Christian Conduct

I remind you that many times people will judge heaven, by it’s citizen. I read a story of how this couple was on a trip to London. They were on a bus going to the zoo. There trip was made unpleasant by the loud, and obnoxious behavior of a certain group of people. They noticed different people looking at this group shaking their heads, as if to say, "Yep, there are some of those American tourist." This couple was very embarrassed because they knew that those people did not really represent the American people.

Sometime I think people look at Christians, or those who call themselves Christians and think that is what it is all about. Look at those citizens of heaven and how they act.

An example from this weeks paper is that man who entered three abortion clinics and shot and killed two people. This man and some who condone what he did call themselves Christians. You all know that a oppose abortion very strongly, but I killing doctors who perform abortion, or people who work at the clinics, This is just as wrong, as abortions themselves, and both need to stop.

I can here people now, what kind of citizens are those, look at how they act.

So again I call on you as Paul did to the Philippian people, "to perform your duties as a citizen of heaven, worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May I also note a very important point, and that is that our conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ not because we want to become citizens of heaven, but because we are citizens of heaven.

So we can see Paul’s encouragement of the people, now we need to ask ourselves, and asks ourselves often, "Am I walking a walk worthy of the gospel, which I adhere to?" Now some may say, well I live a good live, I don’t steal, rob banks, or any thing like that. Well while that is all very commendable our conduct needs to go beyond that.

Listen to Paul’s word to another group of believers;

Colossians 1:10 "that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

We see three things in this verse that will make our conduct worthy of the Lord.

First our conduct must be fully pleasing to Him. In other words we need to bring glory to the Lord by our conduct. Ask yourself, Have I done anything this week that brought glory to the Lord? Did I please Him in some way this week? Was I loyal to the Lord, loyal to His commandments and teaching? If not you need to change your conduct.

We need to please God by being a worth and loyal citizen of heaven. It is funny how if there is one thing that really upsets people it a person who would betray their country. I think of that CIA agent, Aims I believe is name is. We think how could he betray his country like that. We think of these people as totally untrustworthy.

Yet in the Christian community we see disloyal citizens all the time. People who do not walk a walk worthy of the Lord.

The second thing in this verse that will shoe if we are walking a walk worthy of the Lord, is being "fruitful in good works". In other words being a Christian does not mean sitting on your hands waiting for something to happen. It means servicing the Lord. Doing good works, being fruitful for the Lord. If your are not doing good works and servicing the Lord as you should your conduct is not worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.