Walk Worthily!

Walk Worthily!

“Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”
Mark 12:34

Walk Worthily! We have chosen this as our theme for the year. And here is why...

In Mark 12: 28 – 34, the evangelist narrates an exchange between a scribe and Jesus. The topic of that conversation is the “greatest commandment.” The scribe, the most learned man of Jewish law and religion in ancient Israel, wants to know what it is.

Jesus told him it is: love God and love men. The scribe agrees and adds that to obey this commandment is “more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33). Hearing this wise answer, Jesus said to him, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”

To me those are very frightening words. “Not far” means that the scribe, the most knowledgeable man in Israel, is not in the kingdom! Why is he not “in?” The answer is simple: the scribe is full of knowledge but has no faith. He knows of, and perhaps does all the ritual sacrifices but there is no obedience in his heart.

One famous Christian author and professor of spiritual theology says that today “we have too much Bible study and too little Bible living.”

Think about it. Too much Bible study and too little Bible living! You read your Bible; you know your Bible (at least that’s what I hope of you)...but do you live your Bible? Do you...really?

In 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet told Saul, the first king of Israel, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Beloved, as we begin this new year, let us examine our position. Are we like the scribe, “not far” from the kingdom? Or are we really in the kingdom? To be “in” means we really have to walk as children of the kingdom. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul asks us earnestly to “walk worthy” of our calling. He repeats this call three times in Ephesians: “walk in love” (5:2); “walk as children of light” (5:8); “walk … not as fools but as wise” (5:15). We have here a fundamental truth for a Christian. Christianity is a way to walk.

In Colossians 1:10, we have Paul’s prayer that Christians “might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Here Paul is talking about holiness, a holiness that is personal and social. The person who would walk worthy of the Lord boldly orders his life in obedience to God, seeking what is pleasing to God, thus doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with the Lord (Micah 6:8).

In the New Testament obedience is greatly emphasized. Christ Himself is its one great illustration of obedience. He ‘humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Phi 2:8). By obedience to Him we are through Him made partakers of His salvation (Heb 5:9). Peter designates believers in Christ as “obedient children” (1 Pet 1:14). The bond of union with Christ is obedience through faith. By this we are identified with Him; and it is by this that we become true disciples.

So let us walk worthily - that’s the only way to bring Him honour and glory.
 

In Him,
Rev Robert Chew