Living as Jesus lived

Over my long life my main leisure activity has been climbing mountain peaks. I have a vivid memory of the climb in the Cuillin mountains on the Isle of Skye. We started our walk in brilliant sunshine and, as we approached the peak, we were encompassed in a thick mist. As we began to make our way down, we were confident that we would get down safely, as we had a map and compass. We were able to lead a group of young people, who were totally unequipped for such a hard slog.

In Scripture, the Christian life is likened to a walk, not a slow uninterrupted meander, because sometimes it can seem like a long, hard slog, with unexpected changes on the way. Left to our own devices, we are not equipped to overcome some of the difficulties we may face. But God has equipped us with His map (the Scriptures), and with His compass (the Holy Spirit), to enable us to stay on His path until the end.

Our text for today is very direct. If we claim to live in Jesus (through repentance and forgiveness at the cross), we must walk as Jesus did. This is not simply a belief, but a life surrendered to Him in service and caring for others, even when there is nothing in it for us. So then, what does walking as Jesus walked look like in our daily lives?

Firstly, we will walk in obedience – uncompromising obedience that is born out of a relationship of trust. Jesus said, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him’ (John 14:23). Jesus seems to be saying that, if we really want His presence and the knowledge of His Father in our lives as reality, we must choose to obey Him. Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband, Jim, was murdered by the Auca Indians in Ecuador, said, “Obedience is my responsibility. The consequences are God’s”.

Secondly, as children of God, we will walk in the light, because ‘God is light and in him there is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5). Light exposes things that are hidden, and when we walk in the light of God’s word, which is illuminated by the Holy Spirit, we will see areas where we need on-going change to enable us to walk as Jesus did, in areas such as unreality, unforgiveness, disassociation, resentment, shame, guilt, or false guilt. There is great joy in walking in the light, and we don’t walk alone.  ‘If we walk in the light, as He is in the light. We have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, purifies us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7).

Thirdly, we need to walk in the truth. God’s truth can never be changed or compromised. Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32). To walk in the truth requires an active desire to know the truth revealed in Scripture, and to obey it. Walking in truth leads to spiritual discernment, so that when things are not right, we sense it. John wrote the Epistle, from which our text for today is taken, because false teachers had made a way into the Church with teaching that was heretical. It’s a solemn warning for us today in a culture which says, “If it’s right for you, do it.”

Finally, we are called to walk in love. The call is to walk in the love that comes from the heart of God. ‘This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us’ (1 John 3:16). We are called to love as Jesus loved. To love like that, we need a heart knowledge of the cross. This is not a theory. It’s an experience of love imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus reached out to the despised, impoverished, needy, broken, and wounded. He met their human needs with tenderness and compassion.

God knows our hearts. He knows how far we fall short of the mark. But He knows our desire to live a Jesus life and, by His Spirit, He will enable us.