by Steven Chan
19 December 2010
Does it matter how we live our lives? Is there a rule or a guiding principle that we follow or ought to follow? What is the rule that we follow when we make decisions as regards our conducts and activities?
According to Phil 3:18, 19: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
Those whose walks are unacceptable to God are described as follows:-
those whose god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things (Phil 3:19)
those who walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel (Gal 2:14)
those who walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (Eph 4:18-19)
those who walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies (2 Thess 3:11)
those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (2 Pet 3:10).
We are exhorted to be “imitators together of me (i.e. the apostle Paul), and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample” (Phil 3:18) as we also walk in the steps of Jesus: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet 2:21). As we follow the steps of Jesus, we need to heed His various teachings as regards how we ought to live so that we can all walk by the same rule and also mind the same thing. As Paul exhorted in 1 Cor 1:10: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
Let us also remember what has commonly been termed as the Golden Rule in Mat 7:12: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Is that how we would want others to treat us? This rule has often been forgotten when we deal with one another. It matters how we conduct our lives. How are we walking?
