Articles
Walking Like Our Father
Children desire to be adults because they equate adulthood with having more freedom and authority. Whether good or bad, a child will try to emulate an adult’s behavior because they will see that as necessary to being an adult. This is similar to when lion cubs are watching and learning how their mother hunts prey. The lion cub won’t have the objective reasoning to tell how truly good or bad the mother is at hunting. Therefore, the cub will use her knowledge because of her authority. As children of God, are we imitating the behavior of worldly authorities, or the source of spiritual truth?
In His sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus tells the crowds gathered around Him about the behaviors that God sees as righteous. Jesus tells the crowd about remaining unhypocritical, how they should be praying, and not being anxious for the future, to name a few (Matt. 5:21-6:4, Matthew 6:5-14, Matt. 6:25-34). Jesus’ sermon on the mount focuses on how people can grow in their relationship with God, with the emphasis being placed on how they act on behalf of their faith. One thing about children is that they are always watching their parents and are even picking up the subtlest of details. Much in the same way, God’s people are always being watched by the spiritually young. In Matthew 7:17-20, Jesus talks about how people recognize good or diseased trees by the fruit that they produce. If the fruit is our actions, then this would mean that others will be able to tell if we are truly walking in a relationship with God based on our them.
In Matthew 5:13 (ESV) Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” If we as children of God lost the Godly essence behind our actions, then how are we supposed to be able to guide others toward spiritual understanding in Jesus Christ? The only way to obtain our true lights is by turning to God, seeking His truth, and letting it transform our understanding. The apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:21-23 reveals that being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ will cause our faith and hope to be in God. It is by the power of Jesus’ divine blood that we are spiritually born again under God’s grace through our actionable faith. The apostle Paul expands on this idea in Ephesians 2:9-10 (ESV) by saying,” not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” During the final judgement, will the Lord see that we lived our lives as true children of His? (Matt7:21-23)
