DRAWING NEAR
February 25
Living in a Worthy Manner
"So that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him
in all respects" (Col. 1:10).
Your manner of life should be consistent with Christ's.
In Colossians 1:9 Paul speaks of being controlled by the knowledge of
God's will. In verse 10 he speaks of walking in a manner worthy of
the Lord. There is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between
those verses. When you are controlled by the knowledge of God's
will, you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
The Greek word translated "walk" means "to order one's behavior."
It's a common New Testament metaphor for one's lifestyle. Paul made
a similar plea to the Thessalonians: "Walk in a manner worthy of the
God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory" (1 Thess. 2:12).
The thought of being worthy of the Lord might raise some eyebrows
because we usually relate worthiness to merit or something deserved.
But that isn't Paul's point at all. The Greek word translated
"worthy" in Colossians 1:10 speaks of something that weighs as much
or carries the same value as something else. He isn't saying we
deserve Christ, but that our conduct should be consistent with His.
That is Peter's point in 1 Peter 2:21: "You have been called for this
purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example
for you to follow in His steps." John said, "The one who says he
abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He
walked" (1 John 2:6). He added in 2 John 6, "Walk according to His
commandments." That's how you demonstrate your love for Christ (John
14:15) and please Him in every respect.
As a word of encouragement, a worthy walk is not a walk of sinless
perfection. That won't happen until you are fully glorified. But
each day you are growing in godliness as a result of the Spirit's
transforming work in you (2 Cor. 3:18). Be faithful to that process.
Set your affections on Christ, look to His Word, and rejoice in the
privilege of becoming more like Him today.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the power and guidance of His Spirit in your life. Be
diligent to confess your sin when you stray from a worthy walk.
For Further Study:
Read Ephesians 4:1-3 and Philippians 1:27-30. What specific attitudes
are involved in a worthy walk? Does a worthy walk eliminate the
possibility of suffering or persecution? Explain.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
John 14:15 (NKJV)
If you love Me, keep My commandments.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Ephesians 4:1-3
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy
of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing
with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Philippians 1:27-30
27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs,
that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together
for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to
them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from
God.
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to
believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in
me.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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