Walk the Walk — Part 1

Walk the Walk – Part 1

-Identity (ī-ˈden-tə-tē): the truth of who I am (including who I perceive myself to be) that alerts me to my personal value, directs my personal choices, and determines the direction of my worship.

I. Our Identity Calls Us to a Walk (Ephesians 4:1-16)

1. Remember Your Master. (Ephesians 4:1a) – prisoner of the Lord

2. Embrace Your . (Ephesians 4:1b-16) – walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called

-As a child of God, my interaction with the family of God should be:

A. -Preferring (2) – With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

B. Peace-Pursuing (3) – Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

C. God-(4-6) – There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

D. Synergistically-Working (7-16)

• God has equipped believers with gifts (7-11) – But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ…And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

• Your gifts work together with others’ to grow and build God’s Church (12) – For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

• We point each other to Christlikeness (13) – Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

• We each other from anti-Gospel influence (14) – That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

• We encourage each other to keep looking to Christ (15-16) – But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

* Discussion: Can you think of a time when someone else who embraced their position in Christ helped you to do the same (i.e. teaching, warning, example, etc.)?

II. Our Identity Calls Us to a Walk (Ephesians 4:17-32)

1. Christless identity produces a Godless life. (Ephesians 4:17-19)

A. Conclusions (17b-18) – vanity of their mind…understanding darkened…ignorance…blindness of their heart

B. Numbed Morality (19) – Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

2. Christ-based identity calls for deliberate & continual replacement. (Ephesians 4:20-32)

-vv. 20-24, But ye have not so learned Christ…put off concerning the former conversation the old man…be renewed in the spirit of your mind…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

A. over Deceit (25) – putting away lying, speak every man truth 

B. Resolution over Bitterness (26-27) – Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

C. Giving over (28) – Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

D. Helping over Hurting (29-30) – Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

E. Forgiving over (31-32) – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

*This Week’s Challenge: Identify one of the 5 replacement categories in which God is working on you in your identity as a child of His. Seek His help to deliberately and continually replace the “old man” tendencies with the “new man” actions in order to give an accurate reflection of Christ to those God has placed around you.