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Daily Devotions

Ephesians

Ephesians 
Day 
Day 249

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."

Text: Ephesians 5:2

THE CHALLENGE TO “WALK IN LOVE”

The challenge to “walk in love” was not original to the apostle Paul. This emphasis was impressed upon the original disciples of the Lord Jesus. The apostle John noted this in his Gospel.

1. The example of deep love of Jesus for His own

This is well stated in the following text.

Now before the Feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that His hour had come
that he should depart from this world to the Father,
having loved His own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end.
JOHN 13:1

2. The commandment to love each other

Jesus wanted His disciples to exercise the kind of love that he had given to them. He not only exhorted them to emulate His example, He actually gave them a strict commandment to love each other.

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
JOHN 13:34-35

a) A new commandment

There is no getting around this statement of Jesus. The imperative tone of Jesus must be carefully noted. It cannot be ignored at all.

b) The kind of love to be shown

The disciples were to ponder the love of the Lord Jesus poured into their lives. As they had experienced the reality of the deep love of God, so they are to express that same love to each other.

c) Proof of discipleship

Did His followers think of themselves as “disciples” of Christ? Then they must demonstrate that truth in the way they expressed the love of Christ to each other.

AN APOSTOLIC COMMAND

The language that the apostle Paul employed when he wrote “walk in love” may be interpreted “imperative”. The grammatical construction allows for it. The context argues for it. The overall emphasis in the teachings of Jesus would augment the argument that this statement of Paul must be read as an apostolic command, no less!