Ephesians 4:1 - Meaning and Application

This is a general call to live in a way that fits the Christian life. Paul was writing as a prisoner in Rome, and he says he is the prisoner of the Lord, or in the Lord, which means he suffers for the Lord. He points this out more than once to show that he is not ashamed of his chains. He also wants his readers to feel the weight and tenderness of what he is saying.

Paul knows he did not suffer as an evildoer. He believed the message was worth suffering for, so the Ephesians should treat it with serious respect and careful obedience. This is the plea of a poor prisoner, one of Christ’s prisoners: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you,” and then comes his request. After all God has done for them and the new position he has brought them into, Paul asks them not for help with his prison needs, but that they would live as true Christians.

His appeal is that they walk worthily, in a way that fits their calling. That means living in a manner that is fitting, proper, and in step with the grace of God that has changed them from paganism to Christianity. Christians should shape their lives to match the gospel that called them, and also the glory to which they are called. Both are part of their calling.

We are called Christians, so we must live up to that name. We are also called to God’s kingdom and glory, so we should set our hearts on those things and walk as people who will inherit them.