Walk the Talk

Ephesians 1:2-8 “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”

You've probably heard the expression: “Words are cheap”, because “the proof is in the pudding”. People will not take you on “face value”, but will wait and see if your words really are true by your actions. Do you put into “practice what you preach”? Do you “walk the talk”?  This new home Bible Study series has us taking a long, hard look at what we do and why, as Christians, we do them. And it starts with the standard by which we measure our walk, the Word of God. The Bible is not only Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, but God’s communication to mankind in co-union through His holy Scriptures, which we can delight and rejoice in as community. Note that the words communication and community have the word commune within it; to confer together, engaged in intimate conversation of common interest. A Spirit-filled, fruitful life.

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

God’s Word (breathed out for us) is profitable (yielding gain and advantage) for doctrine (the basis and principles for knowledge and tenet beliefs held & taught), for reproof (compassionate rebuke without bitterness), for correction (replaces wrong with love and resets right), for instruction (information imparted through teaching for knowledge as training and direction) in righteousness (to be just and equitable, blameless and upright, ruled by that which is right in the eyes of God, our Almighty Maker and heavenly Father). The Bible is the very Word of God and was given to us so we might know truth and faithfully live by it.

We must remember that as His children – those who believe on Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior, that our redemption is a release from the bondage of sin and death accomplished upon the payment of a ransom. By grace you have been saved, through faith. The ransom amount that released Christians from their sin was the blood of Jesus Christ. So often our behavior is dictated by the image, the perception we have of ourselves. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”. What we believe about ourselves determines the way we “walk”. It’s important to not just revere Christ as Lord in our hearts, truly know who we are in the Lord and to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but also to walk the talk in godly living.

In Christ, Brian