1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
to walk worthy
“Walk” is literally to walk around. The idea to walk as a course of life, as a lifestyle (2:2, 10; 4:17; 5:2,8,15). Our daily conduct should rest on divine protocol.
“Worthy” means of equal weight in value. Our calling and our walk should hold the balance of equal weight. Our status in Christ should be balanced with a walk that accords with that status. The scales of our daily lives should correspond to our status in Christ. Both doctrine and living that doctrine should be in balance.
of the calling with which you were called,
The “calling” here refers to our status with Christ presented in the first three chapters. Our daily living before God should correspond to our high status as a child of God.
Our “calling” took place in eternity past, the effectual call to salvation. Our status in Christ is our high calling. Our calling is what God has done in us (1 Pe 2:9). The Christian life grounds in the privileges of our calling. Our calling affects our personal relationship with other believers.
PRINCIPLE:
Our status with Christ is the basis for our walk with the Lord.
APPLICATION:
It is not enough to have doctrine without experience, and it is not enough to have experience without doctrine. We must maintain both in balance.
Some Christians minimize doctrine, but it is impossible to live out principles of Scripture without understanding doctrine. Other believers want to exclusively think about doctrine without thinking about how it applies to their lives. Both of these viewpoints are out of balance.
Doctrine without application of its principles is dead orthodoxy. Experience without doctrine is shallow and superficial.
