Walking Worthy: Living Out God's Love and Grace

 

Summary

In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges believers to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. This call to action is not just about hearing the Word but doing it. The word "therefore" is pivotal, as it connects the truths previously discussed with the practical application of living out one's faith. Paul, writing from prison, emphasizes the seriousness of this call. He is not merely imparting information but urging a transformation in how we live, rooted in the profound truths of God's love and grace.

The mistake many make is treating spiritual truths like academic subjects, moving on once they feel they've mastered them. However, the love of God and the grace of Christ are not topics to be checked off a list. They are realities to be continually revisited and deepened. Paul himself prays for believers to comprehend the vastness of God's love, indicating that this understanding is a lifelong journey. Peter echoes this sentiment, urging growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This growth is not about accumulating knowledge but about deepening our relationship with Christ. It's about allowing His love to cast out fear and insecurity, transforming us from the inside out. The call to walk worthy of our calling is a call to live in the reality of God's love, letting it shape our actions and attitudes. This is not a one-time event but a continuous process of growth and transformation.

Key Takeaways:

1. Hearing vs. Doing: It's not enough to merely hear the Word; we must also do it. This involves actively living out the truths we learn, allowing them to transform our lives. The call to action in Ephesians 4:1 is a reminder that our faith should be evident in our daily walk. [00:09]

2. The Importance of "Therefore": The word "therefore" in Ephesians 4:1 connects the profound truths of God's blessings with the practical call to live them out. It serves as a bridge between understanding and application, urging us to let these truths shape our lives. [00:47]

3. Continuous Growth: Spiritual growth is not about moving on from one truth to another but about deepening our understanding of foundational truths. We are called to continually revisit and grow in our understanding of God's love and grace. [03:42]

4. The Vastness of God's Love: Comprehending the width, length, height, and depth of God's love is a lifelong journey. This understanding is not static but dynamic, inviting us to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ. [03:22]

5. Walking Worthy of Our Calling: Our calling as believers is to live in a manner that reflects the love and grace we've received. This involves a continuous process of transformation, allowing God's love to cast out fear and insecurity. [05:10]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Hearing vs. Doing
[00:25] - The Significance of "Therefore"
[01:07] - Paul's Urgent Plea
[02:04] - Avoiding the Mistake of Moving On
[02:35] - Revisiting Foundational Truths
[03:05] - The Depth of God's Love
[03:42] - Growing in Grace and Knowledge
[04:00] - Continuous Growth in Christ
[04:33] - The Transformative Power of Love
[05:10] - Walking Worthy of Our Calling
[05:31] - Conclusion and Call to Action

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 4:1
- 2 Peter 3:18
- 1 John 4:18

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul mean when he urges believers to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" in Ephesians 4:1? How does his situation in prison add weight to his message? [01:24]

2. Why is the word "therefore" significant in Ephesians 4:1, and what does it connect to in the previous chapters? [00:47]

3. How does Paul describe the process of understanding God's love in Ephesians 4:1, and what does he pray for believers to comprehend? [03:22]

4. What mistake does the sermon highlight about how people often treat spiritual truths, and how does this relate to the concept of continuous growth? [02:04]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of "walking worthy" challenge the idea of merely acquiring knowledge about God? What does this imply about the nature of faith? [00:09]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that understanding God's love is a lifelong journey? How does this perspective affect one's spiritual growth? [03:42]

3. How does the sermon explain the relationship between God's love and personal transformation? What role does fear play in this process? [04:49]

4. How does the sermon interpret Peter's call to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"? What practical steps might this involve? [03:42]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you are more of a hearer than a doer of the Word? What steps can you take to align your actions with your faith? [00:09]

2. Consider the "therefore" in your own spiritual journey. What truths have you learned that you need to start living out more fully? [00:47]

3. How can you make revisiting the foundational truths of God's love and grace a regular part of your spiritual practice? What might this look like in your daily routine? [02:04]

4. Think about a time when you felt God's love casting out fear in your life. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of His love to address current fears or insecurities? [04:49]

5. Identify one area in your life where you feel called to "walk worthy" of your calling. What practical changes can you make to reflect God's love and grace in this area? [05:10]

6. How can you encourage others in your community to grow in their understanding of God's love and grace? What role can you play in supporting their spiritual journey? [03:42]

7. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt insecure. How might a deeper understanding of God's love help you respond differently in the future? [04:49]

Devotional

Day 1: Living Out Our Faith

The call to live out one's faith is a central theme in Ephesians 4:1. Paul emphasizes that it is not enough to merely hear the Word; believers must actively do it. This involves allowing the truths of God's love and grace to transform daily life. The call to action is a reminder that faith should be evident in every aspect of one's walk. This transformation is not a passive process but requires intentional effort to align actions with the profound truths of the gospel. The challenge is to move beyond intellectual understanding and let these truths shape behavior and attitudes. [00:09]

James 1:22-24 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."

Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you struggle to live out your faith. What practical steps can you take today to align your actions with your beliefs?


