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I Thessalonians 2:11,12 As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his children, That you would walk worthy of God, Who has called you unto His kingdom and glory.
The word “worthy” is the Greek word axios, and is best understood by understanding it’s root word, ago, which means “to bring.” This root word is used 71X in the New Testament, and is translated “to bring” or “to lead.”
This root word ago is first used in:
Matthew 10:17, 18 (Jesus is speaking to his newly appointed apostles) But beware of man; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge (whip) you in their synagogues; And you shall be brought (ago) before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
It will not be their own idea to go before governors and kings to receive judgment, and possibly condemnation, from the civil authorities; rather, they would be brought. And rather than fight against this “bringing”, they were to allow it to happen.
Matthew 21:2 (Jesus) Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and a cold with her; loose them and bring (ago) them unto me.
Those animals did not decide on their own to walk to Jesus, they were led. Rather than question, argue, resist or rebel, they allowed themselves to be brought by others to Jesus.
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan (where he was baptized by John), and was led (ago) by the Spirit into the wilderness.
This leading was from within, for Jesus was “led” or brought by the Holy Spirit with which he was filled. It therefore took place within his heart and mind, and then played itself out in his actions. He did not fight against it, but rather allowed himself to be brought by the Spirit into the wilderness, and then to be tempted by the devil for 40 days.
And so we start to get a flavor of what “worthy” means. When you allow yourself to be brought by an influence to the place that influence wants to bring you, you are worthy of that influence.
If I’m a college basketball player, and I allow myself to be brought to the level of mature play the coach wants to bring me, I am then worthy of his coaching. When an apple allows itself to be grown from an apple tree and brought to the point of maturity where it can then reproduce another apple tree, it is a worthy apple. When a doctor is able to save someone’s life, he is worthy of the education which brought him to that place.
Now back to I Thessalonians 2:12. We walk “worthy of God” by allowing God to bring us (by His calling of us) into His kingdom and glory. This worthiness comes as we allow God to do what He’s always wanted to do in us and for us.
“Into His kingdom and glory” is another way of saying “Into His kingdom, which is His glory.” Both these words, “kingdom” and “glory” are descriptions of the same thing. “Kingdom” emphasizes that this is where His will dominates all others’ will, and “glory” emphasizes that it is Him fully expressing Himself! God has called us into an existence where His will, that our lives are full and complete expressions of God Himself, is a continuous reality!
How can we hope to walk worthy of God? Impossible by our own efforts. Possible only by allowing ourselves to be led by the call of the spirit of Christ to the place in our minds and hearts that God’s desire to express Himself in and through us rules the day!
Ephesians 4:1 I therefor the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called.
A more accurate translation of the latter part of this verse would be, “…that you walk worthy of the calling (laleo) with which you were called out (eklaleo).” This last “called out” is the verb form of the word which is translated “church” throughout the New Testament (ekklesia). The church of God are those who have already responded at one time to God’s calling in their lives, making them the “called out” (church) of God.
In this verse is the key to how to walk worthy of God. Simply continue to respond to the calling of His Holy Spirit within, which you originally responded to. And then God describes for us how His calling will continue to work within us.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness (humility) and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
With all means every bit you can find.
Humility is the conscious affirmation of our inferiority to and need for God……His wisdom, His power, His life and love, His ways are so far beyond our own.
Meekness is the open heartedness we have as one that has not “arrived,” with the attendant realization that there is so much more to learn.
Longsuffering is the loving allowance of others’ weakness and inability.
Forbearing is the generous carrying of another’s load.
Unity = oneness
Bond = glue
In the welcoming safety of God’s loving presence in our lives, we are fully connected with one another.
Make conscious effort to heed God’s call in your heart and life. Thus will God make you worthy of Himself. Allow God to continue to do what He first did when you first believed unto Jesus Christ. That is how you walk worthy of God. Simply desire what He desires; which is to bring you to the place in Christ where His will is supreme, where His nature is fully expressed in all its glory.
Matthew 10:38, 39 And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it; and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.
We follow after Jesus by allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit of Christ, not by trying to bend the world to our will. In Christ is God’s calling perfected. In Christ is God’s will brought into reality. In Christ God brings us to the place of being worthy of Him.
Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, O Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power (dunamis); for You have created all things, and for Your pleasurable will they are, and were created.
This “walk” is a walk of the mind and heart. It happens in the innermost part of our being, in our most intimate thinking and reasoning and deciding and prioritizing. And God’s call to us will forever be, “Come, give yourself over to being led by My Spirit, and you will walk worthy of Me!”
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Great study!