Walking as Jesus Walked

There’s a saying that has been out for a long time that says: “Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks more than your talk talks.” We can give lip service forever and it won’t really amount to much until it is backed up by our actions in life. Therefore, we should learn that our Christian walk needs to be a walk of duty and devotion to our God! Knowing that this is so, then we should not ask others to carry us, but rather we should be ready to bear the burdens of one another (Gal 6:2). Since our Christian life is a walk, we must also understand that it is an individual duty. Nobody can take our place in our walk, we must do it individually, on our own. In 2 Corinthians 5:10 it says: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” The object of our Christian walk is to reach a desired destination and that destination is heaven. Paul wrote: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing” (Philippians 3:14-16). As we press on toward heaven, that high calling, we realize that we must strive to live a life faithful to God here on earth. When others see our walk, do they see us striving for that high calling, being faithful to Jesus?

Walking in Newness of Life

Paul wrote again in Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Again in 2 Corinthians 5:17 he wrote: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”When an individual is baptized INTO Christ he is a new creature. All those old things that were of the world are now dead. We are brand new, striving to live a life of godliness. That is why EVERY Christian should be known by their walk. A Christian is different because they are now in God’s family, living and practicing only those things that are righteous! We should walk worthy of our vocation as it says in Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; and 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

Walking in Faith, Love, and Honesty

I believe that one thing that keeps some Christians from walking the Christian walk is a lack of genuine faith. We must have a sincere faith in God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight:” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Can all of us sincerely say that? When we have Bible faith, then we can get on with living our lives as God intended for us to. Before we can ever hope to “walk the walk”, then we MUST have faith in God. The Hebrew writer wrote: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6). Without proper faith, we can’t please Him in our life because our heart, mind, soul, and strength will not be present to serve Him. A Christian’s walk is also a walk of honesty. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren and said: “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor 4:2). This verse lets us know some things that a Christian will not do. It also tells us that a Christian’s conduct is upright and handled with all honesty. Do others see that kind of walk in our lives? 

In addition to faith, love, and honesty, a Christian’s walk should be a walk that copies that of Jesus. John writes: “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). Simply put, does our Christian walk mirror Jesus’ walk?

What Will Become of My Spirit?

This is a question that every man and woman should be sincerely asking of themselves! We need to understand that God gave each one of us a physical body to house our spirit in. The spirit in which we have was given also by God and will NEVER die. Each one of us will someday experience a physical death, one in which our body will die and return to the dust of the earth but our spirit within will live forever. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). God will take back into His possession the spirit in which he gave us in the first place. This is why we need to realize that we do not have any right to treat this physical body that we have been blessed with any way we want to. God expects us to take care of our body so that our spirit will be able to have longer days in which to do service to others and bring others to the knowledge and understanding of Christ.

Once we fully understand that we have a service, a duty to do as a child of God then we can with greater understanding know that we are responsible to develop the spirit within us into a worker for the Lord. When we die physically, our spirit will go upward to God. We can read in Ecclesiastes 3:21 “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Man is different than any other living thing on the earth that God made. 

God breathed into the nostrils of man and he became a living soul. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). That soul that you and I have is our spirit, and it will never die - it will live forever. When Jesus died upon the cross for your sins and mine he gave up his spirit back to God who gave it. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:” (Luke 23:46). When Stephen was stoned to death, just before he died he asked Jesus to receive his spirit (Acts 7:59). Therefore we can see from these examples that our spirit leaves our body at death and returns to God who gave it (Genesis 35:18; Ecclesiastes 12:7). 

We can learn and understand that no man has the power to retain the spirit. In Ecclesiastes 8:8 it is recorded: “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:” Only Jesus was able to overcome death and He did so on behalf of all men. We do not know when our day of death will come and when it does come we will have no control over it. Just as certain as we will die (Hebrews 9:27), our soul (spirit) will depart our body at that time and return to our Father. A body cannot live without the spirit. James 2:26 says: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Our body needs the spirit that God gave us to survive. Once our body dies, then our spirit will go to God and will give account for all the things that it did (good or bad) within this physical body of ours. Notice what the apostle Paul says: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Knowing that our spirit will one day return to God, and knowing that this spirit that God gave us MUST give account of all that it did, good or bad, then it would make sense that we would nurture our God given spirit to be as godly as we can possibly make it. We should further be able to understand what James meant by “faith without works is dead.” We can BELIEVE that our spirit came from God (Faith), but if we do not do anything (Works) to ensure that our spirit will get to be with God eternally, then we are dead. Let us all strive to ensure that our spirit within us will be able to account for good works (Matthew 25:34-40) and enter into heaven eternally! 

