver, a thief and a traitor (cf. Luke 22:1-6; John 12:6). His ministry of Apostleship did not save him. So the point is, it’s not your ministry position that matters, but your walk in holiness.
In today’s passage, Paul is writing to the Christians in Ephesus. He urges them to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. This is important because our walk must match our calling. The “calling” he is referring to is the call to live a holy life, i.e. to live as saints. At the beginning of his letter, Paul points out the purpose for which God chose us. God, he says, “chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).
As Christians, God has washed us in the blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5) and made us holy (i.e. sanctified us). But it doesn’t end there. The way we live and the choices we make must match who we are as God’s holy people. That is what Paul means when he says we must walk in a manner worthy of our calling. The only life worthy of our calling is a holy life. A sinful life is beneath who we are and who are called to be. Without holiness, the Christian life has no credibility. Therefore, in chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul breaks down the practical (moral) specifics of living a holy life. He continues in chapter 5 and finishes around chapter 6:9.
In sum, no matter your position in church, family or society, you need the name “holy” as an adjective in front of your name or position. If you are a parent, be a holy parent; if you are a husband, be a holy husband; if you are a wife, be a holy wife; if you are a child, be a holy child; if you are unmarried, be a holy unmarried person; if you are a pastor, be a holy pastor; if you are a Sunday school teacher, be a holy Sunday school teacher; if you are a politician, be a holy politician; if you are a cop, be a holy cop; if you are an accountant, be a holy accountant; if you are a doctor, be a holy doctor, etc. Whatever your status is in life, be holy.
May the Holy Father bless you and your family today, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
For further study: Ephesians 4:17-32
Higher-Self Realities 