The Way of Life
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Key Verse: “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Selected Scripture: |
EACH ONE WHO PROFESSES to be a Christian speaks and acts in the name of the Lord Jesus. We should, therefore, endeavor to keep this fact continually before our minds, to the intent that our actions and words may properly represent our Lord and honor the name which he has permitted us to bear.
The Apostle Paul tells us we are “ambassadors for Christ,” “who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [Covenant].” (II Cor. 3:6; 5:20) If it is an honorable matter for an ambassador to represent one great nation of earth, how much more honorable it is for one to represent the heavenly kingdom and its King of kings. Keeping this thought in mind will be of great assistance in the development of the new nature; and in aiding the transforming power of battling the besetting tendencies of the old nature!
“Our citizenship is in heaven,” says the Apostle. (Phil. 3:20, New International Version) “They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world,” says our Master, Jesus. (John 17:16) While we are still living in this world among aliens and strangers we are not of it. We have transferred our allegiance and citizenship to the heavenly kingdom, set free through the merit of him who loved us and bought us with his precious blood. (I Pet. 1:18,19) Let us keep in mind the apostle’s words, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”—Col. 3:17
Another scriptural figure represents us as the members (of the body) of Christ (I Cor. 12:27), under our Lord as our Head, “because in this world we are like him.” (I John 4:17, NIV) When Jesus was here in the flesh he suffered the just for the unjust, that he might bring men to God. When the prophets spoke beforehand of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (I Pet. 1:11), those sufferings included not only those of Christ, the Head, but also the ones to be endured by the members of his body. We should marvel not … if the world hate us for we know that the world hated him before it hated us.—John 15:18; I John 3:13
Those with a hearing ear and enjoying the Lord’s great plan are called to be joint-heirs with him in his kingdom. The faithful are to be changed from a human to a spirit nature in a resurrection like that of our great Head, and to a new way of life. All these are called upon to demonstrate their loyalty by walking in the Master’s footsteps. Our Lord does not expect absolute perfection from us, but he does expect us to do all in our power to glorify him in our bodies and our spirits which are his.
We are, as God’s chosen people, to “clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”—Col. 3:12-14, NIV
Deuteronomy 6:4,5, expresses the righteous way of life a Christian is expected to follow. It reads: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”