When God Intertwines the Walk with the Call
*ADAPTED FROM DR. JAMALE JOHNSON’S CHAPEL SERMON
Paul opens Ephesians 4 with a verse that ought to stop every redeemed believer in their tracks:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
That one verse lets us know immediately this Christian life is not casual. This is not a freestyle walk. This is not a do-what-you-want, whenever-you-want kind of faith. Paul is talking about a high standard, and that standard shows up when God intertwines the walk and the call.
IDENTITY BEFORE INSTRUCTION
Before Paul ever tells us how to walk, he spends the first three chapters of Ephesians reminding us who we are. He lays out the spiritual blessings—redemption through Christ’s blood, forgiveness of sins, adoption as sons and daughters. We were dead in our trespasses, part of another system, another world. But God stepped in and redeemed us. That’s important, because Paul doesn’t just give commands without context. He builds theology before he demands obedience. And once he’s done laying that foundation, he does something powerful: he intertwines the walk and the call.
WHEN THE WALK MEETS THE CALL
See, redeemed people already know how to walk. We walked into church. We walk through life one step in front of the other. Walking comes naturally. But responding to a call, that’s another story. When God intertwines the walk and the call, it creates what I like to call spiritual apprehension. I know how to walk. I don’t always know how to fulfill a call.
THE TENSION OF DIVINE INTERRUPTION
Many of us were already moving in a direction when God interrupted our plans. We were already on a path that was comfortable, familiar, self-directed. And then God called us to something different. That’s where the tension lives. That’s where the apprehension shows up. Because now the natural walk has to line up with a spiritual calling. Paul says, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling.” The problem is, most of us don’t know what that manner looks like, at least not at first.
FIRST STEP: ACCEPTING THE CALL
So what do we do?
First, we accept the call.
Some things in life you don’t negotiate—you accept them. Like broccoli on your mama’s dinner plate. You might not like it, but it’s good for you. The call works the same way. You don’t get to throw it away, because you were purchased at a price. Redemption gives you value, and value comes with responsibility.
The first part of the call is salvation. That’s chapters 1 through 3. But once you’re saved, God doesn’t stop speaking. He introduces you to Christ, and then He starts shaping your walk. That’s where the intertwining happens.
THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE CALLING
God never calls you without adjusting how you walk.
And that’s where constraints come in.
Paul doesn’t just talk about the call, he models it. He calls himself a prisoner of the Lord. Handcuffed. Restricted. Limited. Not free to do whatever he wants. Paul is saying, “I’m already living inside the constraints of the call, and I’m asking you to do the same.”
The call has boundaries. The call has expectations. The call doesn’t let you lay your faith down at the door when it’s inconvenient. You carry it everywhere—family reunions, grocery stores, vacations, and quiet walks down the street when you think nobody’s watching.
Because somebody is always watching.
THE CHARACTER OF A WORTHY WALK
When God intertwines the walk and the call, He also defines the manner of the walk. Paul spells it out clearly:
Walk with humility.
Walk with gentleness.
Walk with patience.
Walk in love.
That’s the hitch that connects the truck and the trailer. Without the manner, the walk and the call don’t move together. Humility reminds us it’s not our ministry. It belongs to the Lord. Gentleness keeps people from being pushed away at the door. Patience allows us to walk with people instead of giving up on them. Love ties it all together.
WALK MEANT FOR UNITY
And finally, Paul reminds us that this walk is never just individual; it’s communal.
One body.
One Spirit.
One Lord.
One faith.
One baptism.
One God and Father of all.
When the redeemed truly understand that God intertwines the walk and the call, division loses its power. Unity becomes our responsibility. We step in when things start to split apart. We hold out our arms and bring people together.
WALKING WORTHY OF THE CALL
The standard is Jesus.
And when we accept the call, embrace its constraints, live out its character, and walk together in unity, we walk worthy.
To listen to Dr. Johnson’s full chapel sermon, visit our chapel podcast here!