| Christian Life and Doctrine | July 1961 |
In His Steps
“He that saith that he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.” —I John 2:6
THE Scriptures employ the word “walk” to denote demeanor of life. We read in Genesis 5:24 that “Enoch walked with God,” meaning that he endeavored to have his life conformed to the will of God. To “walk together” implies harmony of thought and action.
Addressing Israel, the Lord said, “Can two walk together, except they have made an appointment?” (Amos 3:3, R.V. margin; Strong) The Lord had made an “appointment” with Israel. They were to walk together under the terms of the Law Covenant. Many times Israel failed to keep her “appointment,” and when she did the nation did not walk with God.
God’s people of the Gospel Age also make an appointment to walk with him. As individuals they enter into a covenant with him to do his will, to walk in his ways; and faithfulness to the terms of our covenant is essential in order to have the assurance that God is walking with us, and we with him.
The “walk” of the Christian is in the footsteps of Jesus. If we are endeavoring to be followers of the Master, then, as our text expresses it, we should “walk, even as he walked.” We have in Jesus a perfect example of one who walked with God, for his every thought, word, and deed were in harmony with his Father’s will. This was so true of Jesus that he could truly say, “I and my Father are one.”—John 10:30
God said to Israel through Isaiah, “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isa. 30:21) This was true also of Jesus who, throughout the course of his earthly ministry, was constantly guided by the Old Testament Scriptures, the “Word” of God which came to him from “behind,” or out of the past.
It was to walk in the way of God that Jesus covenanted to do. It was at the beginning of his ministry that the prophecy of Psalm 40:7,8 was fulfilled by Jesus. It was then that he presented himself to his Heavenly Father in dedication to do his will as it had been recorded in “the volume of the book.” Jesus knew from the “word behind” that basically his course was to be one of sacrifice, to be consummated in voluntary death upon the cross. Knowing this, he allowed himself to be led “as a lamb to the slaughter.”—Isa. 53:7
Jesus stipulated that his followers were to walk in this same pathway of sacrifice. He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24) To James and John, who had asked that one of them sit on his right hand, and the other on his left hand in his glory, Jesus said, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”—Mark 10:35-38
Newness of Life
THE Apostle Paul wrote that we “are buried with him [Jesus] by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4) Jesus’ change in the resurrection from earthly glory to the “glory of the Father” is here used to illustrate the transformation of viewpoint and demeanor which takes place in the lives of those who dedicate themselves to follow the Master, to be planted together in the likeness of his death.
And what a tremendous change that is! It is well illustrated in the teachings and attitude of Jesus, our Exemplar. For example, without doubt Jesus loved his home and family, particularly his mother. He would have a certain and proper interest in the affairs and people of his community. Nor did he ever lose his love for the good things of the world in which he lived.
But when Jesus began his ministry, more important considerations dominated his thoughts and life. Now he was dedicated to doing his Heavenly Father’s will, which meant that his every thought, word, and deed must be in keeping with the “Word” from behind. He continued to love his family and the people generally, as attested by the sacrifices he made to minister to their needs. But now he had a higher love, which was for those whom the Heavenly Father had given him to be his disciples.
Jesus’ disciples were now his real family. When someone told him that his mother and brethren wished to speak to him, he pointed to his disciples and said, “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”—Matt. 12:46-50
Jesus had not lost interest in his mother. This is shown by the fact that later, when dying on the cross, he made provision for her care. (John 19:26,27) It was because he wanted his disciples to know that since they had allied themselves with him, they held a more important position in his life and affections than did his natural family. This was one of the important aspects of Jesus’ new life of dedication to his Heavenly Father’s will.
Jesus taught that this same change of viewpoint would be essential for those worthy to be counted among his true followers. He said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:37) In the context (vs. 35) Jesus explains that families would become divided because of him, that there would be conflict of interests and attachments. In these situations those who preferred to maintain the friendship of their families by giving up their loyalty to Jesus would not be worthy of him. Throughout the age this has been a severe test upon many who have heard the call to follow the Master.
When Jesus said that those who had dedicated themselves to do his Heavenly Father’s will were his real family, he was echoing those affectionate sentiments expressed by Ruth when she said to Naomi, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”—Ruth 1:16
Is this true of us as disciples of the Master? Do we feel that his people are truly our people? Do we long to be with them on every possible and suitable occasion even at the risk of losing some of the esteem and affection of our natural relatives?
