Our earthly lives require us to move at different speeds. The same is true of our life in Christ. At times we need to “be still.”1 We must also make time to be like Mary “who sat at the Lord’s feet.”2 Other times we need to “stand firm.”3 Sometimes we will need to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”4 But mostly . . . mostly our goal simply needs to be this: “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”5
What does it mean to “walk in him”? It is to “walk by the Spirit,”6 to “live by the Spirit,”7 and to “also keep in step with the Spirit.”7 As believers, we have the Spirit of Christ living inside us, but that Spirit only becomes a daily walking—not sitting, or standing, or running—but walking part of our lives as our knowledge of him grows. It makes sense that the more we know about Christ, the more likely we will become like him. Make no mistake about it, though, growing in Christ—to “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity”8—is a choice. Many believers are satisfied with the basics of their faith and remain “unskilled in the word of righteousness,”9 which results in being unable “to distinguish good from evil.”10 Which is a very important skill!
So to “walk by the Spirit,” although it is not necessary, is the smarter thing to do! Paul says this about that: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”11 Paul urges us “to walk in a manner worthy” of our calling. But be advised: the goal for walking in Christ is not to feel better about ourselves—as mature believers we are secure, not insecure about who we are. Nor is the goal for walking in Christ that we become better people—which will naturally happen as we “walk by the Spirit.” No. The goal for this manner of walking is because we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”12 Our goal? Unity.
What’s so important about unity? It is the very prayer Jesus offered to God in our behalf. He prayed, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us.”13 Only as we become mature in Christ will we be able to experience the oneness that Christ experienced with God. This unity with God then spills over to the whole family of God! Jesus continued to pray: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.”14 And that is the goal: unity with God through Jesus and unity with fellow believers. But there is one more reason that Jesus prayed that we would “become perfectly one.” He concludes “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”15
Walking daily with Christ, being led by his Spirit, results in oneness with God himself. It can only be experienced as we grow in faith. Our calling is to grow in Christ. It is a high calling and that’s why Paul urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling.”11 When we begin to walk more and more by the Spirit of Christ, we will live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”16 This is how Jesus lived. This manner of living leads to unity. And this is what it looks like to walk in Christ.
1Psalm 46:10 2Luke 10:39 3Ephesians 6:13 4Hebrews 12:1 5Colossians 2:6 6Galatians 5:16 7Galatians 5:25 8Hebrews 6:1 9Hebrews 5:13 10Hebrews 5:14 11Ephesians 4:1 12Ephesians 4:3 13John 17:21 14John 17:22 15John 17:23 16Ephesians 4:2
Amen!