Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
It is to our Father’s glory that we bear much fruit in keeping with repentance. God has a plan for each life which brings Him much glory and us much good. It is for our own sakes that we go about this great task. We are the great losers if we do not walk in His good and pleasing and perfect will for our lives. Remember, Jesus was to be the firstborn among many brothers. He desires for us to be His hands and feet as we make our trek through this dusty earth on our way to our heavenly home.
Walking as Jesus walked cannot be accomplished in the flesh – it will fail us every time. We may be able to do it for a little while but eventually we will come crashing down. It is only through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the great task of walking like the Master. Indeed, we are called to deny self and take up our cross and follow in His footsteps, through His power and for His glory. Jesus poured out His life like a drink offering and He calls us to follow suit. While it sounds hard – and often is – to die to self, it is only in living for Jesus that we can take hold of the life that is truly life. All other else is blah at best and never fully satisfying as it always carries with it “a continual lust for more”. We would do well to remember that He will be no man’s debtor either. We will never outgive Him. This life is the great adventure.
When we walk with Jesus in “His footsteps” through His power we are most known as children of the King. It is only when we choose to veer off this path, as Peter did, and walk from a distance – as some of us tend to do – we will soon discover ourselves both unsafe and uneasy. This takes both prayer and valor – decision and devotion as we hold up the promise and oath before Him in prayer - He never denies His own declarations for all to be well with our souls. When those who profess Christ hypocritically, entering the fold with pretenses as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it worries the flock of Christ more than a lion will on the outside.
If we love the Savior and He is precious and dear to us and we are longing that souls be won to Him as we are, then imitate Jesus. Be a letter from Christ known and read by all in our spheres of influence. We are to let others see Jesus in us.
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 (NIV)