WHAT THE “WORTHY LIFE” IS NOT
March 6, 2023
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of life. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” – Ephesians 4:17-19
In Ephesians 4, Paul talks to the young believers at Ephesus, about living a life worthy of that which they are called. We have discussed this in recent days, but I want us to dive a little deeper. Paul begins by telling these believers what living the “worthy life” is NOT. And he basically told them that living for Jesus or living as a Christ-follower means NOT living the way you’ve always lived.
For the Gentiles in the audience, that meant—you shouldn’t live like other unbelieving Gentiles…and for the Jews in the audience, it meant—you shouldn’t live as the pagans live.
When Christ saved us, He called us to walk a new walk. He didn’t call us to walk like the world or walk like we used to walk. A new creation in Christ walks differently than the rest of the world. He says we are saints and that we are set apart.
And that is exactly what Paul was telling the Ephesian believers in this passage. He told them that living the “worthy life” isn’t walking like the world.
In verses 17-19, Paul says, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of life. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”
Are you living a life worthy of the calling God has given you? Are you still questioning what that looks like? I can tell you what it doesn’t look like. It doesn’t look like the former life you lived before you knew Christ. It doesn’t look like living the way the world lives. Are you living differently than the world? That is what you are called to.
If not, it’s time to let God makeover your life and bring you into the life He has called you to.
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of life. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” – Ephesians 4:17-19
In Ephesians 4, Paul talks to the young believers at Ephesus, about living a life worthy of that which they are called. We have discussed this in recent days, but I want us to dive a little deeper. Paul begins by telling these believers what living the “worthy life” is NOT. And he basically told them that living for Jesus or living as a Christ-follower means NOT living the way you’ve always lived.
For the Gentiles in the audience, that meant—you shouldn’t live like other unbelieving Gentiles…and for the Jews in the audience, it meant—you shouldn’t live as the pagans live.
When Christ saved us, He called us to walk a new walk. He didn’t call us to walk like the world or walk like we used to walk. A new creation in Christ walks differently than the rest of the world. He says we are saints and that we are set apart.
And that is exactly what Paul was telling the Ephesian believers in this passage. He told them that living the “worthy life” isn’t walking like the world.
In verses 17-19, Paul says, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of life. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”
Are you living a life worthy of the calling God has given you? Are you still questioning what that looks like? I can tell you what it doesn’t look like. It doesn’t look like the former life you lived before you knew Christ. It doesn’t look like living the way the world lives. Are you living differently than the world? That is what you are called to.
If not, it’s time to let God makeover your life and bring you into the life He has called you to.
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