Worthy of Our Calling
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:1-3
Scripture
1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Sermon Description
The Christian life is not to be lived in a purely intellectual way, nor is it to be lived in a way that forgets about doctrine. The Christian life is to be lived worthy of the calling to which the Christian has been called. In this sermon on Ephesians 4:1–3 titled “Worthy of Our Calling,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives clarity to how to walk worthily and the calling to which the Christian has been called. Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by giving two definitions for the word worthy. First is simply to have equal weight. The way Christians walk in a worthy manner is by placing equal emphasis on both doctrine and practice. The second definition is becoming or proper. It is proper to wear matching clothes. In the same way, it is proper for lives to match doctrine. Doctrine must come first as the foundational garment, and the life comes second as the adorning garment. The second word Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on is calling. God has called His people with an effectual call, and through this call He has saved them to Himself. He has called them to be holy, a royal priesthood, His sons and daughters, co-heirs of Christ’s inheritance, and so much more. Because of this calling Christians are to walk in a manner that is worthy and pleasing to God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is appealing to the Ephesians to live a life worthy of their calling.
- This life involves balancing doctrine and practice. We must have equal weight on both doctrine and living out that doctrine.
- This life involves living in a way that is becoming of our calling. Our life should match and be suited to the calling we have received.
- Our calling is not something we chose but something we were called to by God. We have been called out of darkness into light.
- There are two types of calls: a general call to all people and an effectual call to believers by the Holy Spirit. The effectual call gives us the ability to believe.
- We must remember we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, chosen to be holy, predestined to adoption, and made heirs and children of God.
- We have been made alive in Christ, raised with Christ, and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Christ dwells in our hearts.
- We have been saved by grace through faith, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and given power through the Holy Spirit.
- We must live as prisoners of Christ, seeking to please him above all else.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.