There are two meanings to the word worthy', deserving or fit. They run into each other and yet they may be kept quite apart. For instance you may say of a man that he is worthy' to be something or other, for which he is obviously qualified, not thinking at all whether he deserves it or not.
Now in the first of these senses--we are all unworthy of eternal life. That is just to state in other words the tragic truth of universal sinfulness. The natural outcome and issue of the course which all men follow is death. But yet there are men who are fit for and capable of eternal life. Who they are and what fitness is can only be ascertained when we rightly understand what eternal life is. It is not merely future blessedness or a synonym for a vulgar heaven. That is the common notion of its meaning. Men think of that future as a blessed state to which God can admit anybody if He will, and, as He is good, will admit pretty nearly everybody. But eternal life is a present possession as well as a future one, and passing by its deeper aspects, it includes--
Deliverance from evil habits and desires. Purity, and love of all good and fair things. Communion with God.
As well as forgiveness and removal of punishment.
What then are the qualifications making a man worthy of, in the sense of fit for, such a state?
(a) To know oneself to be unworthy.
He who judges himself to be worthy is unworthy. He who knows himself to be unworthy is worthy.
The first requisite is consciousness of sin, leading to repentance.
(b) To abandon striving to make oneself worthy.
By ourselves we never can do so. Many of us think that we must do our best, and then God will do the rest.
There must be the entire cessation of all attempt to work out by our own efforts characters that would entitle us to eternal life.
(c) To be willing to accept life on God's terms. As a mere gift.
(d) To desire it.
God cannot give it to any one who does not want it.
He cannot force His gifts on us.
This then is the worthiness.