This could be one of the tests of whether or not we are walking as Jesus walked. Our brethren were not chosen by us, but by the Lord. The Lord did not choose them because they were “our kind” of people. Indeed, among the brethren chosen by the Lord there is a wide variety of personalities and dispositions. Their former social standings were different. They have varying degrees of education. It is unnatural that anyone would find himself “at home” with a group made up of individuals so dissimilar in so many ways.
Yet these are our people. So far as earthly associations are concerned, they are to have first place in our hearts, next to our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus. This could well be a severe test of discipleship for many, but certainly no more severe a test than it was for Jesus; and we read concerning him that, having loved his own, he loved them “unto the end.”—John 13:1
Jesus was perfect, so that even the most refined of his disciples would be far from congenial to him. His love for them was not based upon their personalities as humans, but upon their love for and devotion to his Heavenly Father. They were nearer to him than the members of his natural family because they had devoted themselves to the doing of his Father’s will. Since he was one with his Father, this made them one with him.
In the Spirit
PAUL wrote of those who “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:4) To walk after the Spirit means to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit through the written Word of God. In Jesus we have a perfect example of a Spirit-led life. If we walk in his footsteps, we will be walking after the Spirit, and will not be fulfilling the desires of the flesh.
Since Jesus was perfect, the desires of his flesh were not unholy. But as a human he would have human desires to which he could not yield and at the same time follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The same is true with us. We may not find it too difficult to resist the sinful desires of the flesh, for these we recognize to be wrong. But there are certain legitimate human desires which we might easily reason should be gratified, and we will need constantly to remind ourselves that if we are to be worthy disciples of Christ we must walk even as he walked.
Humbly
THE Prophet Micah wrote that one of the things required of the Lord’s people is that they “walk humbly” with their God. (Micah 6:8) Surely Jesus did walk humbly with his God. His humility was displayed in many ways. He emphasized that the mighty works which he did were not his works. They were the accomplishments of his Heavenly Father. The common people were deeply moved by the gracious words which he spoke, but he reminded them that the words they heard were not his, but his Father’s.—John 5:36; 14:24; Luke 4:22
When the disciples asked Jesus concerning the time of his return and second presence he frankly said that he did not know, explaining that this was knowledge possessed at that time only by his Heavenly Father. (Matt. 24:3,36) One less humble than Jesus might have sought to give the impression that he knew the answer to the question, but did not care to reveal it.
An outstanding display of Jesus’ humility was in his complete yielding to his Heavenly Father’s will no matter what the cost might be to him. This was true from the beginning to the end of his ministry. It was true in Gethsemane; and when he was hanging on the cross, until, in complete submission, he cried out to his Heavenly Father, “Into thy hands I commit my spirit,” my breath of life.—Luke 23:46, Diaglott
If we are walking as Jesus walked, we too will humble ourselves “under the mighty hand of God.” (I Pet. 5:6) Genuine humility is before God. A show of humility before men is of little account. We might appear to our brethren as being humble, yet the piercing eyes of the Lord would see in our hearts traits of pride, or of unhappiness over the outworking of his providences in our lives. We might even announce our professed humility to our brethren in Christ, yet the motive for thus doing could be one of pride and self-seeking.
Concerning his typical people, who came out of Egypt, the Lord said that they walked “in the imagination of their evil heart.” The Revised Version reads, “stubbornness,” as shown in the margin of the A.V. (Jer. 11:8) Our hearts cannot have motivations of this sort if we are to walk as Jesus walked. The Apostle Paul wrote of “casting down imaginations [margin, reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”—II Cor. 10:5
Jesus’ humility was manifested in his doing little things in the divine service, such as washing his disciples’ feet. Do we find joy in doing the little things, or do we “imagine” that the Lord has surely called us for some great and important part in his service, and because of this neglect what we may decide are the less important services? We should not judge one another along these lines, but it is well to look into our own hearts to determine whether or not we are truly walking humbly with our God, even as Jesus walked.
Overcoming the World
PAUL reminds us of the time when we “walked according to the course of this world,” and also “according to the prince and power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) Jesus walked contrary to the course of this world, and contrary to the wishes of Satan, the prince of this world.
Jesus referred to this as overcoming the world. He said to his disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Overcoming the world is walking contrary to the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world is the spirit of selfishness—self-seeking. Love is to be our motive and guide in life. This was the case with Jesus. He rose above the selfish strivings of the world about him, and persistently pursued the course of selfishness, giving his life, his all, that others might be blessed. This will be our walk in life if we are truly following in his steps.
