CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO LESSONS

MARCHING ORDERS!

When I applied to attend Arizona State University in 1960, I discovered that everyone, every male, had to take ROTC, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. I guess they figured that if you were “college material” you were also “officers’ material.” In my case they probably discovered that if you were barely college material you were also barely officers’ material.

At any rate, I signed up for Air Force ROTC as opposed to the Army program for two reasons. First, there was no way to dodge signing up for one or the other. Besides, the only Dodgers I knew lived in Brooklyn. Second, in the Army you had to carry a rifle and while I didn’t have anything against guns I figured I didn’t need one more thing to carry around campus.

I then discovered that in addition to attending classes three days a week we had to march every Thursday morning at the uncivilized hour of 6:30. So, every Thursday morning I would rise, put on my uniform, and fall into formation. The squad commander would call roll, bark out a few announcements, and then put us through the morning drill.

But somehow I missed the message that the standard military step is 30 inches. Nor did it occur to me that in order to march in step with everyone else you had to stay in step with everyone else. So every Thursday morning, the squadron commander would bring the squadron to a halt, call me out in front of the squad, and show me how to skip back into step. I became so practiced in this that to this day I can skip back into step with my eyes closed.

However, the moment the squadron commander returned me to formation I fell back to my usual pattern of strolling along with my normal gait of 28 inches from heel to toe. It wasn’t long before I was out-of-step with everyone else and out-of-favor with the commander.

Was I intentionally obstinate in those days? No! I didn’t report on Thursday morning with the premeditated intent of disrupting the morning. I wasn’t like the guy who intentionally provoked the brass by wearing his cap backwards or by cutting off its bill.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t in step with everyone else. I wasn’t in step because my approach to the Thursday morning activities was way too casual for the real officers of ROTC. I just didn’t take it all that seriously. After all, I learned everything I needed to know about marching in the 6th grade! And, our extensive involvement in Vietnam was still down the road in those days.

Apathetic, indifferent, insensitive, complacent, and lethargic, are descriptive words; words that fit my behavior as I strolled through drill practice each Thursday morning long ago. But, they are also words that may be used to describe the people of God. In the Old Testament, for example, Amos, a fig-pinching sheep herder from Judah, condemned the Northern Kingdom because, in part, they were apathetic toward the things of God. In Amos 6:1 - 6 we read:
1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! 2 Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? 3 You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror. 4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. 5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

In the New Testament, when Jesus squarely faced the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane he asked the disciples to watch with him for one hour. But, the disciples snoozed while Jesus was in agony over what laid ahead of him. When He needed them the most, they took their ease.

In Ephesians, the Greek word that is normally translated as “walk” is actually a military term meaning to “keep in step” or “keep up.” It is used six times throughout the book suggesting that Paul was concerned that the Ephesian believers were becoming way too casual about their “walk.” He doesn’t directly accuse the church of becoming apathetic, lethargic, or complacent, as Amos accused Israel, but his admonitions suggest that this was, in fact, the case. In essence, he challenged them to “skip back into step.”

We first see the use of this work in Ephesians 2:8 - 10. We read:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8 - 9

Here, our marching orders are to “keep in step” with the “good works” that attest to the reality of our salvation. Advanced planning has gone into our post-conversion life and Paul urges us to “keep in step” with what has already been laid out for us. Later on, in Ephesians 5:10 he challenges us to “learn what pleases God.” Well, one of the things that pleases God is for you and I to be in step with how he has molded us, how he has shaped us, or designed us. That is, we are to work out our giftedness for God’s glory.
Another thing that pleases him is for each of us to simply be alert to opportunities to do “good” even though it may not be in the area of our giftedness. For example, I wouldn’t say that Linda or I have the gift of generosity but we are called to be good stewards of our money and to use it, not only wisely, but compassionately when a need presents itself.

The second use of this word is found in Ephesians 4:1 - 3. We read:
1 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 long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1 - 3

Here our marching orders are to “stay in step” with one another. If I learned anything from ROTC, it is that staying in step with everyone else doesn’t just happen by accident. Each soldier must remained focused, he or she must pay attention, and on occasion, take the necessary action to get back into step.

In the case of the church, this getting back into step with each other is more difficult then simply skipping back into step. It usually means swallowing our pride, overcoming our reluctance, or mustering up the courage to mend a relationship that has been bruised or even fractured. It means taking the initiative to restore harmony.

The third use of the word is in Ephesians 4:17 - 23. We read:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as 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. Ephesians 4:17 - 23

In short, as believers, we have no excuse for being “out of step.” In Christ, we have been taught the truth, and we have seen the truth displayed before us in the gospel accounts. God has not simply told us how to walk the truth, he has shown us how to walk it. And as we focus on the truth we will find that it’s a matter of “putting off” the old clothes, rags, and “putting on” the new clothes, the robes of righteousness.

A non-christian is one who walks according to ignorance. But we walk according to knowledge and power. We walk in step with a renewed mind in Christ and with the power to say “no” to the world and “yes” to the Spirit of God.

The fourth place this word is found is in Ephesians 5:1 - 2. we read:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 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. Ephesians 5:1 - 2

Here we are challenged to walk sacrificially, to be more concerned about giving than getting. We are drawn to the sweet smelling perfume of success knowing full well that it will capture attention of the world. But here, we are exhorted to “keep in step” with Christ, and that means wearing the sweet-smelling aroma of self-sacrifice.

The fifth place we see this word is in Ephesians 5:8 - 10. We read:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable (pleasing) to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8 - 10

Once we were darkness. It wasn’t that we were simply in the dark, we were the darkness. We were the sons of disobedience. We embraced the lure of sexual immorality at a time when our culture knew better. We gave enough hints to those around us that if the opportunity ever presented itself we would “go for it.” We also cussed, told off-colored jokes, engaged in stupid chatter, and thought that being glib was the key to earning the applause of our peers.

Now we are children of light and we ought to walk as if we are at home in the light. This means, now that we can see clearly, that much of what we did in darkness is out of place. We now see how our words and deeds not only hurt those around us, but failed to bring glory to God. We can now “get in step” with God for we can see how our failure to give “thanks” led to discontentment which in turn led to all sorts of wickedness.

But it is not simply a matter of being in the light, we are the light for we are in union with Christ. What this means is that when we are “in step” with the light we automatically expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. It is not that our mission statement is to go around pointing the finger at the world, it is simply that as the world sees our light it will realize that its mode of operation fails to bear lasting fruit.

The last place we see this word used in this book in Ephesians 5:15 - 21
15 See then that you walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:15 - 21

Here we are reminded to walk carefully, to walk in such a way as to redeem the time. If we are to do this, we need to “stay in step” by being sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Generally speaking, the Spirit is not a drill sergeant in that He doesn’t bark out his orders.

Instead, it is the prompting of the Spirit, it is His nudging, it is the peace within, and it is the periodic reminders of what God’s Word says that we need to be sensitive to as we march through life. And how will we know that we heard the commands of the Spirit? We will know when were “in step” with the Spirit because our life will be characterized by joy, thanksgiving, and by a willingness to submit to one another.

Finally, to fully see the dynamics of this passage we need to see and understand the words:
“ WAKE UP, O SLEEPER, AND RISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU.”
Here Paul is linguistically throwing a glass of cold water on believers who have become apathetic, indifferent, insensitive, complacent, and lethargic. It would be like us yelling to a halfhearted believer: “Wake Up! Don’t you realize that we’re in the middle of a war zone? Don’t you realize that unless we put on the full armor of God we are not only in danger of becoming a statistic, we are of absolutely of help to our commander-in-chief? Hello!”

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO LESSONS