iPhone Learning & Gospel Living
In my ongoing study of Ephesians, I continue to be happily confronted with God’s story of grace. Join me today for a quick look into the gospel call of Ephesians 4.
Gospel realities:
Through Christ we are made right with God.
We can’t do anything to make God love us anymore than he already does.
Also, gospel reality:
We are called to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (Eph. 4:1).Â
My son and I recently helped my 81-year-old dad select and acquire a new cell phone. His current phone is a beige cordless with an antenna sticking out of the top. He has an answering machine, which he checks to see if he wants to take a call. He does not own a computer; he’s never even used one. Learning how to use an iPhone was going to be a learning challenge, to say the least.
A retired English professor, my Dad knows how to teach – and learn. After we gave him a brief but somewhat chaotic lesson, he took the iPhone for Seniors tome we provided and scheduled self-study sessions. Each day he devotes one hour to reading the book and practicing technique. He’s catching on.
The time eventually came when my Dad had to apply the knowledge in real-life situations. (You should hear how surprised he is when he phones me and I say “hello”!) As he uses the phone, he discovers what he knows and what he doesn’t know. He returns to his book and his weekly lessons to answer these questions, then he attempts some more real-life situations.
(Have I mentioned how proud I am of him?!:-)!
In Ephesians, Paul talks about the process of learning and living the gospel. For the first three chapters, he lays out their new story, telling them who they are as a grace-renewed people. Once cursed in sin, believers  are now grace-soaked in spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). Once the walking dead; they are now spiritually alive (Eph. 2:1-5). Once alienated and alone; they are now joined together as a kingdom, a family, and a church(Eph. 2:19-22). By God’s grace, they have been saved through faith (Eph.2:8).
In Chapter 4, Paul urges them to do something far more profound and challenging than using a new iPhone. Here’s how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message:
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel.
We can’t simply soak in the warm heat of God’s lavish spiritual blessings (Eph. 1); we must live as humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, loving people (Eph. 4). We can’t take the gifts Christ gave for the sake of the body and play with them in a corner; we must share them with others. We noses can’t desert the face — it would look ridiculous!Â
Yes, we will fail to live in the manner worthy of the calling. We will constantly need to back to the story that tells us who God is and what he’s done and who we are because of it. We will need the Spirit to teach us the lessons of humility and forgiveness, and we’ll need to feast regularly at the table that reminds us Christ’s body was broken for us. And as we continue to learn and live in love, we will be walking in a manner worthy of our calling.
![What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
Heavenly Father,
In this world,
the focus of leaving a legacy
is often on making a name for ourselves.
We ask you,
by the mercies of Christ our Lord,
to help us “walk in the way of love,”
that we might become “models of goodness” (Titus 2:3, The MSG).
Help us to throw off the sour smell of self-centeredness,
to give ourselves up as “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to [you]” (Ephesians 5:2). Help us to live out our unique giftedness and passions
in ways that draw others to inhale the fragrance of Christ.
Draw us to repent quickly when we sin
and to live lives
characterized by seeking
and granting forgiveness.
Help us to inhale the pure, fresh air
of our righteousness in Christ
and to exhale the sweet scent of words
that build up and encourage others.
In this way, Lord,
we will live lives that matter—
to you, and to others.
In this way,
we will live the legacy we want to leave.
In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.
Read Ephesians 5:1-2; Titus 2:1-8.
If you would like to read more about living the legacy we want to leave, I wrote about this topic recently at Numbering Your Days.
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