Walk in the ways of love.
Today we will continue on the subject of holiness. To live a holy life is the way to show Christ that we love Him. Jesus said in John 14: 15, 21 “If you love Me, keep My commandments….” He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
When your life and mine are separated from the lust of the flesh and the pride or life, and we walk in obedience with God, then we give evidence of our love to Christ. We do things that please Him.
Walking in the beauty of holiness is also the most effective testimony of our lives. Lacking in personal holiness will discourage non-believers to believe in Christ. Our Lord Jesus told us in Matt. 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NIV)
Then let us hear the wise words of Peter:
1 Peter 3:1-2 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
The paraphrase put it this way, “the same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. (MSG)
4-6 “cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as “my dear husband.” You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, not anxious and unintimidated.”
It is clear that the wife’s holy living (same with husbands) has great impact to the unconverted husband or wife.
Today there are masses of people who are outside the church, and yet today some churches and priests and ministers become a stumbling block to the unbelievers by the way they live. I am sad about that.
But do not be discouraged because there are still people today, pastors etc. who really love the Lord and do their best to please him and win people for Christ.
Another good verse to remember, 2 Corinthians 3: 2-3, Paul said: “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (ESV)
Let us continue to walk in the ways of love, and in the beauty of holiness-so that we could be effective witnesses of the Gospel. Remember, it is all by grace!