Why Christians Don't Always Walk Worthy
copyright David Brandon 4/28/08
Ephesians 4:1 "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called."
Dear friends,
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:2)
I think it a good thing that we greet each other as Paul customarily did his readers in the Epistles. And there is no reason to think he did not extend the same wishes to the saints in person. What better example have we than this? I am afraid too often we ignore godly examples and copy behaviors more suited for the world. Frequently in the Beliefs Christian chat room at AOL that is the case. There, in the presence of a great assortment of skeptics and adherents of different faiths, professed believers in Christ call one another names and make a mockery of Jesus' New Commandment that we love one another as He loved us. (John 13:34)
Christians coming there for the first time are often astonished, and left saying, "I thought this was a Christian room. Aren't there ANY Christians here?" Skeptics rollick at the sight, taking immense pleasure in our errant behavior. To them it proves Christianity wrong and those who profess it intellectually inferior. Muslims perceive it as hypocrisy. Their belief that Jesus was a mere man and that we are apostates is fortified. And Jews see people who reject their laws acting in what they feel is a lawless manner. How can we get the Lord's message across when we behave badly? Why do we carry on this way?
One answer seems rather obvious; we fail to see temptation and yield to it!
The greatest chat room temptation is anger. Because the room allows for more anonymity than face to face conversation people tend to be reckless when they speak. There is something missing which is present when a person looks into the eyes of the individual to whom he is speaking. One hesitates to call it a bond. Still it is safe to say the qualities of sensitivity and caution usually evoked by personal contact are often absent. There is no excuse for the rudeness and excessive hostility seen in the Beliefs Christian chat room. If we really love our Lord we will try everything in our power to please Him. But human love is flawed in all cases. If God loved us the way we love Him we would, no doubt, be condemned.
The Beliefs Christian chat room is almost always occupied by Catholics and Protestants at the same time. Whenever they come together to have a frank discussion about doctrine the Lord's teachings will be tested. Not many people have the restraint to stop talking about a point when an impasse has been reached. Differences in the way the Sacraments, Mary, Papal authority, and salvation are viewed are so sharp a simple exchange can soon be transformed into a debate and then an argument. Tempers become heated and grudges are born. Many can not stand to have their heartfelt beliefs contested. And the devil steps in to tempt with anger that is very difficult to resist.
The same can be said about various divisions within the mainline Protestant church. A discussion between an adherent of Reform doctrine and a member of a different church about the Elect and free will can to lead to hot words in a flash. The tenets of the Word Faith denomination about prosperity often appall Evangelical Christians. And if you throw into the mix opinions of Liberal Christians, who feel the Bible was written by and for people and should not be interpreted literally, you have all the ingredients necessary for a free-for-all.
In light of all these important differences and the even greater disagreements Christians have with members of other religious belief systems, are we ever justified to set aside Christ's New Commandment or His command to love our enemies? NO! Then why do we?...Why don't we always walk worthy? It must be for one of these reasons: We either forget, do not try hard enough, do not care, do not love the Lord enough, have not read the scriptures enough, or just can not.
The church Paul singled out most for bad behavior was at Corinth. The letter to the Ephesians, however, leaves the impression that the church there was well-established and doctrinally sound. They were not being carried away by false teachings as were the Galatians, and there is nothing said about individual sinful behavior as in 1 Corinthians. Yet Paul admonishes the Ephesians to "walk worthy."
If he had to tell them this in all likelihood at least some and probably many of the brethren were not behaving properly. Maybe the flesh was obscuring their memories as it seems to obscure ours at times. Walking worthy is hard, and it is apparent that some of us assume having the Holy Spirit insures we will not misbehave. But we do because it takes great effort just to hear and obey His prompting.
In Paul's letter to the Galatians he said, "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:4) The Galatians, it seems, turned their backs on the Spirit which had led them. People can revert to the flesh at any time! This is, I believe, what happens in the Belief Christian chat room. When people disagree many revert to the flesh. How else can one explain the boasting, chest-pounding, insulting, and argumentative hostile behavior engaged by those who profess to be Spirit-led?
It brings a measure of comfort to know that Paul spent so much time admonishing first century believers. Do you suppose the Ephesians were as disobedient as we? Would Paul have adopted a mild tone toward us as he did toward them? Or would he have berated us as he did the Galatians?
I will tell you what; I think if Paul spent any time at all in the Beliefs Christian chat room he would soon be called a heretic and a liar. In fact, I am almost sure in light of his bold manner of expression he would be singled out for attack. Maybe I am wrong, but I do not think so.
Love, Your brother in Christ,
David
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