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Christ, and it is to the end `that ye might walk worthy of the Lord'. The `worthy walk'
requires further knowledge of Christ.
In any sphere knowledge which is not put into practice is of little value: here also, the
knowledge we have, and the further knowledge we gain, needs to be put into practice,
needs to be acknowledged. Hence we have suggested above that both thoughts may be
included in this instance.
The phrase `in all wisdom and spiritual understanding' is very near to the thought in
the Ephesian prayer for `the spirit of wisdom and revelation' (Eph. 1: 17), and reminds us
that the knowledge of Christ does not come by means of human reason, wisdom or
ability. We need to be granted by God the spiritual wisdom and ability which will unfold
to us the superlative glories of Christ and of His place at the right hand of God in
`heavenly places'.
All this is required to the end `that ye might walk worthy of the Lord'. Recalling that
to walk worthy is to live a life which `balances' or equates with the Lord, we can
understand to some extent why all this is needed, when we come to consider the glories
of our Lord and Head detailed for us later in this first chapter.
The worthy walk, and therefore the will of God for each one of us, is `unto all
pleasing', which might be paraphrased `every desire to please the Lord'. The R.S.V. puts
it `to lead a life worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to Him': every desire to please Him in
everything would seem to sum up the thought. Are we so motivated?
The prayer continues `unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work'. This
almost suggests that being occupied in `every good work' we shall be `fruitful'. But the
`good works' are not themselves the fruit: bearing fruit in every good work is more
accurate, suggesting the `good work' as the sphere in which the fruit is borne. This
brings us to the question what are the `good works'? Are they those activities popularly
known today as `good works'? Should the member of Christ's Body be a `do-gooder'?
There is a reference in Eph. 2: 10 dealing with good works which may be helpful:
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
This would seem to make clear that the good works are the `worthy walk', for we are
to `walk in them'. The `walk' equates with the `life': good works are the life of the
believer, not part-time or spare-time activities. This is made clearer in Titus 3: 14:
"And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not
unfruitful."
Here again `good works' and `fruitbearing' are linked together. These good works are
for `necessary uses'. Our people, says the Apostle, are to bear fruit in good works for
necessary uses: for necessary needs. Perhaps we may simplify this expression by `for
necessities', bearing in mind the emphasis. Many of those covered by the term `ours' at
that time had but recently been converted from paganism, which was (in the widest