Talk the walk or talk and talk?
".........Jesus began both to do and teach" - Acts 1:1
The present day politicians lure their voters with their manifestos which they promise to perform if they are elected to that coveted position. But most often they fail miserably because they have promised more then they can fulfill. Today's world is so much used to this phenomena that people look at promising personalities to lead them and not performing personalities.
In the midst of such, we talk of a Messiah who is daringly different. He walks first and talks later. If we are His followers, we must learn our lesson to emulate Him in this. What is the walk He talked about? Let's look in to see that this morning.
1. In His Character
If you have seen a man fully keeping the teachings taught by Jesus on the mountain mentioned in Matthew chapters 5-7, it must be Jesus Himself. His character was the reflection of beatitudes and all that He ever spoke in the above said chapters. He first lived a prayerful life and taught the precepts of prayer. He first showed how to serve and then spoke of it to others. He first loved and asked others to emulate Him.
This is exactly what is lacking in todays christians. We fail in the very things we preach or agree upon so often. A valid study showed that as many as 40% of non-Christians say that Christians are no better then them in anyways. The world talks of divorce and so do Christians, the world talks of adulterous relationships, so do Christians. The world lives in delusion and so do Christians. How are we better then them? The early church disciples of Christ were called Christians because their walk emulated the walk of their master (Acts 11:26). They indeed looked like Christ.
Now the question is, do we walk our talk in our character?
2. In His Charisma
Jesus didn't just say that He is the son of God but proved it by His acts. He healed the sick and He delivered the demon possessed. He exercised power over the nature and even on death. Both by raising the dead back to life and also raising from the dead.
Similarly, we are called to occupy His place and His position to do similar things. He has given us all that we ever need to do what He did. What's missing in us is His revelation and His understanding of the Father. Are we ready to raise the bar in this?
3. In His Covenant
Jesus is a covenant keeper Who kept His word when He died on the cross and also rose from the dead just as He said. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and that's when we can bear fruit (John 15:4). He also said He will be with us till the end of the age (Matt. 28:20b). He will surely not leave us nor forsake us. Everyone who has truly confessed Him as Lord and savior confidently vouch that He is alive even today and is with us.
Now the question for us is, are we with Him? If we are with Him, let's prove by walking our talk first.
