Today God’s people are called “Christians.” It is obviously a name
given by God: “And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings
thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the
LORD shall name” (Isaiah 62:2). That name came soon after the beginning
of the kingdom of Christ, “…the disciples were called Christians first
in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). We are often found explaining that the name (or
term)
“Christian” means “Christ-like.” To wear the name is to tell the
world that we chose to live like Christ. Truly, being a Christian is to
chose a particular life style. Our life is before us. We have only one
life to live; therefore, our question is “How to Live?” Live By The Word
Of God: Moses said: “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers
know; that he might make thee
know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Many men think they have their own answers: “There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs
14:12). If we are to live like Christ wemust know how He lived. This we
find from the scripture: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye
have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
The word of God “thoroughly furnishes us to every good work” (2 Timothy
3:16). Live By Faith: Paul said: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Our fully developed faith is of absolute
necessity if we learn to live
Godly. This is one reason God warns us about growing up from babies
in Christ to mature Christians. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles
of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk,
and not of strong meat. {13} For every one that useth milk is unskilful
in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. {14} But strong meat belongeth
to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).
In Revelation 2:10 Jesus admonishes us, “Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life.”Live Up To God’s Expectations:
We cannot deny that we are saved by
God’s grace, but God intends that our life change to suit His will:
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
{12} Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12).
Paul tells us how God expects for us to make these changes: “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. {2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable,
and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1- 2). The good, acceptable,
and perfect will of God is that we be transformed (changed) by renewing
our mind. This renewal is through application of God’s word: “Study to
show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth”
(2 Timothy 2:15). Live In Fear Of God: This is an area where today’s
society fails miserably. No one wants to hear, “Fear God!” All most want
to hear today is “God is love.” Truly God is the most loving nature there
is: “…God is love” (1 John 4:8). However, God demandsproper respect and
awe. After all He is GOD! People don’t usually obey what they don’t respect.
God is a FEARFUL being, and “It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). God has said: “Specially
the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD
said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear
my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live
upon the earth, and that they may teach their children” (Deuteronomy 4:10).
The inspired apostle Peter wrote: “And if ye call on the Father, who without
respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time
of your sojourning here in fear”
(1 Peter 1:17). Generally, if one has proper fear (respect, awe)
of God, that person will strive to live as God has directed. It is a choice
each person has to make.
—John D. Cotham
Shady Valley, TN