EPHESIANS 5:1-2 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

THEME OF THE DAY. HOW’S YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD? A worthwhile Bible study is to take the word “walk” and trace it through the New Testament. Pay attention how many times it appears in a spiritual context of describing the Christian life. As it appears, notice the application by the author. By the way, the word appears 31 times in relation to the Christian life in nine of the New Testament epistles. It is used extensively by the Apostles Paul and John. And we often use the word in our conversations with other Christians. I have been asked by caring brothers, “Jim, how is your walk with the Lord?”. In my desire to be faithful to encourage other believers, I have asked, “How are you doing in walking with the Lord?” By the way, we need to do this more and more with fellow believers. It is an act of both obedience and love. We are to care so much about one another that we help each other in our walks with the Lord. Some of that help is challenging one another with the love of mutual accountability. So, with that in mind, allow me to ask, “How is your walk with the Lord? Is it a walk described and commanded in today’s scripture? A walk of love?” Let’s consider two points of application so that we may answer, “Yes, praise the Lord, He is teaching and helping me to walk in love toward all people.”

First, a walk in love, as Christ loves is to see all people as image-bearers of God. We may tell if we are demonstrating this aspect of walking in love by our speech toward people. James writes, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:7-10). Friends, how we speak tells a lot about where we are spiritually. Yes, sin has marred the image of God in all of us. Yes, people are selfish, unkind, and say hurtful things to us, but a walk in love will not respond in kind. When tempted to “retaliate” with graceless words, or lash out impulsively with anger or irritable words, pause and remember the person who is about to receive our words bears the image of God. It will help us maintain a walk of love.

Another characteristic in a walk of love is to be mindful of who we are – ambassadors or representations of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). What is important here is the word “therefore”. Please take time and read what the “therefore” is there for . . . it takes us back to verses 11 through 19 and the context is the Christian being a new creature under the control of Christ’s love. The walk of love we are called to is not only a personal walk with Christ, but one of Christ walking in us which means we are constantly representing Him before our families, churches, and communities. The Puritan pastor Thomas Brooks said, “A Christian’s life should be nothing but a visible representation of Christ.”

So, how is your walk with the Lord? How is mine? May all of us strive to be able to say, “I am learning to walk with Christ in a walk of love for all people.”

PRAYER: “Father, help me to walk as You do in a walk of love for all people.”

QUOTE: “To walk in love is to walk as Christ walked upon the earth.”