United by Divine Calling (4:1) Paul wrote, “Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.” The word “walk”  is very important. It means  to conduct one’s life.”  Our  Christian life is a life  of walking for the Lord. We are to be in step with Him under His lordship.

We have been called to Him through His grace.  We have been blessed with every  spiritual  blessing. (1:3) Remember who you are as you live this life.

     United by Christlike Conduct (4:2-3) Paul now explains what it looks like to “walk worthy.”In short, it looks like Jesus.  Paul writes, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.”  The more we look like Jesus individually, and the more we live like Christ relationally, the more united we will be.

     Humility– Humility is an essential characteristic of believers. People must be living for the good of others. Someone wrote, “The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.”

     Gentleness. It involves  being “mild spirited” or “self-controlled.” Gentleness is  a fruit of the spirit, and it is the way we are to care for one another. (Gal. 5:23; 6:1)

     Patience. Lack of patience displays a lack of humility and a lack of love. Accepting one another in love means we put up with each other in love. Peter says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet. 4:8) Diligently keeping unity. We must We must be zealous  to maintain this unity.

We do not work to create unity but to keep it. God unites us, and we are to seek to maintain unity.

 

Larry Miles is Co-Editor of Word & Work and attends the Cherry St. Church of Christ in New Albany, IN.  He  has been preaching for the  summer at Salem Church of Christ in Cynthiana, KY