Therefore

Christians are those who, by the power of God’s Spirit, should be zealous to “THEREFORE…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called” (Eph. 4:1).

Because God has “made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5), we should be eager to grow in the glories of knowing God (this is what Eph. 1-3 is all about).  And we should therefore excel in the duties of pleasing God (this is what Eph. 4-6 is all about).

The key to rightly understanding the Christian life is found in the significance of the word “therefore” in Eph. 4:1.  The point of Paul’s entire letter is that as we believe and grasp the glories of Eph. 1-3, we should therefore walk in the duties of Eph. 4-6.  If we try to fulfill the duties without living in the hope, riches, and power of the glories, we’ll know nothing but defeat, guilt, fear, discouragement, and exasperation.

Oh Beloved, God has called us to better things, things that magnify His grace and glory!  This is why Paul prays for believers as he does (Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21).  And this is why and how we should be praying for one another (Eph. 6:18); praying with the confident expectation that God is indeed “…able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20)!  Amen!

Praying for you, and with you,
Greg