Walk in Love

I am getting ready for our Bible study tonight and we are studying the book of Ephesians. I love what verses 1-3 tells us in chapter four of Ephesians, "beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Paul is talking about walking in a manner that is worthy of our calling in Christ. The walk is not an easy one because the walk includes the words, lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering and bearing one another in love. What do these words mean?

• Lowliness means walking in a spirit of humility
• Gentleness is way of living (Gentle with the way you handle people and situations.)
• Longsuffering can be translated as long term patience.
• Bearing one another in love means to put up with or endure in love towards a person.

What is interesting here is that Paul is not talking about how we should deal with relationships with non-Christians but he is dealing with how the church should act towards one another. We should act in humility, being gentle, having patience and walking in unconditional love towards one another in the church. Why? Paul tells us in verse three, so that we can keep the unity of the Spirit. The unity of the Spirit is so important to the church and that is why it is important that we walk in these attributes that Paul gives us. Let us all walk worthy of our calling in Christ and keep the unity of the Spirit at all costs.