'I beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye
are called.'--Eph. iv. 1.
'They shall walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.'--Rev.
iii. 4.
The estimate formed of a centurion by the elders of the Jews was, 'He is
worthy for whom Thou shouldst do this' and in contrast therewith the
estimate formed by himself was, 'I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come
under my roof.' From these two statements we deduce the thought that
merit has no place in the Christian's salvation, but all is to be traced
to undeserved, gracious love. But that principle, true and all-important
as it is, like every other great truth, may be exaggerated, and may be
so isolated as to become untrue and a source of much evil. And so I
desire to turn to the other side of the shield, and to emphasise the
place that worthiness has in the Christian life, and its personal
results both here and hereafter. To say that character has nothing to do
with blessedness is untrue, both to conscience and to the Christian
revelation; and however we trace all things to grace, we must also
remember that we get what we have fitted ourselves for.
Now, my two texts bring out two aspects which have to be taken in
conjunction. The one of them speaks about the present life, and lays it
as an imperative obligation on all Christian people to be worthy of
their Christianity, and the other carries us into the future and shows
us that there it is they who are 'worthy' who attain to the Kingdom. So
I think I shall best bring out what I desire to emphasise if I just take
these two points--the Christian calling and the life that is worthy of
it, and the Christian heaven and the life that is worthy of it.