The Christian life is a walk with Christ that is consistent with God’s calling of us. It’s a walk of holiness, love, in the light of truth, and wisdom.
I. The pervasiveness of this metaphor of “walking” in the OT & NT.
II. The implications of the Christian life being a “walk with Christ.”
- It’s a long slow journey, not a sprint.
- It has a definite direction (Prov 4:26-27) and a clear destination (Prov 7:21-23, 26-27; 10:17; 19:23).
- It’s a personal relationship with the Lord, not merely a set of ideas, propositions, or rules (Gen 5:24; 6:9; Deut 10:12-15; Prov 3:5-6; Gal 5:16, 25).
III. Our “walk” in Ephesians (2:2,10; 4:1,17; 5:2,8,15).
| OUR FORMER WALK – OUR OLD WAY OF LIFE | OUR NEW WALK IN CHRIST | |
| Rooted in: | 4:18 | 1:3-14
2:4-6 |
| Modeled after: | 2:2 | 5:1-2 |
| Fruit:
|
2:3
4:17-19; 5:3-12 |
2:10 2:11-22; 4:1-16
4:20-5:14 5:15-6:9 |
| Final destiny: | 2:3; 5:5-7 | 1:11-14
2:7 |
Applications:
- Do you think of your Christian life as an a la carte “pick & choose” deal . . . or as a 24/7 “walking with Jesus”?
- Are there inconsistencies in your walk with Christ at the present time?
- What might walking more consistently with Jesus cost you . . . and what will it gain you?