My motto in taking photographs is, “Take a lot, you may get one you like.”
Well, on one snowy day I did get one I liked. It was of my grandson following behind his dad in the snow. His father was running and his son was doing all that he could to match his father’s path and every step.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians;
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love,as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.”
Why does Paul use the phrase, “walk in love”? Wouldn’t the phrase, “Walk in Grace”, have captured the essential aspect of God’s sovereignty that all orthodox believers hold is essential to salvation? Even in the beginning of the same epistle Paul declares the anchor text, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” And yet, here he admonishes to walk in love.
Or why does he not simply say, “Follow in obedience”. There can be no doubt that obedience is essential to the Christian’s successful walk. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Paul himself spent great portions of his writings urging his readers to specific tasks appropriate to Christian life and growth. Yet, here he implies that along with following there is an accompanying right disposition. Why?
Paul harkens back to a bedrock statement by Christ himself. When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”
Here, every aspect of human existence, both individually and communally, is brought to bear in worship.
Here, there is no room for compartmentalization of the self into “work person”, play person”, or “worship person”.
Here, grace can be protected from a license to sin, and begrudging adherence can be unshackled.
Here, all of our being is engaged in what Paul asked of us – to walk in love.
