Whoever Claims To Live In Him , Must Live As He Did
Jesus Is The Example To Follow
1 JOHN 2:6
“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
”I John 2:6 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/1jn.2.6.nkj
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To walk as Jesus did, does not necessarily mean choosing twelve disciples, performing miracles, and dying on a cross. But rather it means walking in truth and following the leading of the Holy Spirit in obedience to God’s word.
Each of us is unique and has a unique individual calling, falling into at least one of the categories of Christ five fold ministry (EPHESIANS 4:11), and gifted with spiritual gifts to use to help one another in our walk for the glory of God.
To operate in those gifts we must ask God to reveal them to us and teach us how.
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
I Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV
Much of what Christ did had to do with His identity as God’s only begotten Son. He came to earth with purpose, to undo the works of the devil (1 JOHN 3:8), to start the work of building His church, to pay our debt of sin by dying on a cross, and continuing the work in us individually and as a body until it is finally finished on the day Jesus Christ returns (PHILIPPIANS 1:6).
We believers don’t have to physically die on a cross, but we do have to put our former sinful life to death by coming to Christ in repentance.
My brethren as Peter told us, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
Acts 2:38-39 NKJV
Only when one totally submits to God can he receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, “who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
II Corinthians 1:22 NKJV
He is our leader, our teacher , and our guide, our provider, protector, our healer and redeemer, the very corner stone on which we stand.
Furthermore, the promise of salvation stretches to our children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Jesus said, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
My beloved, their are conditions in the promise; one must “love God and keep His commandments.”
Paul said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1 NKJV
Again there’s a condition in the promise; for those who “do not walk according to the flesh, but rather according to the Spirit.”
Just as Christ had a special role, you too have a special role, and that role will not always be popular with others. But we all have choices, we can either live to please people, or live to please God. But we cannot serve both.
Jesus said, ““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24 NKJV
Your personal calling is about your identity in Christ. God created you with purpose to fulfil His plans, to continue His work in preparation for Christ return.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
Jesus paid your debt of sin, but that is not a license to continue to live in it. If we are to serve Him to the full we must crucify our sin on the cross and walk in the righteousness of Christ.
That can only be done by the leading of the Holy Spirit with the understanding that it is not I, but Christ who lives in me. The truth is, we can do nothing good in our own power, but we can do all things through Christ who is our strength (PHILIPPIANS 4:13).
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
To walk as Christ walked, we must follow the examples of Christ in obedience to God’s Word, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, serving Him as He pleases, putting the lust of the flesh to death, and helping others by His leading, out of love, just as Christ did.
“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:5-8 NKJV
Service to God is not a career choice or a business, it is a calling, and we all have one. But Jesus my beloved, is the example to follow.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
