What Does It Mean to Walk Worthy of the Lord? | Colossians 1:9-10

What Does It Mean to Walk Worthy of the Lord? | Colossians 1:9-10

By Pastor Autry Watkins IV | Transformation Church | November 17, 2025

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. With a few taps on our phones, we can access commentaries, systematic theologies, and sermon archives that previous generations could only dream about. Yet somehow, despite all this biblical knowledge at our fingertips, many of us feel spiritually stagnant. We know more about God than we did five years ago, but are we walking with Him more intimately? We can articulate the doctrines of grace, but do they animate our daily lives? This disconnect between knowing and walking is precisely what the Apostle Paul addresses in his prayer for the Colossian believers. In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul doesn't pray that they would simply acquire more information about God. Rather, he prays for something far more transformative: that they would be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him." Here we discover that true knowledge of God's will isn't merely intellectual—it's transformative, empowering us to live lives that actually reflect the worthiness of Christ Himself.

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Knowledge That Transforms: Understanding God's Will

Paul's prayer begins with a petition that we might be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9). Notice the fullness language here—not partially acquainted with God's will, not casually familiar with it, but filled with it. This is comprehensive, saturating knowledge that permeates every corner of our consciousness. But what exactly is this "knowledge of God's will" that Paul prays for? We must be careful here. Paul isn't primarily speaking about knowing God's specific will for whether you should take that job in another city or marry that person. While God certainly guides us in such decisions, the biblical emphasis on knowing God's will focuses on something more foundational: understanding God's revealed character, His redemptive purposes in Christ, and His moral requirements for His people. This knowledge comes through "spiritual wisdom and understanding"—terms that point to Spirit-given insight that goes beyond mere intellectual comprehension. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." The knowledge Paul prays for isn't accessed through human cleverness or academic achievement alone. It requires the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This is why two people can read the same passage of Scripture—one finds it dry and lifeless, while the other is undone by its beauty and power. The difference isn't intelligence; it's spiritual sight. Here's the crucial connection: this knowledge isn't an end in itself. Paul prays for knowledge "so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord." Knowledge of God's will is the fuel for a transformed life. When we truly grasp who God is, what Christ has done, and what the Spirit empowers us to become, we cannot remain unchanged. The knowledge transforms the walk.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. — Colossians 1:9

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. — 1 Corinthians 2:14

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you. — Ephesians 1:17-18

Walking Worthy: The Impossibility and the Grace

To "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1:10) is one of the most staggering callings in all of Scripture. Let the weight of this phrase settle on you: worthy of the Lord. Worthy of the One who spoke galaxies into existence. Worthy of the One who holds all things together by the word of His power. Worthy of the One who left heaven's glory to be born in a feeding trough, who lived perfectly under the Law we've broken, who died the death we deserved, and who rose victorious over sin and death. How could we possibly walk in a manner worthy of Him? The honest answer is: we can't. Not in our own strength. Not through mere moral effort or spiritual discipline alone. If worthiness before God could be achieved through human effort, Christ died needlessly. This is where we must guard against the subtle moralism that creeps into even Reformed churches. We can know all about justification by faith alone, yet functionally live as though our sanctification depends entirely on our performance. We read "walk worthy" and immediately feel the crushing weight of obligation without the liberating truth of empowerment. But notice the structure of Paul's prayer. He prays that we would be filled with knowledge of God's will so that we might walk worthy. The knowledge precedes and enables the walk. When we truly grasp the gospel—that Christ has lived the worthy life on our behalf, that His righteousness is credited to us through faith, that His Spirit now dwells in us to transform us—this knowledge becomes the engine of our transformation. We don't walk worthy to become acceptable to God; we walk worthy because we've already been made acceptable through Christ. As the Puritans would say, "We are not justified by works, but we are justified unto works." The Christian life is grace-fueled effort, not graceless striving. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling precisely because God is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). The impossibility of walking worthy drives us to Christ, and in Christ we find both the righteousness that justifies us and the power that sanctifies us.

