Belief follows in the echo of Christlikeness
Belief follows in the echo of Christlikeness Taken from a Red Rock News Article Rev. Dona Johnson | Jan 21, 2024 Paul summons the Christians in Ephesus to “be careful.” He in fact, summons them to be “very careful.” “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Eph 5:15-17). In other words, he is saying be extra careful. So what did living carefully look like for these early followers of Jesus? The word live literally means to walk. Paul is summoning Jesus’ followers to walk carefully, to be always be reminded that to follow Jesus in many ways means to live with intentionality and be deliberate in one’s devotion to God, to above all things love God and unconditionally love our neighbor. The whole of Ephesians 5, emphasizes how the re-created status of Christians should result in changed lives, lives that look different from those who do not serve God and whose deeds will bring about God’s wrath. The church is universal in the sense of being open to all, but the church still exists in a “present darkness” where evil is at work against it (Ephesians 6:12) . Paul continues with a warning to the followers of Jesus to be wise. One must make the most of each day and every opportunity, to walk carefully, in-step and cooperate with God and one another because the days hold evil. It’s dangerous being a disciple of Jesus. As we walk the road of discipleship, the road is lined with shifting allies, fierce temptations and worldly distractions that pull us away from our Christian values. It is difficult being good and doing the right thing. There is a lot of evil and darkness in our world today. It is no different than when Paul wrote his letter to the congregations in Ephesus urging them to be careful and wise. When we think of evil, we often think of the violence in others or Christian persecutions and those who gather secretly in countries where they run the risk of being harassed, imprisoned and executed for their beliefs. But there are more subtler kinds of evil that affect all Christians in the 21st century. What about materialism and affluence which a large majority of us wrestle with—are we living carefully? What about the lust for power, status and our insatiable drive to acquire an identity and sense of importance—are we wise or unwise? What about our battle with self-righteous attitudes, spiritual superiority and extreme self-involvement which today we call narcissism. What about living a life of confession without any attempt of repentance? Robert Mulholland Jr., author of “The Deeper Journey” writes, “I heard a wise teacher say, “Repentance is not being sorry for the things you have done, but being sorry you are the kind for person who does bad things. I began to realize that underneath my thin layer of religiosity, lived a perversive and deeply entrenched self-referenced being which was driven by its own agendas, its own desires, its own purposes, and no amount of superficial tinkering with the religious façade made any appreciable difference.” The world will not believe in Christ because of our sound theology, our correct creed or our well-defined dogma, although essential. The world will believe when we manifest Christ-likeness. When we walk in the way of Jesus; wise in how we form a Christian world view, careful in how we interpret the times and how we resist being influenced by secular values and beliefs. The world will know that God sent his Son not because we say it is so but when those in the world see with their own eyes Christlikeness lived out in us.Prayer: As we walk into each day, help us to walk carefully, to discern with Christlike wisdom where we place our hearts and where we place our feet. Amen.
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