Walking Worthy of the Lord

Introduction:

As children of God, we are expected to behave and conduct ourselves in a certain way that would be pleasing and honorable to our Father in heaven.

One of the ways that the apostles, especially Paul, speak of our Christian life is by referring to it as our “walk” - ; ;

Imitation is what children do.

Children must learn to walk; children of God must learn to walk and learn to live acceptably before God.

Let’s study why this concept and metaphor of “walking” is helpful for us.

Walk: A Learned Habit

Walking begins with a step!

Every person that began walking began by taking that first step. You can’t walk without taking a step. The smallest unit of a “walk” is a “step.”

Walking is putting several steps together in a row or a pattern, without falling and stumbling.

However, we sometimes fall and hurt ourselves.

Christians are to walk in the Light, not in darkness -

Darkness is sin; Light is righteousness.

If we sin, we walk in darkness. We stumble, we fall - 2

Some quibble that a “a step is not a walk”—you can’t walk unless you take a step.

Walking has a purpose—it gets you where you want to go.

You can walk aimlessly, without direction, and without purpose.

You can walk and get lost. But even if you tried your best, you are still lost. No matter the intentions, plans, or where you are—you can be lost with even the best of intentions.

Walking is doing what you want to do, when you want to do it.

When Xander learned to walk, he was a little later to walk than we hoped. People said “he’ll walk when he wants to walk.”

I cannot walk for you; you cannot walk for me. We walk when we want to walk.

We cannot make someone walk worthy of the gospel if they are stubbornly trying to walk the way they want to walk.

Walking involves the mind, the will, the body, and actions.

Walk & Follow

We do not walk blindly; we have an example in Jesus Christ; the path has already been tread -

If we have fellowship with God, then we are to walk as Christ walked -

Paul develops the walking metaphor by stating several commands (Greek imperative mood) for how we are to walk -

Walk in love -

Sacrificial love - v. 2

Love for God demands change and godly living - vv. 2-6

Husbands, love your wives - v. 25

Walk in Light -

Our former life apart from God was darkness - v. 8

Walking in light means you will seek to know the will of the Lord - v. 10

Walking in light means you will expose the darkness - v. 11

Christ has transformed you and brought us from spiritual slumber and death to arise to life - v. 14

Walk Carefully (circumspect, wise) -

Walking with wisdom means we are using our time for God - v. 16

Not wasting our time on drunkenness and immoral behavior - v. 18

Walking as children of God means we learn to worship God and give thanks to Him - vv. 19-20

Walking in love, in Light, and carefully/wisely is what it means to walk worthy of God, Christ, and the gospel!

Walking is not blazing our own trail; walking is following—Jesus Christ.

Walk: Avoid Danger

Clearly, we are warned in the Scriptures to avoid walking in darkness - ;

Walking in darkness is disobedience to God -

Instead, we are to walk in the good works which God has prepared beforehand -

Walking in darkness makes us liars who do not practice the truth -

Walking in darkness for long periods of time can cause us to become blind when we come back into light.

Our hearts and eyes can be hardened, blinded, and calloused (NKJV, blindness of their heart) - ,

Conclusion:

Walk as Christ walked and you’ll follow Him to heaven!

Darkness is the way of sin and death—don’t follow its path!

If you are on the path of darkness, then you can come to the Light through the Light that came to the world, Jesus Christ -