A sense of fairness is inherent in humans. All of us understand the concept that what is on one side of a balance requires something of equal weight on the other side for it to be fair to each side.
In Ephesians 1-3, the apostle Paul pours out all the weighty blessings God has placed within Jesus’ temple—all spiritual blessings in Christ (1:3-14); the enthronement of Christ as the living, exalted, reigning, pre-eminent head over the church and all things (1:20-23); the resurrection of people who are spiritually dead, disobedient, and doomed (2:1-7); the salvation of humanity from sin, its guilt, its stain, and its eternal consequences (2:8-10); the reconciliation of all humanity to God and one another in one nation, one family, and one temple (2:11-18); the clear and simple revelation of the mystery which now makes all people co-heirs of God, fellow members of one body, and equal partakers of the promise made to Abraham (3:6); and the identification and complete fulfillment in Christ of every person’s basic spiritual needs (3:16-19). Truly, the great I AM can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think and is to be glorified in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever (3:20-21).
With this on God’s side of the scales, it is abundantly clear that there is nothing we can do on our side to make the balances of salvation level. But surely, we would not presume to think there is no response we can or should make. Fair minded people can and should rightfully ask: How then ought we—the beneficiaries of God’s superabundance—to live? What manner of life is an equitable response to these immense riches of God’s love, grace, mercy, and wisdom? What manner of life befits such inordinate blessings?
Clearly there is such a lifestyle, because Paul—the Lord’s prisoner—beseeches you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called (Ephesians 4:1). Such winsome spiritual qualities as all lowliness, gentleness, being longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3) is the inspired answer to these most weighty questions.
Just as a country with a royal family has a standard of conduct for itself, heaven’s royal family does also: Be imitators/mimics of God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1).
Just as Diana’s temple had lavish furnishings which distinguished it from its first century contemporaries, so Christ’s temple—the dwelling place of Jehovah Himself—is to be lavishly adorned by the beauty of distinctive, holy living (Ephesians 4:17-32).
The eternal goal for Christ’s bride is that she should be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19), a glorious church—not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). This seems most reasonable and appropriate considering what God has done on the other side of salvation’s balances.
Like Paul, I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.