Together
AGAIN Paul wrote, “Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” (Phil. 3:16) The “same rule” and the “same thing” here mentioned by Paul are those referred to earlier in the chapter. His rule in life was the counting of all earthly things as loss and dross that he might win Christ. (vs. 8) To this he added, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”—vss. 13,14
Jesus’ walk was one of absolute devotion to the will and plan of his Heavenly Father, and this devotion was so wholehearted that he could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Later he prayed for his followers that they might be one with him even as he was one with the Father. (John 17:21,22) The sentiments of this prayer will be realized in our lives only as we heed and obey Paul’s instructions to walk by the “same rule,” and. to mind the “same think”
We cannot walk with God, as Jesus walked, and go separate ways. There is only one way in which to walk, and that is the way of full consecration, a dedication which is so complete that it will allow nothing to stand in the way of laying down our lives in doing our Heavenly Father’s will. And we will pursue this manner of life, inspired by the blessed hope that if we walk together now in the footsteps of our Master, we will be together with him in the glory of his kingdom.—John 17:24
By Faith
IN II Corinthians 5:7 we are reminded that our walk is by faith, and not by sight. This was also true of Jesus. It was faith in God and in his promises that gave Jesus strength and courage to continue the laying down of his life for the redemption of the world. It was the joy set before the Master, Paul informs us, that enabled him to endure the cross and to despise the shame. (Heb. 12:2) This joy was set before him through the promises made by his Heavenly Father, and by faith he laid hold upon those promises and made them his own.
Of Jesus it was prophetically written, “Thou wilt show me the path of life.” (Ps. 16:11) While Jesus walked in a way that led to death, it was at the same time “the path of life.” But it required implicit faith in the promises of God to continue walking faithfully in this path. If we are walking as Jesus walked, then we are in the same path of life.
This is a path of life that leads first to death, and then, through resurrection, to life eternal. We will have trials and afflictions as we walk in this way, even as Jesus had them. But if our faith is strong, these will seem light; and we will be encouraged to continued faithfulness by looking at the unseen things above, which will constitute for us an “eternal weight of glory.”—II Cor. 4:17,18
David speaks of walking through “the valley of the shadow of death,” but that amidst the difficulties and dangers of the way he would “fear no evil.” (Ps. 23:4) And this applies to us with equal force. Addressing Jehovah, the psalmist said, “Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort ‘ me.” How blessed is the assurance that our Heavenly Father is with us, even as he was with Jesus, to give comfort and strength in our every time of need!
How reassuring are the words of Isaiah, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”—Isa. 40:29-31
God is unlimited as to the ways in which he can give strength to his people. We think of the experiences of Jacob as he was fleeing from Esau. That night while sleeping with a stone as a pillow, God gave Jacob a vision of a ladder “set up on earth” and reaching to heaven, with “the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And … the Lord stood above it.”—Gen. 28:12,13
After assuring Jacob of his inheritance in the Abrahamic Covenant, the Lord added, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” (vs. 15) When Jacob sensed the import of this vision he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.”—vs. 16
Jacob then went on his journey, and the marginal translation reads that “he lifted up his feet.” (ch. 29:1) How realistic this is! Many of us at times have been discouraged, and somewhat fearful of the outcome of certain experiences. In such circumstances there is a loss, literally, of the buoyancy of step. But when the way is clear, and we are assured that the Lord’s overruling providences will continue to direct our ways—as they did Jacob’s—we lift up our feet with gladness and continue on in the narrow way of sacrifice, walking in the steps of our Master.
In Truth
THE Apostle John wrote to Gaius, a follower of the Master, saying, “I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (III John 3,4) To walk in the truth is to walk as Jesus walked, for he was guided in his every step by the truth of his Father’s Word.
John wrote that he had no greater joy than to learn that his “children,” the brethren, walked in truth. Surely this must also be true of our Heavenly Father. He expressed his pleasure with Jesus when he dedicated himself to himself to follow that which had been written concerning him, and he is pleased with us as we endeavor to walk in his steps, guided by the divine plan.—Matt. 3:17
The psalmist wrote, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Ps. 116:15) This refers to our sacrificial death, the death which results from paying our vows of consecration unto the Lord. The performance of our covenant faithfully until our sacrifice is wholly consumed, is a precious thing in the sight of our Heavenly Father; and we may be confident that he will be faithful to us if we are faithful to him. We read in Psalm 48:14 that “he will be our guide even unto death.”
Yes, even as it was with Jesus, our Heavenly Father will guide us in the path of life, and, when we have finished our course in death, will exalt us to glory to be in his actual presence, and in the presence of our beloved Master, whose own steps have led the way to “fullness of joy … for evermore.”—Ps. 16:11