Pastor’s Pen Pulpit

November 24, 2002

“THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

as seen in Ephesians

A small boy was asked why he fell out of bed. He replied, “I guess I slept too close to the place I got in!” This is the story of many believers. Because they did not advance after becoming Christians, their lives are filled with “fallings.”

The Bible describes the Christian life in simple, understandable terms, terms to which we can easily relate. The book of Ephesians, the “Book of the Church,” outlines for us the progress in the Christian’s life: sitting, walking, and standing.

1. THE CHRISTIAN AS SITTING – Confident in our salvation (Ephesians 1:20-2:6).

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 2:5-7.

This term “sitting” means to “raise up together,” “to cause to sit down together with another.” These verses set forth the authority and confidence that the believer has in Christ (Romans 8:1.) The issue of salvation must be settled in your mind before you consider serious walking (I John 5:13).

2. THE CHRISTIAN AS WALKING – in our conduct (Eph. 2:10).

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (v. 2:10).

God preordained good works for the Christian. Paul admonishes us to walk “in a manner worthy of our calling” (Ephesians 4:1.), “in love as imitators of God” (5:2), “as children of light” (5:8), and “as wise people” (5:15).

If we are walking according to these verses, we’ll leave a trail of good works that will impact people for Christ.

3. THE CHRISTIAN AS STANDING – Courageous in our conflict (Eph. 6:10-17).

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm (6:13).

This passage presents the armor of God which every believer needs in order to stand firm when faced with Satan’s fiery darts. He is out to knock you out of effectiveness. The conflict can be overcoming if you allow it to be. It is up to each one of us to put on this armor and be overcomers, rather than overcome. With God’s help we can do it.

We must be careful not to break the sequence of growth. Sitting precedes effective walking, and walking becomes the prerequisite for standing. God bless.

Love in Christ,