Walking Worthy Of The Lord

I have a feeling that many who read this article will echo my sentiment when I say that none of us are truly worthy of the Lord.  Jesus’ sacrifice was not because mankind had been so good, but rather because mankind had been so bad.  Paul did a masterful job of describing the deplorable state of both Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 1 & 2).  As he put it, “What then?  are we better than they?  No, in no wise:  for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  Their feet are swift to shed blood:  Destruction and misery are in their ways:  And the way of peace have they not known:  There is no fear of God before their eyes…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:9-18, 23).

When we honestly examine our past, it should amaze the human race as to how much love God has for us.  Paul continued by writing, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:  yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8).  We did not deserve such a demonstration of love!  John wrote, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:  and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).  Jesus’ sacrifice demonstrated to all of humanity just how great His love for us is.  It is written, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  By willfully dying on the cross, Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  Once we sinned, we deserved the “wages of sin”.  “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).  In fact, by choosing sin over righteousness, we really chose self over God.  Even so, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

So after learning all of that, how can any of us really feel “worthy of the Lord?”  It might surprise you, but we are actually expected to “walk worthy of the Lord”.  Paul wrote, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:9-12).  Even though our pasts have shown a lack of love and appreciation for God and His blessings, once we become Christians, we should make sure that we do those things that are pleasing to God.  The church in Corinth was told, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Cor 9:8).  In fact, Christians are “…created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).  With that being stated, there is not a single “good work” that God tells us to do that we cannot do.  We learn what those good works are by “increasing in the knowledge of God,” for God is good (Mark 10:18).  So, while we recognize that we truly do not deserve God’s love, mercy, and grace, we must strive to live each day by showing Him our gratitude.

It should go without saying that God deserves our very best.  How do we give Him our best?  By obeying His Word, we demonstrate our love to Him (John 14:15).  When we choose to disobey His Word, we are basically showing Him a lack of love and appreciation for all that He has done.  All should make the choice to live in such ways as to “walk worthy of the Lord”.
~ Corey Barnette