ESOCS Devotional 3 February 2026 – Live Life Worthy od Your Calling
MEMORY VERSE: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called …” Ephesians 4:1 KJV
TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:1-End
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
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Our calling begins with being chosen in Christ. Being chosen in Christ, we have been saved by grace through faith – we have been brought into a community of faith, where we learn of God’s purpose for our lives, and where we are strengthened in faith in order to do the good works asked of us. That, according to Paul, is what it means to be called. And now, Paul is challenging us to lead our life in a way that is worthy of God’s grace, to lead a life worthy of our calling, of the great gift given to us in Jesus, the great privilege of serving in this world as followers of Christ.
Our Christian life begins with knowledge, sitting at the feet of Jesus; then, we must begin to walk according to our new understanding and eventually to take a stand in it. We cannot walk before we spend time sitting with Christ. We cannot truly live out our faith without a solid foundation in biblical truths. We must continually strive to put into practice what we learn from God’s Word. Watchfulness, self-examination, and accountability play vital roles in this process. Living a life worthy of our calling entails, upholding humility, integrity, and discipline with gentleness and patience. We do it by bearing with one another in love, and by making every effort to maintain our unity in the bond of peace.
The Church seems so disjointed and unified, often arguing over doctrinal differences and expressions of worship, meanings of text, and all sorts of other minor things, which really don’t matter that much in the end. What matters is God’s sovereign rule over all things. He is in all through and over all things. He is gracious, and Holy, and has adopted us into His family.
Remember our calling is to Christ, and His mission. Let us preserve unity by contending for basic specific Christian doctrines of who God is, what He is doing, and who He says we are in light of who He is. Let’s do this with love, patience, and humility. Finally, a Scholar once said, “True faith is demonstrated through deeds and actions that are consistent with one’s profession of faith.”
Reflections
- Are you walking worthy of your calling?
Prayer
- Oh Lord, help me to embrace the life of simplicity, honesty, love, and patience above all things.
Further Reading: Leviticus 8:1-10; Isaiah 43:3-21; 1 Corinthians 2:1-End
ESOCS Devotional 4 February 2026
