“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2
The heart of our calling as Christians is to walk with Christ! So at conversion, He becomes the very center of our lives and the goal toward which we strive daily as we learn a new life of joy and obedience to God through Him! And notice from this passage above (Eph 5:1-2) how walking with Him means walking in love! Just as He loves us, so we must love others and live lives of sacrificial service toward them with Him. But what does that mean?
Here he describes “walking in love” toward fellow believers. We see that in the verses that come immediately before this passage where he says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32) To walk in love with Christ means I must walk in Christ-like kindness and forgiveness toward my brother or sister, being tender toward them, expressing care for them both in the things I do and say. For to have a life oriented toward Christ means I must also have a life oriented toward my brother or sister in Christ; sharing new life with them, supporting them, serving them with Christ’s hands and feet and words.
But second, “walking in love” with Christ means I must also learn to love my enemies (Mt 5:44) and unbelieving neighbors (Mt 22:39). As I follow Christ in love, I cannot join the world in it’s hostility. Even if they hate me, I must choose to love them by my words and actions, serving them in Christ’s name that He might show His grace to them through me. That’s not easy. But no one ever said it would be. It is, however, our calling as we seek to walk daily with Christ.
May His life of love be seen in our daily actions as we follow Him
Pastor Scott