Walk Worthy of Your Calling

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called”  Ephesians 4:1

As Christians, we are called “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Our calling is identified “a heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1) and “upward,” in the sense of majestic (Phil. 3:14), and we are told that the called (Rom. 1:6) are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). But we also are told to “be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you” (2 Pet. 1:10). There is much in Scripture about our calling, and although the calling is God’s work and prerogative, we are expected to add to our faith “moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love” (2 Pet. 1:5-7).

We are “called as saints” (Rom. 1:7). That, the purpose for which we have been called or invited by God to become one of His chosen, is to be holy! Everything in our lifestyle should center around the fact that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). Other aspects of our calling are the results of that holy character, which should be the ever-controlling dominant factor in our lives.

The specifically cited traits in this context are attitudes of lowliness (see Phil. 2:1-3) and meekness (see Col. 3:12-17), all the while “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). A summary of this calling is found in Paul’s closing comment to the Corinthian church, “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).