A Walk That's Worthy

Outline

What is this calling?

When we talk about walking in a way that is worthy of your calling, we must not only look to Eph. 4:1-3 but also to 2 Thess. 1:11-12. Taken together, we get a whole picture of what “walking in a way that is worthy” is about.

First, it is a calling “to which you HAVE BEEN CALLED.” This is a crucial point and is specifically written in passive voice because you did not do the action of the calling. This calling is something that was done to you and for you by God. It is not something that you conjured up for yourself. It is not, as Joseph Campbell said, following your bliss. Rather, your calling in Christ hearkens back to Eph. 2:8-9 where we learned “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” So, you have been called by grace through faith to a calling. And what is that calling? Generally, it is God’s summoning to us to receive Christ’s offer of salvation. More specifically, it is the accepting of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross and belief in his resurrection from the grave so that we might receive forgiveness of our sins, rescue from the wrath of God, and receive a new nature to carry out the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-19).

And what is this calling?

According to 2 Pet. 1:3-10 God has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, but it is not for us. It is for Him. As Peter explains in the same passage, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Pet 1:3-4, emphasis mine) Notice, the calling is yours. The granting and the goal is God.

1 Th. 2:12 illuminates this calling further; that it is a calling into his own kingdom and glory: “we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

Col. 1:9-14 “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Here we see that we need to pray that our fellow Christians will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding SO THAT we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. (think Rom. 12:1-2)

And how is this “worthy walk” defined?

bearing fruit in every good work

increasing in the knowledge of God

strengthened with all power

endurance

patience

giving thanks to the Father

humble

gentle