Sold Out Christians

Introduction: The Call to Match Lifestyle with Faith

Ephesians 4 marks a shift from doctrine to practice. In chapters 1 through 3, Paul laid out the theology of salvation—its origin, execution, and resulting lifestyle. Now, he calls us to live it out. This is especially relevant during the Christmas season, when there's greater recognition of Christ, even in secular settings. Christmas isn't just about Jesus coming as a baby; it's about the hope of salvation and living a higher quality of life free from sin's ruin and misery.

The key responsibility in Ephesians 4:1-3 is to match your lifestyle with your profession of faith. If you claim to be a Christian but don't live like one, you're sinning—and sin brings misery. Christ came to relieve us from that. Yet many hide their faith around secular friends or in dating, pretending not to be believers to fit in. Jesus faced hatred for His holiness, and followers will too. But living as a Christian brings divine joy and satisfaction.

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Paul's strong language—"I implore you"—isn't a command but intense encouragement, like helping someone with a broken leg walk. Ignoring it leads to a crippled, sinful life indistinguishable from the world's. How often do you focus on aligning your lifestyle with your faith? What does it look like to be a Christian at school, home, work, in dating, marriage, shopping during Christmas chaos, or alone when no one watches? Judge situations by asking: What honors Christ's reputation over mine? What pleases Him over me? That's true allegiance.

Paul's Motivation: A Prisoner for Sold-Out Christians

Paul writes as "the prisoner of the Lord," not from luxury but chains. He was told at his commissioning he'd suffer greatly—stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, bitten by snakes, beheaded—for the gospel. He didn't endure this for shallow Christians content with fire insurance but no lifestyle change. He suffered to produce sold-out Christians, obsessed with gospel living, perhaps outdoing his own commitment.

Are you shallow, nonchalant about the lifestyle salvation demands? Or sold out, loving every minute?

Walking Worthy: What It Means and How

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling" means living to deserve recognition as Christian—showing salvation's qualities and abilities. It's not earning salvation or meriting grace; that's works-righteousness. Instead, it's a lifestyle matching Christ's, imputed to us. We've been crucified with Christ; now He lives in us by faith in Him (Galatians 2:20). Judge your worthiness: How much do you look like Christ?

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant. (Philippians 2:5-7)

With All Humility

Humility marked Christ's life. God, whose throne is heaven and footstool earth, looks to the humble, contrite (like dust), and trembling at His word.

Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2)

Dwelling on God's immensity creates creaturely humility. Suppress it with pride and sin, and you'll lack quality living. Increase your view of God's majesty—like facing a grizzly or Job before the whirlwind—and humility follows naturally. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Tremble at His word; let it decimate pride.

With Gentleness and Patience, Showing Tolerance in Love

Gentleness combines with patience: an uber-tolerant attitude. Biblical tolerance means enduring others, even the annoying, smelly homeless, uncool youth group kid, or stereotype mismatch. No matter how they prick or inconvenience, endure them lovingly—not hatefully or by compromising on sin.

Today's tolerance accepts sin (e.g., homosexuality, drunkenness) as okay. Not biblical. Christians endure while preaching gospel, maintaining holiness, waiting for sin's resolution—conversion, growth, or discipline. That's walking worthy. That's a sold-out Christian.