-What is walking worthy of the Lord? What does it look like? Clearly the end result is that the Lord is well pleased with the one who has been walking thus. Which means there will be pleasing of God along the way, doing the things that please Him, doing the things that He wants. Walking worthily means doing and saying (and thinking) those things which are appropriate and fitting for someone who is truly a child of God, who is truly saved. The words and deeds fit, and this is because they are exactly what God wants. they in fact make Him happy, they give Him pleasure.
-How does this pleasing God happen? Thankfully we are not left to our own devices on this. Psalm 115.3 says the Lord 'does whatever He pleases' - so whether or not I cooperate, I don’t need to question whether or not God will be pleased in general, as that is guaranteed. In Is 46.10 God tells us that, "I will accomplish all My good pleasure." Doesn't it make sense to do my utmost to be a part of that, to at least try and get my life in step with the rest of the universe as this grand symphony of the pleasures of God plays itself out? He says, "I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I WILL GIVE IT to the one who is pleasing in My sight." Jeremiah 27.4. It is indeed possible to be pleasing to our Great Creator God.
-Do not miss this: pleasing God is most certainly at the core of what the Christian life and knowing God is all about (1Corinthians 7.32, 2Corinthians 5.9, Galatians 1.10, Ephesians 5.10, Philippians 2.13, 1Thessalonians 2.4, 4.1, 2Timothy 2.4, Hebrews 11.5-6, 13.21). In fact, the path to the peace for which we all long is knowing that your ways are pleasing to the Lord (Proverbs 16.7, Luke 2.14).
-Paul actually says, 'unto ALL pleasing.' This could indeed be the result in the life on one who is constantly consumed by what God wants, which is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus managed to live into this perfectly - always pleasing (John 8.29, cf Matthew 3.17, 12.18, 17.5).
-But let's be honest, how can we as finite, powerless and sinful creatures give God pleasure? The key to pleasing the Lord is to do what He wants. If you are doing what He wants, you can be sure that you are giving Him pleasure. It follows that God therefore is pleased with things that glorify Him, with whatever shows off and celebrates His goodness, because we know that all things are for His glory, this is what He cares about, what He is ultimately pursuing and wants more than anything else. So the two are tied together. Do you want to bring God pleasure? Celebrate His goodness (worship). Spread the knowledge of it by blessing and serving others and telling them about the breathtakingly good God.
-Paul talks about bearing fruit in every good work, which is the proverbial proof of the pudding. It confirms that God is both alive and He is at work in my life. Our good works show off God's goodness (1Peter 2.12, Matthew 5.16). And we're not just talking about plain old good works. These deeds bear fruit. Fruit is the increase added on to our good works by God Himself. It is the out working of His Spirit and of His power (Matthew 13.23, John 15.2, 15.4-5, 15.8, Galatians 5.22-23, Philippians 1.11, Colossians 1.6). Scripture does not portray this fruit as a little dab'll do ya. The lives of God's people are to be FILLED with fruit, constant fruit, much fruit and more fruit. we need to ask ourselves, HOW DOES MY LIFE FIT INTO ‘MUCH FRUIT’? In order for there to be much fruit, there must be seed - hearing of the Word (Luke 8.11, 1Peter 1.23, cf Romans 10.17). And there must be much water - much praying and abiding and unleashing of the power of God's Spirit in and thru our lives. And there must be much reaping - much putting the Word into practice and bringing it to bear on the lives of those around us. So, spend time in the Word (hearing, reading, studying it). Spend time in prayer. And do what the Word says and share it with others. Very straightforward, simple, and attainable. But not on my own, apart from a vital connection with my Creator.
-Paul also mentions growing towards knowing God fully. The essence of eternal life is knowing God personally (John 17.3, 1Corinthians 1.21), and one day, in eternity, in His presence, we will see Him face to face and there will be this sense of knowing God fully, as He really is (1Corinthians 13.12). In contrast the path to destruction is paved with the failure to know God and relate to Him in light of that knowledge (Romans 1.18-23). And so Paul is paying for these believers, to the end that they continue progressing and growing in their knowledge of the Lord - Who He is, what He is doing, what He wants. The better we know Him, the more we will be positioned to do the things and live a life that pleases Him.
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