Saturday 4 October 2008

Walking In His Steps

For those of us who consider ourselves Christian, may well ask themselves, “Do we really please our Lord and Master Jesus Christ”?

We will know the scripture where Jesus said “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you …”(Mat7:22,23)

It surely begs the question, “What exactly ARE we required to do in order to please our Saviour so that He accepts us as one of His“?

What does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Jesus said that we should love the Lord your God with all your mind body and soul and Love our fellow men as ourselves. That is all the Law and the Prophets.
This is indeed a “cover-all”. But how do we break this down into a simple formula for us to follow?

I believe that to do this, whenever we are faced with a decision, a doubt, which course to take, or what to say in a given circumstance, we must always ask ourselves “What would Jesus do or say in these circumstances”?

But how do we know what He would do? If we are not alert we could well decide He would do what we would WANT Him to do. We could use our intellect to make this decision. Big mistake!

We have one thing going for us however which we could use and that is what I call The Light of Christ. This is the God given ability we all have to know right from wrong (conscience). In fact the Law of the Land recognises this and if this knowledge is impaired by mental deficiency, that can be become a defence. It does not usually take a lot of brain work to know if a thing is right or not.

Sometimes however its not so simple to know just what Christ would do or say in a given circumstance. In such an instance we should simply ASK HIM!

We don’t need to get down on our knees to do this. Or go to a Church. Or even voice it out loud. Simply ask “Lord What would you have me do (or say) in this circumstance?” Then we must open our minds to receive the answer. Not by helping Him out and using our own ideas. We may get instant feedback from Him. We may have to wait. Sometimes the answer will come to us through a sudden and unexpected source or revelation. In fact however it comes to us it will be by the agency of the Holy Spirit. And it will feel right. The Spirit of God speaking to OUR Spirit. Spirit to Spirit. And not through any intellectual process.
Once we know what the Lord wants us to do then comes the tricky bit.

DO IT REGARDLESS TO THE CONSEQUENCES!
Consequences will indeed be forthcoming. Not always pleasant.
Possible loss of friends - We are too fanatic, taking it too far.
Possible loss of Job - Employer does not appreciate us refusing to carry out a less than honest policy.
Possibly the decision could cost us financially - Loss of business or income.
Possible even our Church may not appreciate our refusal to follow their watered down version of Christianity.

One thing is certain. Once we adopt a policy of always TRYING to do what Jesus would do, we can expect a cost, face ridicule, and persecution. This is what Christ meant when He said “Take up your cross and follow me”.

This is what it takes to be a TRUE disciple of Jesus Christ. This is what is means to walk in His steps.


May we who profess Jesus Christ pray for strength and determination to have a closer walk with Him.

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