Articles
The Life and Walk of a Christian - Christian Life
THE LIFE AND WALK
OF A CHRISTIAN
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16)
I. C L - A Surrendered Life
II. C L - A Surrounded Life
III. C L - A Serving Life
IV. C L - A Spiritual Life
V. C L - A Shining Life
Introduction
A. Many accept the concept of the Christian life without knowing its true meaning.
1. To some: being baptized means you have completed your journey.
2. To others: just having one's name on a church directory completes the Christian life.
3. To still others: being a Christian is a way to please family or influence a business.
B. But how does the Lord want us to LIVE…How does He want us to WALK?
1. Love Ones, the Christian Life is a life of action.
2. Dead people don't walk.
3. Only alive people walk!
C. In this lesson, we will look at this special kind of life.
I. The Christian life is A Surrendered Life
1. It’s a self-denying life surrendered to the Lord (Matthew 16:24).
a. We can no longer do as we please; we must do what pleases God!
b. We were servants of sin…
c. But now we are “Servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).
2. Our new life began when we became Christians.
a. We were born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5).
b. We became New Creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
c. We therefore are to walk in a new life (Rom. 6:4)
3. Before becoming Christians we walked and lived by sight.
a. Even God’s people of old walked by sight.
b. They had a physical faith - tabernacle, ark of covenant, tables of stone.
c. New Testament Christians are to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7; Rom. 10:17).
1. We live in faith that our sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ…
2. In faith that our worship of God is in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24).
4. In this special life we abide in Christ and we must walk as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).
a. But someone will ask, “Brother Matthews, how did Jesus walk?”
b. Well, for a detailed answer I would first direct you
1. to study the Sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7).
2. That sermon plainly shows how Jesus walked.
c. But for a quick answer, Jesus walked in love.
d. We therefore are to walk in love as Christ has loved us (Eph. 5:2).
e. We imitate Jesus' love!
f. His love was a sacrificial Agape or unconditional love.
5. We should walk in Jesus' steps because only His steps lead to God.
II. The Christian life is A Surrounded Life
A. Read Job 1:10.
B. God did not deny this hedge.
1. He allowed the devil to try Job, but kept the hedge to protect his life.
2. Thus, it was a hedge of protection - not ornamental.
C. The Christian life today is a surrounded life.
Example: God protected Paul in a storm and shipwreck (Acts 27:21-44).
1. God has placed a hedge of GRACE around us on all sides.
2. Ephesians 2:8 – Saved by grace through faith
3. Romans 5:20 – Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds
4. Titus 2:11-12 – God’s grace brings salvation and teaches us how to live
D. Christ and the grace of God is greater than the world.
1. 1 John 4:4 – You overcome the world because “Greater is he that is in you than…”
2. 1 John 2:1 – Jesus is our advocate with the Father even when we sin
3. Psalm 119:11 – But like David, we must hide the Word of God in our heart…
III. The Christian life is A Serving Life
A. The greatest example of a servant is our Master, Jesus.
1. Jesus came to minister and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
2. Jesus completed His job (John 17:4).
3. Paul served God (Acts 27:23).
4. We need the attitude of Saul - “Lord, what would you have me do” (Acts 9:6).
5. The Holy Spirit tells us to serve all men as we have the opportunity (Galatians 6:10).
6. Many want to be served, never to serve…
7. So they unhappily say, "Here I am - serve me."
B. Do you want to be happy as a Christian?
1. Then you must love life (1 Peter 3:10) and make your faith personal.
a. You can't give by proxy.
b. Neither can you pay others to serve for you.
2. God wants HIS children to be happy - even when sadness comes.
a. We therefore should evermore rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
b. And “Rejoice with them that do rejoice ...” (Romans 12:15).
3. Too much unhappiness is a symptom that one has heart trouble.
4. Get busy serving as a Christian and happiness will come after you.
IV. The Christian life is A Spiritual Life
A. Christians are to walk a spiritual walk, not a fleshly walk (Romans 8:1-5).
1. The flesh minds the things of the flesh - spirit, the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5).
2. We must live life in flesh, but not after it.
B. What does it mean to live life after the Spirit?
1. It means seeking the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness first (Matt. 6:33)
2. Living life after the Spirit means one is walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
3. When one is truly converted he is crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
4. The Spirit of God then dwells in you by faith (Eph. 3:17).
5. You are then able to produce fruit of the Spirit - L J P LS G G F M T (Gal. 5:22).
6. You must strive to abstain from fleshly lust (1 Peter 2:11).
7. Loved ones, we are NOT living after the Spirit if we are walking in the lust of flesh.
V. The Christian life is A Shining Life
A. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12).
1. Being a child of the King, Christians are to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).
2. Thus, we also are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
B. Darkness is of the devil.
1. Darkness hides sin, but light exposes sin.
2. Therefore we must shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).
C. Unfortunately, many Christians cover their lights.
1. Fear, prejudice, and indifference are three of the many ways
some use to cover their light.
2. God knows your every thought and act.
3. One day He will reward you for your deeds (2 Cor. 5:10).
Conclusion
A. Where are you walking?
B. Are you living a Surrendered, Surrounded, Serving, Spiritual, Shining life?
C. Only the walk of a Christian leads to eternal life with God.
D. Would you consider obedience today?
