Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: December 25, 2005
PLEASING GOD -- # 2
Ben Justice
[CONTINUATION OF LAST WEEK’S ARTICLE.]
4.) We are to walk in love. Eph. 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.” Notice the motivation for “walking in love.” Christ loved
us and gave himself for us as a sacrifice to God. Note as well that love acts; it is
not some gooey feeling. When we are walking in love, we will be careful what we
say and how we say it and how we treat one another and our fellow man. How
did Christ love us? He sacrificed his life for us. Christ did this willingly and
voluntarily. This is the kind of love that God expects of his children. Jesus said
in John 14:15, “If we love men, keep my commandments.” When we walk in love, we
are therefore pleasing God (Col. 1:10).
5.) We are to walk circumspectly. Eph. 5:15 states, “See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,” The word “circumspectly” literally means,
“exactly, accurately, diligently.” In commenting on this verse, Thayer says, “to
live carefully, circumspectly, deviating in no respect from the law of duty, Eph. 5:
15” (# 199, Pg. 24). Remember, the word “walk” is the order of one’s behavior,
one’s conduct. The sense is this: “Be constantly taking heed how accurately you
are conducting yourselves.” We must walk circumspectly (accurately). When we
do, we are pleasing God (Col. 1:10).
6.) We are to walk in the light. I John 1:7 declares, “But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” “Walking in the light” is synonymous
with “walking by faith” (2 Cor. 5:7), “walking in truth” (2 John 4; 3 John 4), and
“walking after his commandments” (2 John 6). The wonderful result of “walking
in the light” is fellowship with God and the blood of Jesus continually cleansing
us from all sin. When we walk in the light, we are pleasing God (Col. 1:10).
7.) We are to walk as Christ walked. I John 2:6 says, “He that saith he abideth in
him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” The antecedent of the
second “he” is Jesus Christ the righteous (v. 1). The word “abideth” is
reminiscent of John 15:1-8, where Jesus used the words “abide” or “abideth” 7
times. The apostle John, here in I John 2:6, was speaking to Christians, who
claimed to be “abiding” in Christ. However, according to Jesus in John 15, to
abide in Christ is to bear fruit. I John 2:6 calls it walking as Christ walked. So,
when we walk as Christ walked, bearing fruit, we are therefore pleasing God (Col.
1:10).
8.) We are to walk after God’s commandments. 2 John 6 states, “And this is
love, that we walk after his commandments . . .” Walking after God’s
commandments is the same thing as keeping God’s commandments. I John 5:3
tells us, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his
commandments are not grievous.” The Christian life is characterized as one of
obedience. When we walk after God’s commandments, what are we doing?
Again, according to Col. 1:10, we are pleasing God.
9.) We are to walk honestly. Rom 13:13 declares, “Let us walk honestly, as in the
day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife
and envying.” The word “honestly” is “becomingly” in the ASV — “Let us walk
becomingly.” A footnote in the KJV says, “decently.” The Greek word that is
actually used in this passage is translated “decently” in I Cor. 14:40 — “Let all
things be done decently and in order.” I Thess. 4:12 is parallel to Rom. 13:13,
where Paul said to the Thessalonians, “That ye may walk honestly toward them
that are without, . . .” Paul was obviously speaking about our manner of life.
“Toward them that are without” refers to non-Christians. In Rom. 13:13, Paul
states the positive and then states the negative. The positive is: “Walk honestly
(or becomingly or decently). The negative is:
1.) We are not to walk in rioting (lit. reveling or drunkenness or half-drunken).
2.) We are not to walk in drunkenness.
3.) We are not to walk in chambering (lit. sexual immorality and fornication).
4.) We are not walk in wantonness (lit. licentiousness or sensuality).
5.) We are not to walk in strife.
6.) We are not to walk in envying (lit. jealously).
Walking honestly (or decently) is put in contrast to all of these sins that we are
not to walk in. In the very next verse, Paul stated, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” When we
connect Rom. 13:13 with Col. 1:10, we learn that when we walk honestly, we are
therefore pleasing God.
Here is the crucial point: PLEASING GOD IS CONTINGENT UPON HOW WE
WALK. Col. 1:10 says that we are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
and so, may we ever strive to walk as God would have us walk so as to please
him. [Note: A good exercise to do is to look up the word “walk” in a
concordance and study its usage.]
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL OR SO YOU USED TO BE
Judge Roy Moore
The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore* from Alabama. Judge Moore
was sued by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) for displaying the Ten
Commandments in his courtroom foyer. Judge Moore was stripped of his
judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama.
The following poem sums up America’s direction quite well.
America the Beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride;
I’m glad they’ll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine,
Choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said to abstain.
From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God’s love
and a need to always pray.
We’ve kept God in our temples,
how callous we have grown,
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.
We’ve voted in government
that’s rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges
who throw reason out the door,
Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.
You think that God’s not angry,
that our land’s a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven
and forgive us of our sins,
He’ll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful,
if you don’t — then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdrew His hand from Thee.
* Although we don’t agree with Judge Moore’s theology and doctrine, this poem
speaks the truth. I encourage you to read it a few times, slowly.