The Wicked and Disobedient

Often times we talk about the wicked people of this world as the ones who will eventually end up in an eternal hell. Well, that is certainly true. But don’t forget that the Bible also tells us that not only will the wicked go to hell but also the disobedient. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 the apostle Paul writes: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” How sad it will be to be lost for an eternity in hell because we did not obey the gospel of Christ. No matter how good we are morally, no matter how much we are respected and liked by men, our end will still be the same as those who murder, commit fornication, homosexuality, and steal. Yet most people do not even think about this. God’s Word is very plain in this area, His Word is certain. When one does not obey the gospel of Christ he is considered an unbeliever. In Revelation 21:8 it addresses the unbelievers along with the wicked. It says: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

I think of the prisons today that are being filled to capacity with the worst of criminals, to include those that have been found guilty of murder, sometimes more than once, along with other terrible crimes. I do not want to be with those types of individuals for an eternity! Would you? If you have not obeyed the gospel of Christ, then unfortunately you WILL be with them. Obey the gospel of Christ today before it is everlastingly too late!

God's Children

Isn’t it great to be able to say that “I am a child of God?” Everyone should long to be recognized as a faithful child of His. God made it possible for us to become His children by His deep love for us. John writes: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). God cares so much for those that He has created in His image, that He wants all to be saved. “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Unfortunately, not everyone will be saved because not everyone is God’s child. Only the children of God will have the opportunity to have eternal salvation.

Who Are God’s Children?

Since only the children of God will be saved, it is very important to know who the children of God are. Only those that receive Jesus Christ will be His. In John 1:12 it says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” One only has the “right” to become God’s child when one believes on Jesus Christ. When one believes on Christ then one will repent of their sins (Acts 2:38; 17:30), confess Jesus as being the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10), and then be baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21; Mark 16:16). When one follows these steps then one is born into the family of God and one becomes His child. Yes, one must be “born again” into the family of God, the “kingdom of God” in order to be a child of God. Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). How precious it is to be a child of God!

Why Be A Child of God?

The apostle Paul writes: “and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17). We learn from this verse that it is God’s children that are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Only the heirs of God will be allowed entrance into heaven. Luke writes: “But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:35-36). In order for us to enjoy the glories of heaven we must be a child of God. Only His children will gain an inheritance to heaven which is achieved by being led by the Spirit here on earth. Paul clearly writes that “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Every child of God and a true disciple of Christ understands that they must keep themselves pure and holy in His sight as they labor and toil upon this earth, knowing that one day they will be with the Lord if they remain faithful until death (Revelation 2:10).

What is the Duty of the Child of God?

Every individual who puts on Christ in baptism understands that they have certain duties that they must now fulfill in their life and service for God. Every Christian strives to imitate God. The apostle Paul writes: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1). The way one learns to imitate God is to learn about God, which can only come through the reading and studying of His word, the Bible. The child of God learns that God means more to them than anyone or anything (Matthew 10:32-39). Children of God should be so thankful that Jesus came and gave His life for them that they would want nothing more than to live for Him, letting their lights shine brightly for Him each and every day. Jesus Himself said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). May every Christian strive to always let their lights shine brightly in the world around them as they live FOR Jesus and God the Father each and every day of their life.

Sin Separates Everyone from God

The person who believes in God wants to always enjoy their fellowship with Him, yet the consequences of sin is separation from God. The prophet Isaiah said, "...your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2). The consequence of sin is that it causes us to be separated from God. A person is lost because of his sin. The apostle Paul stated, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Death means separation, so the sinner is separated from God. This is true whether or not you have once become a Christian. Some human creeds tell us that you cannot fall from grace but this is contrary to Paul's clear statement in Galatians 5:4. A Christian may be cut off from the fellowship of God. The terrible consequence of sin is that it causes God to withdraw Himself from His children. God does not desire it; but justice demands it, and God cannot deny Himself. I encourage you to seriously think on these things because the Bible, the Word of God is always right.

Praying to God

The prophet Daniel prayed to God three times daily (Daniel 6:10). This godly man serves as an example to each one of us, showing us that it is important that we communicate with God on a continual basis. Without prayer we fail to bring ourselves into the full enjoyment of the blessings of God’s kingdom. 

