FINDING SUBSTANCE—WALKING WORTHY

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But even after we had suffered
before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel
of God in much conflict. 3For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

4But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing
men, but God who tests our hearts. 5For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor
a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 6Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others,
when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, just as a
nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to
impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9For
you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any
of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

10You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among
you who believe; 11as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a
father does his own children, 12that you would walk worthy of God who calls you (is calling you—present
active) into His own kingdom and glory.

Paul’s overarching objective among them was that they (and we), become worthy—walk in worthiness of
what we have been called into.

Being worthy (or worth-y) means, ‘in a way that measures up to an expectation and thereby demonstrates
appreciation’. Real appreciation is not just saying ‘thanks’ it is in becoming worth what has been done for us.

The Greek adverb translated ‘worthy’ here is AXIOS. It has to do with balancing items with weights on scales
and means appropriate or fitting—that which measures up or comes up to weight—having weight, or worth.

Sometimes people are hired to fill a position but they just don’t weigh up, as we say. They are unable to meet
the requirements and expectations and are found to be unworthy of the responsibility. They fall short.

When the Bible tells us ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ that is the same idea—what we fall
short of is the glory of God.

The calling into something means a calling out of something else as Abraham was called out of Mesopotamia
and then out of Haran, to a place to which God would take him. Abraham proved himself worthy of that call—
through testing, obedience and faith, he proved worthy of God’s extraordinary call.

God, in His redemption has called us out of one condition and into another—out of darkness, into light—and
has placed us into the position of sonship—joint heir-ship with His eternal begotten Son. What He asks of us
is that we measure up to the call and to the extraordinary privilege bestowed on us.

Adam was created to walk worthy; that is, in a manner befitting a creature made in the image of the most holy
God—and whose life commended God and was complementary to the life of God. So was Lucifer…

The moment of self-elevation was the moment worthiness of the God who gave him his life, was lost. The
moment he thought himself worthy of more, and of higher honour! Both he and we were created for worthiness
and for a life that commends our Creator and is worthy of Him. Despite us losing our worthiness, He came
after us to restore us to to life worthy of Himself.
Fortunately, in His estimation we were worth saving, and restoring to worthiness and so, at great expense, The
only Worthy Son, visited, saved, redeemed and has given us His Spirit! Privilege, honour and majesty within
the Godhead was set aside, to become one of us—with the specific mission and intention of laying down His
life, in our behalf, to bear away our sins with their due penalty and to provide the possibility of forgiveness
and newness of life—and to restore us to worthiness. And the call—the present active call on our lives is to
walk in fitting worthiness—not only of the God who created us, but who valued us enough to re-create us.

The prodigal son said, “I am not worthy to be called your son—I don’t measure up; make me as one of your
hired servants.” But the father saw him very differently—as having inestimable worth and value. He reinstated
his sonship. That is the process we are in—we are being restored and brought to worthiness. We’ve been
clothed; we have the father’s ring of acceptance and sonship on our finger and now—we are called to walk
worthy of His kingdom and His glory! The value He places on us is that of potential, for He sees what it is
possible for us to become, in Him.

Adam and Eve were created sinless, but not ‘perfect’. They were to be discipled INTO completion and fullness
of potential as they obeyed and followed. The test in Eden was to provide opportunity for the new human
creature, made in God’s image, to develop worth and value within—substance of character—to come into
Ghod’s likeness, or ‘glory’ if you like, as we’ll see in a moment.

It is similar in the new creation—our sin and shame have been taken away and we are to walk into the fullness
and completion God has for us…

And that is the reason He has called us into both His kingdom and into His glory. Taking them in the reverse
order—glory and kingdom…

1. Called into His GLORY!

In God’s word ‘glory’ is not what many think it is—or let me say it this way—it is more than many people
think and assume it is. KABOD in Hebrew and DOXA in Greek, at their core have the meaning of
weightiness—or, substance! That of which a thing is comprised or constituted and provides its repute and its
quintessence? (What it quintessentially IS).

Glory and radiance are, of course, closely related, but they are not the same. One is the product of the other.
I’ve used this explanation often. The ‘glory’ of our nearest star, the Sun, is what it is comprised of; its
substance—what makes it what it is, and do what it does—the trillions of tonnes of flaming gas and plasma
that are its substance, all of which produces something. But that which comprises it—its glory, produces
radiance—warmth and light and cosmic rays. Glory produces radiance.

In Hebrews 1:3 we see it explained with respect to Jesus…

‘The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all
things by His powerful word’.
Anything that has glory, will radiate it! It is the nature of glory to manifest. But the manifestation—the
radiation or radience is not the glory. The glory is what produces the radiance.
The glory (or weightiness) of God is what He is constituted of—holiness, goodness, loving kindness, mercy,
grace, peace, faith, hope.

And…we are called into His glory, or into that which is at the core of His being! To become a participator
in that which is at His core, so that just as Jesus the Son is the radiance of everything that constitutes God, so
also are we. So, how is that quintessence or substance that constitutes God Himself, shared with us?

By the Holy Spirit whom God has sent into our hearts and beings.
Peter says that ‘the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you…’
He also says that through the promises we have been made ‘partakers in the divine nature.’
He imparts all that He is within and what He is intrinsically—becomes ours. And His glory within will have
radiance. It will show; it bears fruit—‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control’!
 2. He has called us into His Kingdom:
This is where the process takes place and the kingdom of God is the environment—the only environment—
where the opportunity for walking into worthiness of our calling exists!
Being in the kingdom is being under His Government, the government where He is Lord and King.
People everywhere are seeking ‘worth’—looking for substance —to be people whose lives count have
meaning and true value. No-one wants to be a lightweight!
The work of the enemy is to deceive people about where substance and value is found! So they go looking
where he says they’ll find it—in all the wrong (and impossible) places.
In achievements or being the best in the world at what they do; or in fame; or in fortune; or by being the
loudest or most outrageous; or generating the most likes and views on TikTok or social media.
Some think character and substance can be gained vicariously—that proximity to fame and fortune will
provide it by osmosis; so they idolise the famous and stars and celebrities. That’s why celebrities have
hangers-on—people who want to be seen with them or be name-droppers about them. (They’re called
wannabes).
These are what the deceiver tells people will add meaning and weight to their lives, but it can never come
from outside! They all come up empty. They don’t weigh up!

Yet real and eternal worth and substance is God’s desire and purpose for every one of us. The purpose of His
kingdom and government is to provide the environment for transformation and growth into substance and
worthiness. Self-government will never do it and we have been called out of the tyranny of uncertainties,
fears, bondages to sin of our own government—and into the government that guarantees certainty, faith,
peace and freedom!

We are called into living in worthiness of the things He has bestowed upon His children.
We measure up to expectation—we become worthy—simply as we choose Him, seek Him, obey Him,
worship Him, give Him first place.
His Spirit within is the glory and quintessence of God transforming our inner being into the same
quintessence and glory as we yield to Him.
The more we permit Him to make us like Him, the more that likeness will show itself in radiation of thr
glory within.

Ian Heard
June 11/23