Walk Worthy Of The Lord

9-23-2001 Walk Worthy of the Lord

A. Armstrong

COLOSSIANS 1:9-10

[9] 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;

[10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Notice the importance Paul places on being ‘filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will ‘in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and relates that to walking worthy of the Lord.

When you see someone who does not ‘walk in the Spirit’; who is still evidently fulfilling the lusts of the flesh [yet claiming Christ], you may be sure that they have not received the knowledge of his will.

Paul’s first prayer for them was to know God’s will.

But note exactly what this Scripture says: we are to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. It is not enough to just know God’s will; we are to be filled with the knowledge of His will.

The will of God is to permeate our very being.

But note: what is being talked about is not God’s will for a particular thing nor for a few things. What is being talked about is the whole scope of life. God’s will involves all of life, everything we do every moment of every day. The will of God involves what we do, say, and even think.

Simply stated, we are to live and move and have our being in the will of God. God has willed a life that he wants us to live. We are to learn about that life and be filled with the knowledge of that life.

Briefly stated, God’s will for us involves our very behavior and conduct; it even reaches down into the depth of imagination and thought. Imagine! Even every thought is to be controlled by God’s will.

2Cor. 10:5

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

God tells us how to live life, and what He tells us is His will. Therefore, we are to study what God has said. We are to study God’s Word: learn and gain all the knowledge we can about His will—about how to live. We are to study and learn until the knowledge of His will just floods our lives—floods us to such a degree that doing His will flows out into conduct and behavior.

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”

And if we lack in this spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God, we can pray and ask for it...

Ehp. 1:17

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

What is the point of getting this knowledge and wisdom that we evidently should have?

THAT YE MIGHT WALK WORTHY.

The critical point is putting what we know into practice. We are to live out the will of God; we are to practice and do the will of God. Knowing the will of God is of no value until we have committed our lives to do it.

SCRIPTURES CONCERNING THIS ‘WORTHY WALK’

Rom 6:4

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Eph 4:1

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 5:15

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Phil 1:27

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:

Col 2:6

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

1Thes 2:12

12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

One man wrote…“our conduct is to conform to the will of God as much as the conduct of Christ. We are to live a life just as worthy as the life of Christ. The will of God is to control our behavior as much as it did the behavior of Christ.