5 Ways to Live Worthy of Being God’s Chosen Vessel
Spiritual Life
Audio By Carbonatix
By Denise Kohlmeyer, Crosswalk.com
When we contemplate Christ’s sacrifice for us—as former depraved, deceitful, enemies of God—it should at the very least cause us to fall on our faces in humble worship and adoration and then compel us to live lives suitable for such unmerited redemption and adoption. Jesus, after all, is worthy (axios, “deserving”) of nothing less.
As saints who now “walk in the newness of life,” our behavior and attitudes should reflect what is fitting for a child of God and co-heir with Christ. Our blood-bought, regenerated identity should determine how we govern ourselves daily.
Commentator Alexander McLaren writes, “There is a certain vocation to which a Christian…is bound to make his life correspond, and his conduct should be in some measure worthy of the ideal that is set before it… a standard to which our lives are to be conformed.”
Our motivation? Gratitude for the redemption we’ve received. We walk in step with God, our Father, because we love him and long to please him. Our life, in turn, bears witness of the grace and goodness he has undeservedly shown us.
So how do we walk worthy of the Lord and this sacred calling we’ve received? While not an exhaustive list, here are five key ways.
1. Abide in Christ
The only way to walk worthy of the Lord is to abide (menó, “to remain, stay, to continue to be present”) in the Lord. Like vulnerable, dependent branches, we can bear fruit only through our connection to Christ, the True Vine. It is only through Christ that we are able to produce Christlike character—compassion, showing forbearance, humility, and all the fruits of the Spirit—and sustain Kingdom Citizen conduct.
As long as we continue in Christ—through regular reading of the Word, following his will, and prayer—we are able to live as Christ did (1 John 2:6).
“Nothing of any spiritual, eternal significance is possible apart from this abiding in the vine,” says Pastor John Piper. “If we are not united to the vine so that Christ’s life is flowing into us, then his words, his love, his joy will be utterly and totally barren. Nothing of any lasting value will come from us.”
Our connection to Christ also empowers us in our daily spiritual practices. If we do not remain connected to this Source—just as nourishment flows from the main vine to the spreading branches— Scripture says we will be “gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6b).
In short, only by abiding in Jesus are we worthy vessels through whom his life, love, and light flow.
2. Confess Your Sins
Sin, if unconfessed, negatively impacts us on many levels—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Most importantly, it obstructs our relationship with a holy and perfect God, as noted by Habakkuk, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (1:13, CSB). In short, God disapproves of sin. He cannot and will not turn a blind eye to it. While he is a God of love, he is also just and must discipline his children, to restore them to the path of righteousness—right thinking, right feelings, right living.
Mike Gordon says, “Sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences with going against the grain regarding how God designed us to live and obey him.”
Unconfessed sin takes us down the opposite road of righteousness. It leads us instead into wickedness and darkness, causing our walk and witness to stagnate and suffer.
Confession (homologéō, “acknowledge, admit”), therefore, should be a regular spiritual practice. It unburdens us of guilt and shame. It dispels darkness, allowing us to “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5) and to reflect God’s goodness and grace.
In short, confession restores our union with God. It brings peace to a weary, wasted soul. And it frees us to walk in a manner that reflects God and His Gospel.
3. Deny Yourself
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
These are some of the hardest words ever uttered by Jesus to his followers. “Deny…take up…follow me.” Human nature is by default selfish and self-centered. Apart from Christ, we typically don’t deny ourselves anything. Rather, we take up every worldly pleasure and pursuit that strikes our fancy. We follow the inclinations of hearts, which are deceptive and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
Self-denial, on the other hand, epitomizes a worthy walk. The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines self-denial as “the willingness to deny oneself possessions or status, in order to grow in holiness and commitment to God.”
As believers, we are no longer the center of our own existence—Christ is. Our allegiance is not to ourselves, but to Christ—who is all and above all! Our lives are now “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3-5).
For true Christ-followers, therefore, we must live counterculturally. We must intentionally surrender ourselves: our wills and wants, our passions and ambitions, our dreams and desires, even our priorities and plans. To truly walk worthy as chosen, blood-bought vessels, God’s will, purposes, and plans must supersede our own.
John the Baptist expressed it perfectly, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/pcess609
4. Serve Others
Practically speaking, a worthy walk is expressed in service to others, of “bearing fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10) towards our fellow believers, unbelievers, even our enemies. Our example is Jesus himself, the True Servant, who suffered, died, and rose again—even on behalf of those who executed him! Following Jesus’ example means self-sacrifice, akin to self-denial. It means putting the needs of others—our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our neighbors, etc.—before our own, even when it’s inconvenient or costly.
“Good works are anything done in faith for the good of others and the glory of God. It’s serving our neighbors with the humility and love of Christ. It’s treating them with the gentleness of Christ. In fact, this is why we were chosen and appointed by God,” writes Matt Bedzyk.
Paul, who strove ardently to be like Christ, puts it plainly in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Humility (“lowliness of mind”) undergirds why and how we serve—again, following Christ’s example, who “emptied himself…made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7).
Why? To be more like our Savior
How? By emptying ourselves of all rights and privileges in the service of others
Pastor John Piper says, “Humility gets down low and lifts others up. Humility looks to the needs of others and gives time and effort to help with those needs. Jesus took the form of a servant and humbled himself, even to the point of death. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Humility measures everything it does by whether it serves the good of other people. Am I feeding my ego or am I feeding the faith of others? Humility serves.”
5. Walk in Step with the Spirit
Similar to abiding in Christ, the only way to rightly conduct ourselves as worthy children of God is by walking in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). He is the source of power that enables us to live righteously, to do good works, and to bear fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control—in keeping with his character (Galatians 5:22-23).
Walking in step with the Spirit requires open ears, minds, and hearts as we listen for his guidance and seek to understand it through God’s Word, prayer, and conviction. It means allowing him to transform those areas in our lives that need it and to cooperate with him as he works within us.
“To walk in the Spirit means that we yield to His control, we follow His lead, and we allow Him to exert His influence over us,” GotQuestions explains. “To walk in the Spirit is the opposite of resisting Him or grieving Him (Ephesians 4:30). [Our] whole way of life is lived according to the rule of the gospel, as the Spirit moves [us] toward obedience. When we walk in the Spirit, we find that the sinful appetites of the flesh have no more dominion over us.”
Conclusion
A worthy walk truly is a lifetime pursuit. It’s a daily, intentional response to live out our faith in tangible, visible ways that honor God and express our Kingdom Citizenship.
It’s not about being perfect, either. It’s about sincerely and humbly pursuing Christlikeness in every aspect of our lives: how we live, how we think, what we say, how we behave.
It also bears witness to a perishing world that God alone is good and gracious and is worthy of mankind’s devotion and praise.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Tanes Ngamsom
Denise is a former newspaper reporter and current freelance writer. She has been published in numerous online and print publications. She is also a former Women's Bible Study teacher. Denise's passion is to use her writing to bless, encourage, and inform others. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children (another has grown and flown). You can find Denise at denisekohlmeyer.com.
