Creflo Dollar - Five Conditions of A Worthy Walk - Part 1
Under grace, God will first remind us of what he has done in grace. And then on the basis of that work that he’s done in grace, then he’s gonna appeal for a life that will harmonize with that which he’s done in grace. For example, «I beseech you, brethren,» Romans 12 and 1, «by the mercies of God that you present your body as a living sacrifice.» God does somethin' in grace first, and then he shows up with an appeal, the intent to try to get our lives to harmonize with what he’s done in grace. The second thing is that God’s appeals for godly conduct are valid only when based on his works of grace.
So when God makes an appeal, forgive one another, get rid of bitterness, honor him with your body, his appeals are only valid if they’re based on his works of grace. So if God’s askin' us to obey in any area, it’s gonna be based on his works of grace. And then the final thing: God’s appeals have no force when his mercy and grace are ignored. His appeals have no force when his mercy and grace are ignored. In other words, we have to recognize what God did before the foundations of the world, that before the foundations of the world, he saved us. Before the foundations of the world, he gave us an inheritance. Before the foundations of the world, he adopted us, made his mind up that every believer was gonna be a son or a daughter of the Lord. He did all of these things before the foundations of the world.
That was his works of grace. We are living in undeserved favor. He did that before the foundations of the world. Once you got born again, you were instantly grafted into the family of God. All of that happened. And so, what he says is, «Since I did all of that for you, and you didn’t do anything to deserve it, now I’m gonna appeal to you to walk worthy. I’m gonna appeal to you to forgive. I’m gonna appeal to you to get rid of bitterness. I’m gonna appeal to you to live a life that will harmonize with my work of grace.» And so now, instead of us doing something to try to get God to do something good for us, God says, «I’m'on do something good for you first, and then hopefully that will be a motivation for you to want to live a life that will harmonize with my works of grace.» If you understand that, say amen.
Now, let’s begin. Ephesians chapter 4 and 1. He says, «I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, I am beseeching you that you will walk worthy of the vocation,» another translation says walk worthy of the calling, «wherewith you are called», so he’s saying here, «I therefore…» Now, the «therefore» part says in chapter Ephesians 1, chapter Ephesians 2, in the Ephesians 3, he began to lay out his work of grace. You see in Ephesians 1 where he talks about the inheritance and he talks about that we’ve been made the sons of God. He talks about how we’ve been baptized into Jesus Christ, so whatever Jesus has, you have. He did all of this, all of this before the foundations of the world. It was a work of his grace, and he says therefore, since he’s done all of this, the prisoner of the Lord says «I beseech you that you now, now work worthy of the vocation.»
The illustration we use is the fact that the royals in England, they do nothing to be a part of the royal family. You have to be born into it. Now, some of the tried to reject it. «I don’t want to be a royal.» And the fact of the matter is you were born into it and you didn’t earn it, you didn’t do anything. And some of them had just to make their mind up that, okay, well, since I’ve been born a royal, I need to learn how to harmonize with that birthright. And then I want to do that. I wanna harmonize with it. You look at what God has done for you, it’s so magnificent, it should bring you to a point where you’re not tryin' to live right so you can get God to do you right. You’re not trying to get God to love you, but the fact that God already loved you should now be the motivation for wanting to harmonize with a life that lines up with his works of grace.
I wanna do this thing because of what he’s already done. I’m not doin' this to try to get him to bless me. He’s already blessed me. Ephesians 1 said that, that you’ve already been blessed with spiritual blessings. So, since I’ve been blessed with spiritual blessings, let me start me start livin' like I’m blessed. Are you following what I’m sayin? In church, it’s always been about do this thing so that God’ll do somethin' good for you. And it’s completely the other way around. God did something good for you. While you were yet a sinner, God had already done somethin' good for you. What he wants you to do is recognize his work of grace and want to harmonize your life in line with what he has done. To want to do it.
There’s something about wanting to do it outta your heart versus being motivated by fear, motivated by God’s gon' get you, motivated that God’s not gonna love you, motivated that you’re not gon' get something. He is sayin', «Here’s the fact: I’ve already, I gave you my Son. I’m gon' give you everything else. Do you think at least you can now want to do somethin' for me because of what I’ve already done for you?» Now.
So we move into and we’re talkin' now about the worthy walk. The first condition of a worthy walk, we talked about this, is not expressed in action, nor in deed, but it’s a state of mind. It’s a state of heart to walk lowly and to walk humbly before the Lord. That’s a state of mind. It’s teaching lowliness, God’s way of teaching us meekness, God’s way of teaching us longsuffering, God’s way of teaching us forbearance and unity of the spirit. Then the second condition of the life worthy of the high calling of God is growth and development of our spiritual life. That he not only asked us to grow and develop, but he gave us fourfold ministry gift, and that fourfold ministry gift is designed to help us to grow. Somebody said, «You mean fivefold.» No, I mean fourfold. It’s not fivefold. There’re only four.
