Everett Henes: Humbled for us

What should a community of Christians look like? This is one of those questions that will elicit different answers, depending on who is answering. If you have a heart for the poor, you’re likely to say that a Christian community should care for the least among them. If you are more intellectual, you’ll think that a Christian community should focus on study. If you’re on the more cynical side, you’re likely to say that a Christian community should be hypocritical. The truth is, you’ll find all of this in Christian community! When someone says to me that they can’t be part of the church because it’s full of hypocrites, my response is, “There’s always room for one more!”

The Apostle Paul gives good instructions for how a Christian community should live. Having laid out the doctrines in the previous three chapters, Paul now turns to considering the practical applications of those doctrines. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness.” (Ephesians 4:1-2) Ephesians 4:1-6 is a hinge in Paul’s letter and focuses on three areas: unity, diversity, and maturity. Today we consider Paul’s emphasis on unity.

The word used by Paul for "urge" is a strong word that means, "to request, to plead, or to appeal." He doesn’t command them, but that is not because he considers this optional. He does not command because of what he says about his position; he is a prisoner for the Lord. Jesus is the head of the church and so Paul urges them. What is it that he urges them to do though?

“To walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” "Worthy" here means "equal weight" and the picture is one of an old-fashioned scale. If you put their calling on one side of the scale, the way that they walked is supposed to balance out the scale. What is it that they have been called to? In salvation, they had been called from death to life and so they were to live a new life. But they were also called to be one together in the church. This is where Paul focuses his attention. They were to walk in a manner in balance with their profession of faith and their membership in the local body. The problem comes when tensions arise.

It is very easy to fall into the patterns of this world, but Paul here urges them to look at their calling (their salvation and their being part of the same body) and to operate according to those principles. Now this is not meant to be some ambiguous statement and so Paul goes on to define what a "worthy" walk is. This is where it can get at least a bit surprising for some Christians today. If you were to go out and take a survey of what constitutes a "worthy walk" for a Christian, you would most likely hear about how Christians should not drink, smoke, or listen to worldly music. Rarely will they focus on what Paul does: heart issues.

How should a believer who has been saved by the grace of God walk? Paul says first, with all humility and gentleness. This is truly counter-cultural for these Christians. You see, the word that Paul uses for humility, is one that they would have been familiar with, but not as a positive trait. The times this word was used in early Greek literature it was usually used in the derogatory sense to speak of servility, weakness or shameful lowliness. It is also the same word used to speak of Christ’s willingly coming down and taking the form of man, being humbled. The word for gentleness speaks of one’s attitude and behavior in contrast to harshness. When believers deal with one another, Paul says, it should reflect the humbleness and gentleness of Christ.

It's hard to get our minds around the reality of the Incarnation. The one who was forever with the Father and the Spirit became man. He left his place of glory to take up a place of humility. He laid his down strength to become weak for his people. This is the first mark of a Christian life, then, humility that follows our humble Savior who was born in a manger, lived a life of suffering, and died for us. I pray you and yours have a Merry Christmas!

— Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Everett Henes: Humbled for us