“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians is perfectly balanced, perfectly symmetrical. The first half (chapters one through three) shows who Christians are, and the second half (chapters four through six) shows how Christians walk. The first half explains one’s status in Christ; the second half explains one’s conduct in Christ.The familiar words of Ephesians 2:8 and 9 summarize well the first half of the book: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” That’s the status of the Christian: gloriously saved by God’s grace, not by our own works.The second half of the book requires the believer to put on shoes. There we “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called…” (4:1). Paul insists that having a wonderful status is not enough. Truly Christian people walk as Christ walks. Look, for example, at 4:32. If you have come to know Christ Jesus, you can’t be unkind long-term, hardhearted long-term, or unforgiving long-term. That’s not how Jesus walks, so it’s not how those who know Him should walk. Being kind to one another won’t take anyone to heaven. Being tenderhearted or forgiving won’t either. But once someone knows the Lord Jesus, kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness must mark his or her walk. Otherwise, people are justified in wondering whether or not one knows Christ if that one regularly shows none of the traits found in that verse. Christians must walk a certain way, then.
Walking according to 4:32 won’t make us Christians, but consistently refusing or failing to walk that way makes others wonder whether we are Christians. It should also make us wonder whether we are Christians. That verse ends on a high note. It urges Christians to be forgiving of one another, but not because that will save us. We’re to be forgiving “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”. In other words, forgive others as you have been forgiven by God. How have you been forgiven by God? Lavishly. Graciously. Undeservedly. Completely. Lovingly. Ephesians tells a twofold message: Because of God’s grace, the Christian’s status is fabulous. By obedient, Spirit-filled living, the Christian’s walk shows how fabulous our status (and our Savior) is. Does your life tell that twofold message?
