WALK IN LOVE

“And WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” – Ephesians 5:2a

To Walk in God’s Way is to WALK IN LOVE: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph.5:2). Similar to how toddlers learn and grow into adulthood through the process of imitating their parents, Christians mature by imitating our heavenly Father. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesian church repeatedly referred to the “walk” of believers; a way of describing an ongoing practice and lifestyle. After listing Christian virtues such as humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love in the fourth chapter (Eph.4:1, 17). Paul summed it all up by this command to WALK IN LOVE. We imitate our heavenly Father by Walking in Love. The rest of this chapter captures the Believer’s Walk in Light (vv-8-14) and Walk in Wisdom (vv.15-19).

Love is our Lord’s new commandment and the Believer’s first arena of obedience: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jh.13: 34-35). Love is the Way of the Lord (1Cor.13). However, since our human concept of love falls far short of the Lord’s, we must seek to understand what His love looks like, as displayed in His Son.

Christ’s love is selfless: He gave “Himself up for us” (v.2). This began with His incarnation when He left the glories of heaven to take on human flesh and live on this fallen earth among sinful people. But His selfless love stooped even lower when He humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross (Phil.2: 6-8).

Christ’s love offers forgiveness. He gave Himself as an offering for our sin by dying in our place. Now everyone who believes in Him and trusts in His death as payment for sin receives a full pardon and a righteous standing before our holy God.

Christ’s love is sacrificial. Although salvation is a free gift offered to us by God’s Grace through faith, it cost the Saviour far beyond our imagination. On the cross, He became a sacrifice to God by bearing His Father’s wrath until every sin was fully punished. The sinless Lamb of God fully satisfied divine justice. His death became a fragrant aroma to His Father, signifying that atonement was complete and forgiveness of sins was accomplished. This is Agape – totally unselfish love; an act of the will, not a fleeting feeling. It is expressed in service of the unworthy as much as the worthy: “God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us” (Rom.5:8).

Although our minds cannot fathom such infinite Love, we are to walk in love just as Christ did. In a fallen world in which we face temptations and strive against sin, we cannot love like Christ in our humanity and self-effort. As God’s beloved children however, His love can be expressed through us. He has given us a new nature, which is created in His likeness in righteousness, holiness, and truth (Eph.4:24). We have Christ’s life flowing through us as we abide in Him (Jh.15:5). The Holy Spirit dwelling within us also produces the Fruit of Love in our hearts (Gal.5: 22-23). The entire Trinity is at work lavishing us with Grace, which frees us to walk in love.

Christ’s Love that flows through us as Love for Others is always manifested by action. He emptied Himself of His rights and privileges in order to give us what we desperately needed but could never achieve on our own – Salvation. These same actions of selflessness, forgiveness, and sacrifice should become evident in our life as we walk in love. God’s love now abides in us and, as we depend on Him, flows through our life to touch those around us.