Walk In Love

The Bible calls us to “walk in love” by following the example of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 5:2).  Walking in love is not about doing what feels good to me, but about doing what is best for the other person. In the face of danger, loving action may even seem harsh in the moment, such as when I remind my children to look both ways at intersections to avoid getting hit by a car while riding their bikes. 

Many would like us to believe that the only way to love an individual is to allow them to do whatever makes them happy for the moment, but God would have us understand that there are actions that are “unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11).  There are actions that feel good for the moment (like riding a bicycle at high speed through an intersection), but in the end they lead to only to pain and destruction (like being hit by a car).  The Bible calls these destructive actions “sin” because they violate God’s holy law for how we as people were designed to live. Therefore, we find true love, life, and fulfillment by “finding out what is acceptable to God” (Ephesians 5:10) and avoid the things that are unacceptable to God.  This passage in Ephesians lists some actions that are unacceptable to God, such as, fornication (i.e. all sexual sin outside the bounds of Holy Matrimony between a man and woman), covetousness (greed for money and possessions), and mouths that cannot be controlled.

But wait! Isn’t listing sins judgmental and unloving?!  Certainly it is if we put ourselves in the position of the Judge – God himself. There is, however, a solemn responsible for us to loving warn others about the consequences of their self-destruction actions. We are not the judges, but God is the judge, and he will both judge and punish sin (Ephesians 5:6).

Part of loving others must include warning them of sin and its painful consequences.  Loving others means showing the way of safety and salvation. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the only remedy for sin and he is the only one who can reconcile us with God and bring us into eternal life, joy, and peace.

So yes, as people who believe in the Bible, we will continue “walk in love” warning people of sin and sharing the wonderful good news about the Lord Jesus.

What Did Jesus Do? (How do we respond to bullies?)

Recently in a discussion regarding bullying the question was asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, it is good to know what Jesus would do in response to various things in life we face, but in this situation we don’t have to ask the question WWJD, but rather WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?).  Jesus gave us a pattern to follow when it comes to responding to those who do us wrong.

 It was prophesied over 400 years ahead of time.

Isaiah 53:5–7 (NKJV) ⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Then it was confirmed by eye witness account under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:21–24 (NKJV) ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

If we answer the question, “How does God want us to respond?”  Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:8–12 (NKJV) ⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This is pretty amazing considering this is the guy Jesus had to tell to put away his sword.  (cf. Mt. 26:52)  His life and outlook had totally changed once he saw the risen Christ and was indwelled by the Holy Spirit!