Walking The Walk

Intro: One of the hardest things to do as a committed follower of Jesus is to live in this world but not living like the world. Depending on the age in which you became a Christian a large part of our lives was living and doing what the world had to offer.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV

Paul writes in 2 Cor 5:17 that if we are committed our lives to Jesus, we have become a “new creation.” It is important to realize that there are things in and of this world as a believer in Christ that we should not participate in. Those lines between the “do” and the ‘don’ts” sometimes are not very clear or non-existent.

There or some very clear commandments in the Word of God which are covered by the statement “thou shall not.’ The obvious examples are the Ten Commandments or in the New Testament where Jesus is being tested by the devil and said, “Matt 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" NKJV.

The walk of believer in this world should be guided by God and His Word. The Psalmist wrote that the about the Word of God is a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path, (Pas 119:105), But there are life situations in our world which seemingly are not covered by a specific commandment, or are they?

Today we are going to look at what the Word of God has to say about “worldly living.”

ILLUS: Listen to this great quote my Andrew Murray: “Never forget for a moment that it is sin that has led to the great transaction between you and Christ Jesus; and that each day in your fellowship with God, His one aim is to deliver and keep you fully from its power, and lift you up into His likeness and His infinite love.” (Closer Walk Devotional, Walk Thru the Bible)

Sermon Text: 1 Peter 2:9-12 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. NKJV

1st Chosen Generation-1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Whether you’re a Christian or not we all have three aspects of Living. There is our personal private life, our public life, and our eternal life. Many people believe that how they live their personal life is no business of anyone else. While that is what we would like to believe the reality is that what a person believes or how they live in their personal life has no effect on the two parts of their life.

Jesus said in Matt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. NKJV It is not the rest of the world’s business what you think or do in your private life, but our private life has a way of influences our public and eternal. Peter describes us as a holy people so what does it mean to be holy?

The Greek word use for “holy” is defined to mean physically, pure, morally blameless, or religious, ceremonially, consecrated. As a committed believer in Jesus Christ our lives whether private or public is to be an example to the world.

Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, NKJV

1 Peter 1:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." NKJV

Rev 22:11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." NKJV

When we are faced with a particular situation it should be our desire to please our Heavenly Father with the choice of “holiness” rather than living in worldliness.