The Sincere Desire of the Heart

We learn from scripture that our prayers to God are sincere desires from our own heart. Paul wrote in Romans 10:1, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” Paul was expressing a desire in his heart that Israel be saved. Our prayers should be addressed to God our Father, expressing the desires of our heart and we must do so in faith without doubting (James 1:6-8). Christians must realize that prayer is an acknowledgment of the all-sufficiency of God and our own dependency upon Him. When we truly realize and recognize this then our prayers will truly be from our heart.

The Importance of Christians Praying

Christians realize that God does not hear the prayers of sinners (John 9:31). Therefore the Christian understands the true value of prayer for the righteous. We know that God does answer prayer and therefore when we pray we pray expecting God to answer, even giving us greater things than we can ask or think (Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 3:20-21). Prayer creates an attitude in the Christian that brings peace to the heart. As we study our Bible on a daily basis we gain a deeper and better understanding of our Father. Likewise, when we pray to God on a daily basis, this creates a closeness with our Father and keeps us focused on striving to please Him in all things. Pray to God — because prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but laying hold on His willingness!

The Christian's Growth in the Lord

Once an individual puts on Christ in baptism, they should be determined to please God in all aspects of their life. But before one can begin to grow, one must first possess an attitude that says; “I want to grow as a Christian in order to be pleasing to God.” We are going to be discussing several areas in which a Christian is to grow in the Lord, but before one can grow, one must have a good attitude, WANTING to do God’s will in all things. We all must understand that it is not so much what a person knows or is able to do or possess, but rather the question is what kind of person am I. Perhaps all of us have witnessed only too often an ugly spirit or attitude that has brought great harm. A bad attitude can spoil almost any situation. On the other hand, a good attitude can enhance, or make right almost any adverse condition that may exist. Therefore, in order for a Christian to grow in the Lord, one must first have a good attitude, wanting to be a faithful child of God in ALL things.

In What Are We to Grow?

The apostle Peter writes that Christians are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...” (2 Peter 3:18). Many Christians are not grounded in Christ mainly because they simply have not gained knowledge of our Lord. There is only one way in which we can gain knowledge and that is through study (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 2:15). If Christians would devote time to study and meditation of God’s Word, then they will be able to grow so as to be pleasing to God. We are also instructed in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2 Corinthians 10:15 to grow in faith. The more faith that we have the stronger our love and devotion to God is. A Christian must strive to grow in knowledge and faith.

How Can We Grow?

Before we can grow in order to be pleasing to God, we must FIRST put away worldliness. We must truly be transformed from our old ways to a life of service and devotion to Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Wickedness, guile, hypocrisies, envies, evil speakings, etc. must be done away with (1 Peter 2:1). We cannot begin to grow while holding on to worldly appetites! We can only grow when we are determined (right attitude) to learn of God. We must “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Christian that desires to please God wants to know everything they possibly can about what God expects of them (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:13-14). It is through the knowledge of His Word that we also learn to speak the truth concerning His Word. The apostle Paul writes; “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ” (Ephesians 4:15-16). The more we know then the more confidence we gain in teaching others the TRUTH of His Word.

Unto What Shall We Grow?

Every Christian should desire to grow in the Lord in order to obtain salvation. Although we will never be perfect, we can certainly strive to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Eternal salvation will only be realized by those individuals who are devoted to serving and obeying God. The Christian knows that their body is a holy temple. Paul writes “in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:21-22). Therefore Christians know that they will treat their body in a way which is pleasing to God. The body (the temple), grows into subjection to God’s will as the Christian with a good attitude understands that their body is the temple and that the body and the spirit is God’s. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To glorify God in our body we must grow to understand that we cannot do anything to our body that would be displeasing to God (Matthew 5:16). 

Why Should We Grow?

We must possess an attitude of growth in the Lord because it is commanded (2 Peter 3:18). Our growth in faith and love causes thanksgiving. Paul wrote: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). When we grow in the Lord we become strong. The more we learn, the more we are able to receive the solid food of the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:2). May we all possess an attitude that says “I want to be pleasing to God in all things.” I want to encourage all of us to constantly examine ourselves to ensure that we are doing all things according to the will of God (2 Corinthians 13:5). If so, then we are continuing to grow in the Lord.