Walking Like Christ
As many of you know, I love to hunt. One of the most important aspects of hunting is scouting and being able to read the signs left by whatever game your hunting.
For example, a footprint is extremely important. It tells you what kind of animal it is; concerning a deer, it tells you whether it’s a male or female. A footprint can tell you which direction an animal is traveling; it can tell you their normal route. A footprint is an indication of the animal’s size and maturity.
What about our footprints? What do the footprints of our lives say to those who come behind us?
The psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 85:13 “Righteousness will go before Him and make His footsteps into a way.” He is speaking of the Lord. The Lord, in His righteousness, has created a pathway for His children to follow.
Psalms 119:33 says, “Establish my footsteps in your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” Here the psalmist is asking God to guard him against sin and to set the course of his life—his walk— in the Word of God.
I posed the question in last week’s post, “How do we walk like Christ and yet leave the footprints of men?”
The following is my point: How can we be these great spiritual Christians and yet the footprints— the signs left behind as we live our lives— look more like those of men and women of the world.
Again quoting the psalmist, Psalms17:5 says, “My steps have held fast to your paths, my feet have not slipped.” This ought to be the battle cry of our lives every single day! We must guard our walk!
Every believer should consider the parameters of his or her walk. The Word of God defines the parameter of our lives and walk as being distinguished by light and darkness. In Ephesians 5:6-14, the Apostle Paul reveals for us the fruit of walking in the light as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Consistently walking in the light requires real attentiveness to the things of God.
When considering the footprints we leave as God’s children, it is not just the parameters of our walk but it’s the purity of our walk that also matters. I John 1:7 tells us, “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Walking in purity insists that we walk like Christ walked. Not only this, but also identified in this passage is the need to be honest with ourselves about where we are walking. Essential to our Christian purity are two things. The first is the blood of Jesus; this is the real cleansing agent. The second is our confession— our recognition of our sinfulness and the purity that is ours in Christ alone.
When believers leave the footprints of Christ, when we guard the parameters of our lives and the purity of our walk, we can know the peace of walking with Jesus that so many “Christians” are desperate for.
When’s the last time you looked at the footprints you’re leaving behind?
Pastor Barry
