Walking as God’s dear children worthy of God’s calling in this world is a lifestyle.

Adopting and living this lifestyle is the primary way we serve as God’s workers in this world. Walking a godly life brings salt and light to our family, fellow believers walking a godly life, fence sitting believers, friends, and neighbors.

Walking this way is the blessed way.

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:10-16.

Paul exhorts us on walking that way by urging us not to live like the people of this world.

Their mindsets and understanding have made them strangers to the life God gives because of their ignorance and the hardness of their heart.

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles (non-Jew unbelievers) also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Ephesians 4:17-19 NASB.

After reading that bleak assessment of the people of the world, you wouldn’t think Paul would have to exhort us not to live like them. But, many American Christians do live like heathens live.

Even though around 72% of Americans consider themselves Christians, our American society is more worldly than godly. That means, a lot of the redeemed live like the people of the world.

The people of the world are deceived and deceptive.

They make setting our minds on worthless things look like the enlightened and socially adept thing to do. Humanists, narcissists, new age thinkers, psychics and other pagans are strangers to the life God gives.

Like big babies, they glory in their own sensuality, demand their own way and assert their own rights and ideas.

Yet, they are deceptive enough to lead many Christians to give them credibility. We even see such pagan leaders and celebrities in what goes as Christianity (Jude 1:12-13).

In, What Ever Became of Sin, Sept 1973, Dr. Karl Menninger traced resistance to the word, “sin,” in America.

He wrote that without moral restrainers, sin rapidly spread through our culture and brought bondage. He pointed out, the last American President to use the word, “sin,” in a public speech was Eisenhower in 1953. Since the time his book was published, several have.

We need God’s restoration to walking Messiah’s way.

He is the only way, the truth and the life. We are as exiles who need to help set one another free from worldly invasions into the body of the Messiah. Incorporating world values and ways into our own way of life presents the forces of darkness with big openings to capture and spoil us.

During his last supper with his disciples, Messiah Jesus told them and us:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7.

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:10-12 ISV.

Paul urges us to be imitators of God and walk in love as Messiah loved us.

“¹Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, even as Messiah also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes holy ones; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather giving of thanks.
Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Messiah and God.”

Let no one deceive you

“⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. Therefore don’t be partakers with them.”

Walk as children of light

“⁸For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:1-14.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quoted is from the World Messianic Bible.

 

~ Bill Bremer

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Bill Bremer is Founder and Managing Director at Kingdom Relationships Colorado.

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