WALK IN LOVE

Today’s New Testament reading is Ephesians 5. It is widely believed that the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus while he was a prisoner in Rome. It is further believed that he was imprisoned at the Mamertine Prison. I am currently in Rome and staying at a guesthouse about a mile from this archeological site. I have had the privilege this past weekend of walking around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, both near this site. And I am now planning to visit the prison site later today!

Paul begins this chapter with two commands: The first is “be imitators of God” and the second is “walk in love”. I think the two commands here are connected. That is, Paul is exhorting us to imitate God by following Christ’s example of walking in love.

In verses 3 – 21, Paul further describes what he means by walking in love. His description includes things we shouldn’t do as well as things we should do. He concludes this section with a series of actions that should characterize our lives: “…but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph. 5:18b-21)

Here is Paul’s list for walking in love. So how has your own walk been lately?

• Address one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs
• Sing and making melody to the Lord with your heart
• Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Submit to one another of our reverence for Christ