READING:
One-year plan: Isaiah 5-8, Ephesians 3:1-4:16
Two-year plan: 1 Kings 6:1-7:14, John 4:39-54
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Ephesians 4:1 is a neat, concise transition in the middle of two clear divisions in the book of Ephesians: theology/our position in Christ (chaps. 1-3) and praxis/our walk as believers (chaps. 4-6). Paul points out what God has done for us and who we are in Christ in the first three chapters. In the latter three chapters, he speaks about our living out our faith in our personal walk, our family, our church, and our workplace.
The transition verse in Eph 4:1 begins with “therefore,” which clearly connects it to the previous chapters. In essence, Paul says, “Because of who you are in Christ, you need to walk differently. You need to live in such a way that you show your calling as God’s children.” That is, he calls the believers to apply the theological teaching they learned via the first three chapters.
Theology matters. In fact, little else matters if we get our fundamental theology wrong. At the same time, though, theology without life application is nothing more than a classroom exercise. It’s head knowledge that seldom gets to our hands and feet. Daily, we must remember who we are in Christ—and choose to walk accordingly.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Are you living out your position in Christ today?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, let my life show my beliefs.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Isaiah 9-13, Ephesians 4:17-5:21
Two-year plan: 1 Kings 7:145-51, John 5:1-16
*first published in 2019
