“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” Ephesians 5:2
The Bible is full of commandments. Most of us are very familiar with the Ten Commandments and if questioned regarding Christ’s commandments we are quick to fall back on those familiar ten. But, the Bible is full of instruction and is a guide for how we should live our lives. Yes, living the Ten Commandments will result in a good and moral lifestyle that, no doubt, will position you for a life that pleases God. But, that is not enough. As Christians, we are responsible for every word of His holy Word.
Many Bible scholars and theologians like to categorize the words of the Bible. They speak of commandments and ordinances. Well, those are all true and rightfully categorized. But, then there are those statements found in the Bible that directly correlate to how we are to live and conduct our daily lives. Regardless of what you call them, commandments, ordinances, rules or any other man-made nomenclature for them, they are spoken for us to obey. Ephesians 5:2 is such a verse. In fact, most of the entire chapter of Ephesians 5 is dedicated to telling us how we are to live our lives.
For sake of this devotion, I would like to focus just on Ephesians 5:2. To be perfectly honest, that is enough for me to handle and meditate upon as I will spend my whole lifetime trying to perfect “walking in love” and loving as Christ has loved me. Don’t get me wrong, the entire chapter is relevant and important. By the way, so is every word of the Bible, God’s Holy Word. But, I need to take it in chunks I can digest, so I will leave the remaining verses for another day.
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us.” Whew, what an order. I am so glad that Christ also gave us, Philippians 4:13 which tells us, we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. With His help we can walk in love. But before we can do that, we must ask Him for help to do it and to understand it. It is not merely saying I love you. It is not loving in word and not in deed (I John 3:18). No, this verse plainly illustrates that we are to put action to our words.
Christ gave for us. In fact, He gave the ultimate sacrifice, His life. So many times, we say we love someone but then we are not there for them. We won’t even give them our time. We are so caught up in ourselves that we have no time, interest or inclination to bear another’s burden. This is contrary to God’s Word. Not only in this verse does Christ show He bears our burdens and sacrifices for our good, but also in many other verses in the Bible this act of giving is demonstrated. We are told in Galatians 6:2 that we are to bear one another’s burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ. This means we must put action to our words. To love as Christ loves requires doing.
So, let this verse remind you of your call to action, your call to love. Let Christ be the example you follow in your daily interaction with others. Let your actions speak love to all who cross your path. Yes, everyone you encounter should see love, His love, in you! What are some ideas you can incorporate in your daily routine that would fulfill this admonition of God, to walk in love? First, ask God for His help in loving others. Secondly, always think of others before yourself. Remember the old adage, “JOY—Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last.” Lastly, focus on how much He loves you and how much grace He uses when dealing with you. This will surely cause you to “walk in love.” Remember you may be the only Bible some people ever read, make sure you are displaying His teachings correctly.