Author: Gary Witcher

Christian Walk: Conclusion

     Everyone chooses to follow one pathway or another.  Some pursue riches; others seek various physical pleasures.  A few follow religious motivations.
     But, even among these, there is a vast variety.  These hold on to tradition.  Those allow their emotions to guide them.  What difference does it make, anyway?  Why should we care how we walk?
     "Therefore be careful how you walk," Ephesians 5:15-16 cautions, "not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."
     It may not make any difference to most people how they walk, as long as they are headed in one direction or another.  But it does matter to God.  He advises that we be wise when we select the pathway we will follow.  And God has a particular kind of wisdom in mind.
     James 3:13-15 talks of earthly wisdom, seeped in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.  This wisdom is labeled as "earthly, natural and demonic."  A good way to remember these three descriptive words is by taking the first letter of each word.  "Earthly, natural and demonic" mean "E-N-D."  That spells "END."  That's where this so-called wisdom takes those who follow it.  These people are described in this passage as arrogant ones who lie against the truth.
     "But the wisdom from above is first pure," verse 17 presents, "then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."
     Returning to our original question, then: Why should we follow the single, narrow pathway outlined in the Bible?  We should follow it because it is the wise thing to do, if we accept God's definition of wisdom.
     In addition, we should seek this pathway in order to provide the right kind of example to others.  Just as we are following those who are ahead, so there are also others behind who are following us.
     "Walk with wisdom toward outsiders," Colossians 4:5 advises, "making the most of the opportunity."
     "Let your speech always be with grace," the next verse adds, "seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person."
     Why should we follow the single, narrow pathway outlined in the Bible?  We should follow it to be good examples for those behind us.
     We should also choose the correct pathway in order to prove ourselves worthy of the calling with which we have been called.  According to 2 Thessalonians 2:14, we are called through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In other words, we are called by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  1 Corinthians 15:1-4 makes this association.
     Does this mean that our calling is very general, or does it mean that this calling is very limited?  Most would reply that the gospel is very vague and general.  But what does the Bible say?
     "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord," Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1-4, "entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."
     This is what we're talking about, isn't it?
     "With all humility and gentleness," Paul continues, "with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
     "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."
     Does this say, as many would have us believe, that there is one body made up of a lot of little conflicting bodies, teaching one faith made up of a lot of little conflicting faiths?  Or does it say that there is one and that we must accept that one if we are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling?
     "But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments;" Jesus reveals in Revelation 3:4, "and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy."
     Does it sound like the worthy ones are the many or the few?
     Applying this to our original question, then, we want to follow the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible because we want to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

     We want to follow the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible because we want to walk wisely, we want to walk as good examples, and we want to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
     Turning to 2 John verse 4, we discover another reason for choosing this pathway.
     "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth," John expresses in this passage, "just as we have received commandment to do from the Father."
     "For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth," John repeats in verses 3-4 of his third epistle, "that is, how you are walking in truth.  I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth."
     We want to walk the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible because it is the only pathway paved with the truth.
     In Revelation 16:15 we find another motive for making this choice.
     "Behold, I am coming like a thief," Jesus promises.  "Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame."
     We want to walk the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible because we want to be ready and watchful.  We certainly don't want to be found naked and unprepared.  How can we clothe ourselves?
     "For all of you who were baptized into Christ," Galatians 3:27 answers, "have clothed yourselves in Christ."
     This leads us to Romans 6:4, where we find one, final reason to choose the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible.
     "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death," this verse explains, "in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
     We want to follow the narrow pathway outlined in the Bible because we want to walk wisely, as good examples, worthy of our calling, in truth.  We want to be ready and watchful.  But, most importantly, we want to follow this pathway because it is the only one that allows us to walk in newness of life.
     "For I am not ashamed of the gospel," Paul boasts in Romans 1:16, "for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."  Other passages such as Romans 10:17 and 1 Corinthians 1:21 stress the importance of hearing the gospel as the first stepping stone on the Christian pathway.  How did your walk begin?  Don't assume.  Your soul is much too valuable.  Did you hear the gospel?  Or did you follow some tradition?  Check it out.
     "For indeed we have had good news preached to us," Hebrews 4:2 points out, "just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard."
     If hearing the gospel is the first step, then faith must follow closely behind.
     When the Jews asked the apostles on the day of Pentecost what they needed to do in order to get on the right pathway, Peter replied in Acts 2:38 that one of the things they had to do was repent.  The third step along the Christian pathway is repentance.
     Romans 10:9-10 is one of the passages that reveals the next step: confession of Jesus as the Son of God.
     We have already seen what Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6:4 have to say about baptism.  Perhaps we should add a host of other Scriptures such as Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Colossians 2:12 and 1 Peter 3:21.  The point is, baptism is an essential step along the Christian pathway.  It is a step that FOLLOWS the ones we have just discussed.              And, if we accept what we read in Romans 6:4, the Christian walk does not really being until we are raised up out of the waters of baptism.
     There is one more thing that should be stressed as we complete our discussion of the Christian walk.  Please take the time to read Matthew 7:13-14 and answer this question for yourselves: "Is the Christian pathway wide or narrow?"
     Does it matter?  Is it worth it?  Should we make the sacrifice to follow the pathway outlined in the Bible?  If we want to walk wisely, as good examples, worthy of the calling and in the truth, the answer must be, "Yes!"  If we want to walk in a ready, watchful manner, the answer must be, "Yes!"  If we want to walk in newness of life, the answer must be, "Yes!"  If we don't care, then the answer is, "No."
     But remember, all other pathways lead to slavery and ultimately to destruction.
     Only the truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."