Grow With Pastor Joe

Now, let’s get to the positive side of this passage. If we are to walk worthy, it is not enough to know how to not walk worthy. We must see the positive commands that are given and the motivation behind a worthy walk in Christ. Like the previous thoughts on how to not walk worthy, there are also three steps we must take to walk worthy.

            Step one of a worthy walk is to grieve the Devil. If the first step of walking unworthily is to help the Devil through untamed tempers and tongues, then we must see that a worthy walk begins with destroying his work against us by putting away our tempers and taming our tongues. Notice once more Eph. 4:25-29. We are commanded to put away lying, but the way that we do this is by putting away lying through speaking truth. Previously we were told that we are to speak “. . . the truth in love.” (Eph. 4:15). As we grow in truth and love we grieve the Devil. We take away his opportunity and room to work in our life. Sadly, many of us make it easy for Satan to work. It’s time that we made his job harder by putting away lying, anger, wrath, bitterness, and unforgiveness. We make the Devil distressed when we no longer live in dishonesty, anger, or theft. We grieve the Devil when we are angry at the right things. Sin should anger us because it angers God. Our own sin should anger us. Satan’s lies and all the deceit in our life should anger us. The issue is that we often mistake our anger for righteous anger. Very little are we truly operating as intended. We typically abuse anger, and this is why we are exhorted to not just get rid of anger but to be angry and “sin not.” Not dealing well with anger leads to sin. It leads to outbursts of rage. As we work in honesty not just for our own gain but for the good of those in need, we also grieve Satan because he is a thief. A life filled with honest words and work is a life that will be worthy of our saved position in Christ. The Devil is most grieved when our tempers and tongues are tamed by the word and work of God in us. When we walk worthy, we will naturally be associated with truth speech, disciplined anger, forgiveness, and honest work for the good of others and the glory of Christ.

            Step two of a worthy walk is to give place to the Spirit. When we give the Devil room to work, we help him and Hinder the Spirit’s work in us and the Church. A worthy walk is always characterized by surrender to the word of God and the work of the Spirit in our life. Our life should not grieve the Holy Spirit through hindering His work amongst us, rather it should give Him even more room to work. We have been sealed by the Spirit and he indwells us to strengthen us from the inside out so that our walk would match our wealth in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to grow in maturity and unity. It is He who gives us all that is needed to tame our tempers and tongues. When we are putting off the old man and we put on the new, the Holy Spirit renews us from the inside out so that our life would be truly transformed into one that is worthy of our salvation. We can’t live a life worthy without the Holy Spirit. We don’t just need some assistance from Him, we need total surrender to Him at all times and in all things. Paul will deal more with this idea for our walk in Christ in the following chapter. As we give place to the Spirit in our life, bitterness will be turned into sweetness. Wrath will be turned into peace. Anger will be changed to forbearance. Clamour (unbridled outburst of anger or strife) will be turned into self-control of emotions. Evil speaking will be turned into speaking the truth in love. Malice will be changed into lowliness and meekness. The work of the Spirit is life transforming. We give the Spirit room to operate in our life as we faithfully obey the word of God. A worthy walk is one where the Holy Spirit has free reign over our hearts. As He leads, we follow. As He speaks, we listen. As He convicts, we repent. As He comforts, we rejoice. As He reveals, we respond in belief. The more room we give the Holy Spirit to work in our life, the less room the Devil has to work with and the more we can be and do for the glory of Christ.

            Step three of a worthy walk is to grow in Christlikeness. The Christlike attitudes of Ephesians 4:2 lead to maturity and unity. These are the traits of a worthy walk. There is no room to have a wicked temper or evil tongue when we put on the new man who walks in Christlike humility. Without Christlikeness we will never put away lying, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, theft, or evil speech. The Church is built on and by Christ. For us today, we must see that the local church will only grow as we grow in Christlikeness. Christ grows His Church through growing believers who are growing more into the image of Christ. The church grows as we walk according to our wealth in Christ. Our personal walk is for our “neighbour: for we are members one of another.” Our honest labor is for us to “give to him that needeth.” Our words are to be for “edifying” of the Body and ministering “grace to the hearers.” Growing in Christlikeness is not just for our good, but it is for the good and growth of others. Just as helping the Devil and hindering the Spirit hurts the Church; so too does grieving the Devil and giving place to the Spirit allow us to grow in Christlikeness for the growth of the Church in maturity and unity. This is God’s will for you and the Church. Christlikeness is the very summation of what it means to live the Christian life. This is a worthy walk. Anything that is not Christlike in our life is not worthy of even being associated with us because we are tied to Him in union. We must make sure that our walk is Christlike from the inside out.

            Eph 4 is the transforming transitional chapter that moves and motivates us to walk worthy of our wealth in Christ. When we see that we belong to Him it will drive our behavior and beliefs to match who we are in Christ. He is our identity. He is our life. He is our standard. He is our power to live the Christian life. He is our transformation. The steps of a worthy walk are simple. We must tame our tempers and tongues. This is only done by growing in Christlikeness. As we do this, the Devil is hindered, the Spirit is given room to work through us, and the Church is built up. Right now, our walks are either building up the Body of Christ or seeking to break it down. If we are harboring bitterness, unforgiveness, or are living in dishonesty, then we are giving the Devil room to play. Have you given him some ground in your life to work? Do you have truth, anger, or forgiveness to deal with? Do you need your temper tamed? How about your tongue? All that we say and do will either cause us to grow in maturity and unity or it will hurt us and the Church. Don’t give the Devil any help. Don’t hinder the Spirit. Don’t hurt the Church. Put off the old man and take the steps of faith by putting on the new man so that we may walk worthy of our salvation.

Grow with me as we study the believer’s wealth and walk in Christ.

Grow deeper.

Grow higher.

Grow wider.