Read the Bible very clearly. He says he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastor and teacher. It wasn’t some pastor and then some teacher, 'cause you need the teaching gift to pastor. So it’s fourfold, and he gave us those gifts to help us to grow and develop. So, watch this. We didn’t deserve the gift, but God says, «I’m not asking you to do something without my work of grace and mercy being involved.» So everything he’s asked you to do, believe me, you’re not on your own. He got your back.
Now, let’s begin, thank God we’re at number three. But this is somethin' here, number three. Another characteristics of walking worthy of the calling is number three, be followers of God as dear children walkin' in love. Because of his mercy and grace and because of what he’s done, to walk worthy of who we are, to walk worthy of the undeserved privileges that we have, he is saying, «Could you at least be followers of God as dear children walkin' in love? Can you at least follow me? I’ve adopted you, I’ve given you an inheritance, I’ve blessed you, I’ve sealed you with the Holy Ghost.» Can you now be a follower of God? And can you walk in love as dear children?
Notice what he says here, Ephesians chapter 5 verse 1 and 2. Now this is leading into something that, I don’t know. What I’m about to say this morning has taken me probably 13 years to say, and I just got to say it plain. I’m not gonna fix it up or anything. It’s got to be said. Verse 1 says, «Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;» here’s the appeal: be followers of God as dear children. Verse 2, «and walk in love.» Followers of God, walk in love, «as Christ also hath loved us,» okay? «And hath given himself for us an offering,» he’s given himself for us. See, he’s talkin' about his grace and mercy. He gave himself, he’s «given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.»
Jesus did that. You didn’t deserve that. None of us deserved for Jesus to give himself as an offering and as a sacrifice. We didn’t deserve that. We didn’t deserve for him to die and to go to the hell we shoulda went to. We didn’t deserve for him to be whipped with a cat-o-nine-tails. No, no, no. He did all of that for us, and he is saying, «Could you walk in love? Can you be a follower of God?» Now see, now I’m motivated by somethin' way different than tryin' to get God to do somethin' good for me. 'Cause I’m lookin'; he’s done somethin' good for me. Now, watch this. Verse 8. Ephesians 5 verse 8. Now here, it just, verse 8 says this, «For you were sometimes darkness, but now you, you, light. Now are you light. You were sometimes darkness, but now are you light», you were darkness.
You are now light. Follow this carefully. You were darkness. You are now light, so «walk as children of light», you know what he’s sayin'? Walk like you are, don’t walk like you were. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is bigger than that. It’s bigger than that. Go to John chapter 8 verse 12. Let’s camp here for a moment. This is big. This is big, because I, I gotta admit, you know, growing up in my Christian life, I didn’t know what the whole light thing was about. I thought walkin', you know, walking in light, well how do I walk in light? I heard all kinds of things. Walk in the light of God’s Word. Behave yourself like you’re in light. And, mm-mm.
Verse 12. He said, now this is, the context of verse 12 is a woman who was caught in adultery. If you look up at verse 11, Jesus has just addressed this. She was caught in the very act of adultery. She told the guys, you know, they wanted to stone her to death, and he said, «You who are without sin, stone her first.» And they all walked away, and Jesus said, «Is there anybody there to condemn you?» He said, «No, Lord.» And he said, «Neither do I condemn you.» Watch what he said, «Go and sin no more.» And then the very next verse, verse 12. In fact, go to verse 11, and then I’m gonna read end of verse 11, verse 12. «She said, 'No man, Lord.' And Jesus said unto her, 'Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.'»
How many of you know that condemnation doesn’t stop people from sinning? You can come to church all day long and the preacher’s tellin' you how awful you are and how bad you are and you ain’t no good and God gon' get you, but that ain’t gon' stop you from sinning. All you gonna do is say, «Well then, I might as well go on and keep sinning since I ain’t no good.» Condemnation doesn’t stop people from sinning. But then he goes in verse 12, he says, «Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 'I am the light of the world…'» Who’s the light? Jesus says, «'I’m the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'»
Now today, we don’t need to be afraid of his light because when we entered that light in the new birth, see when you get born again, you enter that light. But what does it mean to enter that light? When you get born again, you enter Christ himself. You got saved and you entered into Christ himself. You got baptized into Christ, just like the illustration that was used last week. You got baptized into Christ. Here’s Christ. Here is you. The day you got born again, it was no longer you hangin' out here by yourself. You got in Christ. So whatever happens to this case happens to the glasses in this case. Whatever happens to Christ happens to those in Christ. Christ rose from the dead. You rose from the dead.
