WALK AS CHRIST WALKED

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

TOPIC: WALK AS CHRIST WALKED

BY T. O. BANSO

“He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6 New King James Version).

To walk as Christ walked means to live as He lived. This should be the goal of every Christian. Nobody can become Christ but we can live as He lived if we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour and abide in Him. No one can live as He lived outside of Him. Nobody can live as He lived in his own strength.

Jesus says in John 15:4-6, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (New King James Version).

To abide in Him means to dwell in Him, continue to live in Him, remain in Him, remain united to Him, stay joined to Him, or live in Him. Whoever does not abide in Him cannot live or walk as He walked. He cannot develop His attributes. He cannot cultivate His values. He cannot share His life. “Whoever says that he lives in God must live as Jesus lived” (1 John 2:6 New Century Version). The New King James Version says it this way: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (New King James Version).

You could be born again but are you abiding in Jesus? If you’re not abiding in Him, He cannot abide in you, and, therefore, you cannot live as He lived, for, without Him, you cannot do it. Without Him, you can do nothing. 1 John 2:28– says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (New King James Version).

Are you abiding in Jesus and are His words abiding in you (John 15:7a). The psalmist says he has hidden the word of God in his heart that he might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). If the words of God are abiding in you, they will shape your life and influence your behaviour positively. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8 New King James Version).

You could say you are born again but are you abiding or living in Christ? 1 John 3:6 says, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation presents it thus: “So if we continue to live in him, we won’t sin either. But those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is.”

From this scripture, we can see that anyone could claim to be abiding in Christ but the proof of abiding in Him is not sinning. Similarly, anyone can claim to have seen Him or claims to know Him but the proof is if He does not continue to sin. The Bible says Jesus knew no sin but He was made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20). Therefore, anyone who claims to know God but is living contrary to how Christ lived does not know God. He is not abiding in Christ.

I John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (New King James Version). Anyone can claim to have fellowship with God but if he is walking in darkness, this scripture says such a person is lying and is not practising the truth. This means there could be so many liars today. “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4 New King James Version). Did you see the word “liars”?

Are you walking in the light or darkness? To walk in the light is to walk as Christ walked. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7 New King James Version).

Walk as Christ walked. Imitate Him both in words and deed. He says in Matthew 11:29a to take His yoke upon you and learn from Him. His teachings that you have heard and read should shape your life to follow in His footsteps so that when people come in contact with you, they will know that you have been with Christ as the Sanhedrin said in awe about Peter and John when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men (Acts 4:13).

Walk as Christ walked. Imitate Him. Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him, just as he also imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He told the Colossians, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7 New King James Version). Did you see the phrase “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him”? Are you walking in Christ as you have received Him?

Jesus has given us His life as an example to follow. He has also given us His teachings to guide our lives. Are you walking as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord? Jesus told His disciples, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15 New King James Version). That was after He had washed their feet and told them they also ought to wash one another’s feet. He was teaching them about humility and service. According to Jesus, if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35). 

Walk in humility as Christ did. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (New King James Version).  

Do you have the mind of Christ? (1 Corinthians 2:16b). Is your mind being renewed? As Paul says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

Walk in humility as Christ did. He says whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14b). Peter says all Christians should be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5b). James, also quoting Proverbs 3:34 as Peter did, says God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Proud people find it difficult to serve others and Jesus, by His example of washing the feet of His disciples, taught them to serve one another.   Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary says foot-washing was generally performed by the lowliest servant in the household in Palestine.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Follow the humility of Christ. When pride comes, then comes shame but with the humble is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). Also, Proverbs 18:12 says before destruction, the heart of a man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

Walk as Christ walked. Follow His example and His teachings. This includes patiently enduring if you suffer for doing good as Jesus has left us an example, that we should follow His steps (1 Peter 2:21). Also, follow His example in loving others. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).

Walk as Jesus walked in doing the will of His Father. He didn’t do His own will (John 6:38; Luke 22:42). He said,  “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30 New King James Version). His food was to do the will of Him who sent Him and finish His work (John 4:34). He finished His work and said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Walk as Christ walked. Walk in His footsteps.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: I receive the grace to abide in Christ and walk as He walked. I will not be like a branch that is cast out and it withers because it does not abide in the vine. I will abide in Christ the Vine and bear fruits in Jesus’ name. Holy Spirit, help all children of God who profess to have fellowship with Him not to walk in darkness but in the light. We shall not live a lie but practise the truth in Jesus’ name.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org