So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. — Colossians 1:10

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. — Philippians 2:12-13

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. — 2 Corinthians 5:21

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. — Galatians 2:20

Four Dimensions of the Worthy Walk

Paul unpacks what this worthy walk looks like in four interconnected dimensions. First, "bearing fruit in every good work." Notice the agricultural metaphor—fruit isn't produced through straining and striving, but through abiding in Christ (John 15:5). When we remain connected to Him as branches to the vine, fruit is the natural, inevitable result. This fruit manifests in concrete good works—acts of love, service, mercy, and justice that flow from our union with Christ. These aren't isolated religious activities but a whole life oriented toward God's glory and others' good. Second, "increasing in the knowledge of God." Here's the beautiful circularity of Christian growth: knowledge enables walking, and walking deepens knowledge. As we obey what we know, we understand more deeply what we believed. The Christian life isn't static; it's dynamic, progressive, always moving deeper into the inexhaustible riches of knowing God. This is why a 90-year-old saint who has walked with God for decades can still say with genuine wonder, "I'm just beginning to understand His love." Third, "being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might" (Colossians 1:11). The worthy walk requires supernatural power, and God supplies it according to the measure of His glorious might—not our feeble strength. Think about this: the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us for daily faithfulness (Ephesians 1:19-20). We face temptation, suffering, and spiritual opposition not in our own strength but in the power of His might. Fourth, this power produces "all endurance and patience with joy." Not grim determination, not white-knuckled perseverance, but joyful endurance. This is only possible when we're anchored in gospel realities—when we remember that our suffering is temporary, our future is secure, and our Savior is sovereign. The worthy walk isn't a burden that crushes us but a grace-enabled life that displays Christ's beauty to a watching world.

Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. — Colossians 1:10-11

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. — John 15:5

And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 1:19-20

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. — Romans 5:3-5

Application

How then shall we live in light of these truths? First, we must regularly examine the source of our spiritual striving. Are we trying to walk worthy in our own strength, driven by guilt and fear of divine rejection? Or are we walking from a place of gospel security, empowered by the Spirit who dwells in us? The difference is everything. Ask yourself: When I fail morally or spiritually, is my first instinct to hide from God or run to Him? Your answer reveals whether you're operating from law or grace. Second, we must ruthlessly prioritize genuine knowledge of God over mere information about God. This requires moving beyond podcast consumption and Twitter theology to sustained meditation on Scripture, unhurried prayer, and Spirit-dependent reading. Set aside fifteen minutes tomorrow morning—not to check off a devotional box, but to actually encounter the living God in His Word. Read Colossians 1:9-10 slowly. Ask the Spirit to illuminate your heart. Let the truth sink deep. Third, we must identify specific areas where we're not walking worthy—where our lives contradict the gospel we profess. Is it how you speak to your spouse? Your patterns of technology use? Your relationship to money? Your lack of concern for the marginalized? Don't just acknowledge these areas; bring them into the light of Christ's finished work and the Spirit's transforming power. Here are questions for deeper reflection: Am I seeking to know God's will primarily to inform my life, or to transform it? Do I truly believe that Christ's righteousness is sufficient for my justification, or am I still trying to earn God's approval? Where am I attempting to walk worthy through human effort rather than Spirit-empowerment? What would it look like to bear fruit in my current circumstances—my workplace, neighborhood, family? Is my endurance characterized by joyful trust in God's sovereignty, or anxious striving?

Brothers and sisters, the call to walk worthy of the Lord would crush us if Christ had not already walked worthily in our place. But because He has—because He lived the perfect life we couldn't live and died the death we deserved to die—we are now free to pursue holiness not as slaves earning acceptance but as beloved children becoming like our Father. The knowledge of God's will isn't another religious burden to bear; it's the liberating truth that transforms us from the inside out. So let us pray Paul's prayer for one another: that we would be filled with the knowledge of God's will, that we would walk worthy of Christ, bearing fruit and increasing in knowledge, strengthened by His mighty power for joyful endurance. And let us remember that every step of this worthy walk is sustained not by our faithfulness to Him, but by His faithfulness to us. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness. Walk in the freedom and power of that grace.

For Further Reflection

How would you distinguish between knowing information about God and truly knowing God Himself? What practical differences would show up in daily life?

Why is it so easy to slip from gospel-motivated obedience into performance-driven striving? What triggers this shift in your own experience?

Paul prays for Spirit-given wisdom and understanding. What spiritual disciplines or practices help you move beyond mere intellectual knowledge to heart-transforming truth?

In what specific area of your life do you most need to remember that Christ has walked worthily on your behalf? How does this truth change your approach to that struggle?

What would "bearing fruit in every good work" look like in your current season of life—in your workplace, family, neighborhood, or church community?