Christ was seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. You’re seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And that’s why he says when you see him, you will see him as he is. You’re like, «Lawd have mercy, that’s Jesus. I’m in him.» He’s the light. Okay. When you got in him, you became the light. Oh, y’all, y’all hear me, hear me, hear me. Hear me, hear me. This light does not expose our sin. It reveals the perfection of Christ’s blood in takin' away our sin. So the light doesn’t expose our sin, it reveals the perfection of Christ. His blood. And his blood, how it took away our sin. Now, notice the phrase, «shall not walk in darkness.» Shall not walk in darkness.
Now today, for believers who are in Christ, this is, this is, this is, I know it’s heavy. I’m gettin' ready to say it. Today, those of us who are believers in Christ, it is impossible to walk in darkness ever again. No, no, no. No, no. Okay, here we go. Here we go. Those who are believers in Christ, those who are in Christ, those who are in the light, it is impossible for you to ever walk in darkness again. Now, we still sin, but we will never be in darkness. I said we still sin, but you ain’t never gon' be in darkness. You have been delivered out of darkness. You are in Christ. Christ ain’t never gon' be in darkness, and you ain’t gon' never be in darkness.
All right. Now, watch this now, watch this. Let’s go to, I gotta, I got, 1 John 1:7. So I’m usin' scriptures to help me clarify and define this. 1 John 1 and 7. Now he says here, «But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son», what? «Cleanses is from all sin.» Now, listen to me carefully. If we have a performance or a works mindset, if we have a performance or a works mindset, like all of us had a performance and a works mindset, and if you still have a performance and a work mindset and then you see this phrase, you will automatically assume it’s talking about behavior.
Look at it. «For if we walk in the light, as he is in the light», if you have a works based mindset, you’re gonna automatically think it’s behavior, but this phrase is not referring to how we walk, but it is referring to where we walk. Not how we walk, but where we walk. It’s not saying, now look at it, it’s not saying if we behave ourselves like Jesus behaves himself, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all of our sin. That doesn’t make sense. If I behave myself like Jesus behaves hisself, I’m perfect.
Why am I being cleansed? You hear what I’m sayin'? If it’s talkin' about behavior and performance, if you look at it as saying walkin' in the light, but if we behave ourselves as he behaves hisself, or if we perform as he performs, then based on our behavior and based on our performance, we have fellowship one with another and then the blood of Jesus can cleanse us if we behave ourself. That’s not what he talkin' 'bout. He’s not takin' about how you walk. He’s talkin' about you’re in Christ Jesus, walkin' in Christ Jesus. You are in the light.
Now, even if you were to say that’s the deal, even if you were to say, «Well, if we behave ourselves like Jesus behaves hisself,» well, what does it make you if you’re behavin' yourself like Jesus? Question: Is Jesus perfect? Yes. So if you’re behavin' yourself like Jesus, you’re behavin' yourself like what? Perfect, right? So if you’re behaving yourself like Jesus and Jesus is perfect, what we cleansin'? What are we cleansin'? See, it’s easy to say stuff like that, but what are we cleansing? You ain’t cleansin' nothin'.
See, the fact of the matter, if you were not in Christ or in the light, glory to God, hallelujah, if you were not in him, then you would need to be cleansed. But since you are in him, you are presently right now every day of your life, I know it freaks you out if you are behavior mindset, but if you understand that you didn’t bring nothin' to the table and you got in the light and it’s where you walkin', you got in the light. You’re in Jesus, so you in the light and you are constantly in the light. Even when you sin, it’s almost like puttin' dirt on you while you in the shower. Y’all don’t understand what I’m sayin'. I know it’s tight, but it’s right. It’s right.
You are continuously present tense being totally always forever cleansed because you’re in Jesus Christ and you are in the light, and in the light, you can never be in darkness again. Never can you be in darkness again. Why would I need the blood of Jesus to cleanse me if I’m actin' like him? I can’t act like him without bein' in him. This scripture is talkin' about the round we are in as a believer. Not the way we are performing, but where we live now. We are in the light because we have been cleansed from all our sins.
Look at Colossians 1. Lemme solicit these two scriptures to help bring clarity to this. Colossians 1:12 through 14. It’s a hard saying because if you’re sin conscious, the only thing in your mind that you’re concerned about is, what about if I sin? What about if I sin? Why are you always thinkin' about, what about your sin? You’re in this human body. Until he finishes fixin' you, you probably gon' sin. Oh, I know that’s a bold statement. Why do you think you not gon' sin? Bad attitude, funky presence, why you think you ain’t gon' sin?