A Worthy Walk
By Dan Qurollo
Burke County
In Colossians 1:9, we read of Paul’s desire that these believers would be filled full with the complete knowledge of God’s will in wisdom and spiritual understanding. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge. Without wisdom, knowledge is little more than an accumulation of needless facts. Spiritual understanding is discernment in spiritual matters.
In Colossians 1:10-12, we discover that Paul had a specific goal in mind when he prayed. He prayed for the purpose that “ye might walk worthy of the Lord.” The increase of knowledge described in verse 9 is intended on impacting how we live. The truth of the Word of God is to be studied so that it might be applied to our lives. We are not to merely study so that we might increase our knowledge; we are to study so that we might become more godly in our walk with the Lord. Our goal is to walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord. Such a walk is pleasing to the Lord and is characterized by four dimensions.
The first dimension is “being fruitful in every good work.” Genuine salvation inevitably produces fruit. It includes but is not necessarily limited to the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. Believers have been called to live in such a way that fruit produced by the Holy Spirit is evident for all to see.
The second dimension is that of “increasing in the knowledge of God.” A life that is a worthy walk is a life that is continuously advancing in a greater knowledge of God. This knowledge is more than acquiring more facts about God; this knowledge encompasses a great knowledge of Him. As believers, we should be conducting our lives in such a way that we come to know God. Too many Christians are content to know about God.
The third dimension is being “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” It is through the divine power given to the Christian that he can endure and persevere. Amid all the pressures and difficult circumstances we endure in the Christian life, God’s strength enables the believer to do so with joyfulness. This is why Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Far too often, we rely upon our own power, rather than the power of God. Philippians 3:10 teaches that believers can experience the very same power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
The final dimension of a worthy walk is that of continuous praise unto the Father. The content of this praise will be developed more in the subsequent verses in which Paul directs our attention to the wonderful salvation we have been given for God. If you are a believer, you are to be continuously giving thanks for that which God has done in our lives, especially in our salvation.
A worthy walk is characterized by increasing fruit, increasing knowledge, increasing power, and increasing praise. Strive to live a life that is worthy of the Lord.
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Dan Qurollo is pastor of Morganton Baptist Church. You can visit them online at www.morgantonbaptist.net, on Facebook, or on Youtube. You can read more good news from Dan HERE.
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