How Do You Walk?

Galatians 5:22 (KJV) Says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," I John 4:7-8 (KJV) Says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." John 13:35 (KJV) Says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

The above verse of scripture taken from Galatians lists the fruits that we as Christians should be filled with in the Spirit. The passage taken from I John tells us that we are to love one another, that love is of God, and that God is love. Finally, the last verse listed above taken from John tells us that people will be able to identify us as disciples of Jesus Christ through our love for one another.

To be a Christian means to be Christ-like by definition. When Jesus came to earth as a man he demonstrated for us what living an obedient Christian life looks like. He demonstrated it through the fruit of the Spirit, and through His tremendous love for all people.

During the time that Jesus spent on earth there were those believers who were so hung up on the law that they failed to remember the importance of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. They were so hung up on the law that they failed to demonstrate love, compassion and understanding toward their fellow man. The moment they came across someone guilty of a sin they were ready to stone them to death without hesitation, if that's what the law said to do, yet Jesus did not respond in the same way when He was face to face with a sinner. As a matter of fact, he handled sinners that came before Him in a manner that forced those who looked on in judgment to take a good look at themselves and the sins they had committed.  A great example of this is found in John 8:7 (KJV) when a crowd of people are ready to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery and Jesus tells them that the person among them without sin should cast the first stone. The crowd disperses as they are well aware each one of them has sinned. Jesus is left alone with the woman and He merely says to her that her sins are forgiven her and to go and sin no more.

Notice Jesus put the crowd in their place for being so eager to stone this woman, when they themselves were also sinners, and that He did it in a calm manner with few words.  Notice that Jesus did not deem it necessary to belittle the woman, scream at her, or lecture her for several hours, but rather knowing she was not proud of her sin He showed her forgiveness,  love and compassion something she did not receive from the crowd so eager to stone her. Jesus walked in love. He didn't go around yelling and screaming at people to change their ways or they'd go to Hell.  He didn't shout out judgmental statements, and go about condemning people. He didn't gossip with his disciples about people He met along the way, and He didn't go about demonstrating hate for any group of people. God is love and he loves all people no matter their sins.

Friends how do you walk? Do you walk in the fruit of the Spirit demonstrating love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith? Do you love everyone as God instructs us to do? Do you witness to others with kindness and compassion as you attempt to lead lost souls to the Lord? Do you treat people in a way that causes them to desire what you have in Christ? As you go out into the world each day I urge you to remember the example Jesus set for us, and to follow it. I urge you to walk in love toward others so that by this people will  recognize and Identify  you as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In short, love God, and love others remembering always that God is love.

If you have a prayer request and would like  me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.