Living a Life Worthy of the Lord

"Thou Art Worthy" by C.V. Lacroix

Dear God seekers, I want to encourage you today, brethren in Christ, to live a life worthy of the Lord. The Lord has marvelously saved us by His grace, through His work of atonement on the cross.  He has called us out of darkness into His glorious light. And now we are expected as disciples of His to live up to that calling.

Once we have come to know the Lord, we must live according to heaven's standard. We need to realize once again that being a disciple of Christ is a very high and holy calling. That's why the apostle Paul said, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” (Eph 4:1).

Some people may have a high esteem for certain servants of God like missionaries or pastors, because we perceive that they live at a much higher standard of devotion to God. But the standard for simply being a Christian is much higher than we realize.  It is a holy and righteous standard. We are expected to live the same way here on earth as they do in heaven.

Our Lord Jesus has come from heaven, stripped of all His glory, appearing as a man, humble and meek. He has laid down His life willingly for us, and suffered greatly at the hands of sinful men. He became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Though He Himself knew no sin, He became a sin offering for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. He did not do all of that for us, so that we could go on living in sin!

The apostle Paul exhorted the Colossians, “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Col 1:10). That's my exhortation to you today. Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and please Him in all respects. It will cost you everything, but He's worth it! He is worthy of our highest and best.

Don't settle for a lukewarm life of ease and pleasure that is lived only for yourself. The gospel requires total devotion to Christ. Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” (Php 1:27). That's the message I am giving you today that you conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.  We must elevate the gospel once again to it's rightful place and then align our lives in accordance with it.

This is no easy task. That's why Paul told the Thessalonians he prayed earnestly for them, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling…” (2Th 1:11a NASB).  In his second epistle to them, he said he was still praying for them that God would count them worthy of their calling. He also reminded them in his first epistle how he dealt with them as a father deals with his children, encouraging, comforting, and urging them,“So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (1Th 2:12). That's my prayer for you today as well, that you would walk in a manner worthy of God. After all, He has called you into His own kingdom and glory.

We must live by kingdom standards now, not by the world's standards. That means the world is not going to accept us or our message, and that results in persecution. The Thessalonians were persecuted, and Paul encouraged them that “This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” (2Th 1:5 NASB).  He said that because they were suffering for the kingdom, they would be considered worthy of the kingdom. Are we suffering for the kingdom today?

The Lord Jesus told His disciples the signs that would occur before He returns, and gave a clear picture of how terrible this world would become (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21).  We are now living in those days, and He is coming back right away. Therefore His admonition to them then is necessary all the more for us today. He said, “Watch therefore, and pray continually, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and that ye may stand before the son of man.” (Lk 21:36, GNV). We must watch and pray continually so that we may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and that we may stand before the Son of Man when He comes in all His glory.

Putting it All Together
Therefore, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. Live a life worthy of the kingdom of God, and walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, Who is worthy of our highest and best. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Thou Art Worthy" illustration by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V.  You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: "Called to be Blameless," "The Obedience of Faith," "Is Obedience Optional?", "Obedience by the Spirit,"  "Righteous Deeds and White Robes," "Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God," "Doing What is Right",  "Faith Works!" "Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?", "Pleasing the Lord," "The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer," "Holding Fast the Faithful Word," "Godly Attire & Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations," "Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations," "Tattoos and Body Piercing," "The Lord Will Rejoice Over You," and "The New Covenant."  You can find more articles like this on the Home Page of this blog, and you can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Seeking the Lord

Throughout God’s Word, we are admonished to seek the Lord. But what exactly does that mean? Is this a passive act? Does this mean attending a church meeting and singing some songs then listening to someone speak? Does it mean reading some prayers at home while dozing in and out of a nap? Or is it something very active and all consuming that requires all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

Let’s look at some passages to determine the kind of fervency that’s involved in seeking the Lord...

The Lord is searching the world over to try and see if He can find someone whose heart is completely His. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2Ch 16:9a)

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?" (Psa 42:1-2)

When we pant for something literally, it means our chest is heaving, as in short respiration or want of breath. It means figuratively “To long for; to desire ardently.”So we could translate this verse to say, “Lord, my soul desires you so ardently with such a longing that it’s like when a deer has been running and it’s heaving in short breathes, desperately trying to get enough air, searching for water from the brook to quench its thirst.”

The psalmist sought the Lord with all His heart. He said, "With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments." (Psa 119:10) "I sought Your face with all my heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word." (Psa 119:58)

He prayed, "My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, 'When will You comfort me?' " (Psa 119:81-82). How many of us pray that way? Do we search in His Word like we are searching for buried treasure, so that our eyes fail longing for His Word?

The psalmist lost sleep over his quest for the Lord, and he saw the late and early hours as prime time to cry out to the Lord, wait for Him, and meditate on His Word: "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word." (Psa 119:147-148). That's fervency!! That's ardent love!

He sought the Lord earnestly with a great thirst and hunger for God: "God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psa 63:1)

The prophet Hosea admonishes us, "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hos 6:3) In this verse from Hosea, the word for “press on” comes from the Hebrew word “rawdaf”. According to Strong’s it is a primitive root that means “to run after” (usually with hostile intent; figuratively). It also means, among other things “to chase”, “hunt,” or “pursue.” So with this understanding, we could translate this verse thusly: “So let us know, let us run after the Lord to know Him..." Or “let us pursue the Lord relentlessly, as though we were hunting for Him so that we might truly know Him.” God loves to be pursued by you, and if you seek Him this way you will surely find Him.

The apostle Paul pressed on toward the goal for the prize like a runner running a great race. "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." (Phi 3:12) And again he states, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phi 3:14)

The writer of Hebrews exhorts, "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God," (Heb 6:1) The word we translate as “Press on” here in this passage is “phero”. It means to “be driven,” in such a way that one is “rushing.” It implies a “reaching” for something ahead. So we could translate this verse like this: “let us be driven to maturity, in such a way that we are rushing after it and reaching out for it, not moving backwards and laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

So from God’s Word we can see that seeking His face is not something passive at all. Rather, it is very active and very aggressive. It requires our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The Lord is searching the world over to try and see of He can find someone whose heart is completely His. Is every ounce of your being completely His? Do you daily seek to surrender yourself completely to Him? Do you desire the Lord so ardently with such a longing that it’s like when a deer has been running and it’s heaving in short breathes, desperately trying to get enough air? Are you pressing on toward the goal for the prize like a runner running a marathon, determined to win? Are you running after the Lord to know Him? Have you lost any sleep over your quest for the Lord?

If you didn’t answer yes to these questions, then let me encourage you to pursue the Lord relentlessly, as though we were hunting for Him! Take advantage of the late and early hours of the day when everyone else is asleep to cry out to the Lord, wait for Him, and meditate on His Word. Seek the Lord with all your heart. Let me encourage you to be driven to maturity, in such a way that you are rushing after it and reaching out for it. This is not at all a passive act, but something that you give yourself to completely.

If you will do this, the wonderful promise to you is that the Lord will strongly support you. Not that I have already attained to perfection in this area, but I’m with D.L. Moody, who once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that man.”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This "Seeking the Lord" blog has become very popular in France. The reason for this is uncertain, but I am humbled and delighted that it has generated such a great interest there. To God be all the glory! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.