Day 2: Bridging Truth and Action

The word "therefore" in Ephesians 4:1 serves as a crucial bridge between understanding and application. It connects the profound truths of God's blessings with the practical call to live them out. This connection urges believers to let these truths shape their lives, moving from knowledge to action. The challenge is to allow the understanding of God's love and grace to influence daily decisions and interactions. This requires a conscious effort to apply spiritual truths in practical ways, ensuring that faith is not just theoretical but lived out in tangible actions. [00:47]

Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you failed to apply a spiritual truth. How can you prepare yourself to respond differently in a similar situation in the future?


Day 3: Deepening Understanding of Foundational Truths

Spiritual growth is not about moving on from one truth to another but about deepening the understanding of foundational truths. Believers are called to continually revisit and grow in their comprehension of God's love and grace. This growth is a lifelong journey, requiring a commitment to explore the depths of these truths. It involves a willingness to let go of the notion of mastering spiritual concepts and instead embrace the ongoing process of learning and transformation. The goal is to allow these truths to permeate every aspect of life, leading to a deeper relationship with Christ. [03:42]

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV): "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Reflection: What is one foundational truth about God's love or grace that you need to revisit and deepen your understanding of? How can you make time this week to explore this truth further?


Day 4: Exploring the Vastness of God's Love

Comprehending the vastness of God's love is a lifelong journey. This understanding is not static but dynamic, inviting believers to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. The challenge is to continually explore the width, length, height, and depth of God's love, allowing it to transform from the inside out. This involves a commitment to seek a deeper understanding of God's love, recognizing that it is an inexhaustible source of strength and security. As believers grow in this understanding, they are empowered to live out their faith with confidence and courage. [03:22]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by God's love. How can you remind yourself of this experience when you face challenges or doubts?


Day 5: Embracing Continuous Transformation

Walking worthy of one's calling involves a continuous process of transformation. Believers are called to live in a manner that reflects the love and grace they have received. This involves allowing God's love to cast out fear and insecurity, leading to a life of confidence and purpose. The journey of transformation is ongoing, requiring a commitment to grow and change in response to God's love. As believers embrace this process, they are empowered to live out their calling with authenticity and integrity, impacting the world around them. [05:10]

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to allow God's love to transform you? How can you take a step towards embracing this transformation today?

Quotes

"James says don't be hearers who deceive themselves do what it says we don't want to be people who deceive ourselves going oh wow we went through the book of Ephesians or we just listened to Ephesians 4 that's great you're a hearer of the word but the Bible says he wants us to be a doer of his word and that's exactly what he talks about in Ephesians 4 and we're just going to look at one verse today we're just going to look at that first verse because it's it's huge." [00:00:00]

"That word therefore I therefore um but any of you who have done any type of Bible study you know that whenever you see the word therefore you ask the question what is the therefore there for and it is there because of everything that he said beforehand he's saying in light of all these truths that we've been listening to for the last three months all the things that God has done for us remember we're just the object receiving all this blessing from God and he says in light of all of that I therefore as a prisoner." [00:00:52]

"Here's Paul in prison in prison for the faith for the gospel so he is serious about this and in prison he's saying I'm begging you I'm urging you because of all these things that I've said walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which you've been called I don't want to go and and feel like okay we taught one through three now let's move on to four this is a big problem a big mistake that we make in the church is you teach that." [00:01:30]

"I'm the the most guilty of this once I teach something I don't like to teach it again I want to move on to something new but when you really look at the scriptures it's not this is these aren't bits of information that you learn it's like okay well I learn to add and then I learn to subtract then I learn to multiply then I learn to divide you don't need to teach me how to add again you don't need to teach me how to count again like that's that's right we learn right and then okay I learned some Algebra I don't need that anymore I learned some geometry we we move on to the next level in life in so many topics." [00:02:04]

"But with the scriptures that could be our biggest mistake is when we feel like oh I already learned about about the love of God when I was a little kid I sang Jesus loves me this I know I move on from the cross I understand Jesus died on the cross for me no but we're actually supposed to in life keep revisiting the love of God that's why that's why he says Paul is talking to his Believers he goes I'm on my knees begging God saying God would you help them to comprehend how wide how long how how deep is your love I want them to know how wide how long how high how deep this is something that we keep growing in." [00:02:35]

"That's why Peter says grow in the grace in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it's not enough to pray a prayer and go oh I know him now he says grow in this knowledge of him it's not enough to say oh I I was saved my grace through faith no he says grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus and so these truths that we learned in Ephesians 1 are not so that we go okay I got it now and let me move on to the next thing no we're going to keep revisiting it because this is our motivation and we're supposed to grow in our love for Christ and our understanding of his love for us." [00:03:42]

"And that's something I I messed up on early in life you know you you learn these things and you treat the love of God like every other topic where you go okay I got that let me move on to the next thing we do not move on from the love of Christ we grow in our understanding of how much he loves us we we get rid of more and more insecurity in our hearts that we didn't even know we had and it's when that perfect love exists between you and God that's what casts out all fear and so we will continue to revisit this and Paul here is saying therefore as a prisoner I'm urging you to walk not just learn but to walk and in a manner that is worthy of the calling." [00:04:33]

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Transcript
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