A L M A C I A S

WHAT CHRISTIANITY SHOULD MEAN TO ME

When we study the New Testament, we find what the inspired writers had to say concerning what was required for someone who wanted to be an elder, a deacon, or a preacher. But do we find anything written in regard to someone who just wants to be a good Christian? Do we find anything that would indicate whether we are being the kind of Christians the Lord expects us to be?

As we study the Word of God, we are able to learn what is required for one to be the kind of Christian that the Lord desires. All Christians have certain responsibilities as they walk the Christian life: (1) a responsibility to grow in knowledge and character; (2) responsibilities toward their families; (3) responsibilities toward their fellow man; and (4) a responsibility toward all that the Lord has commanded.

We read in Ephesians 5:14-17, "Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." We are all commanded to walk as wise, and not as fools. It is not up to us to decide which way is better for us to walk in this world. We have instructions from God as to how He wants all of us to live, as well as instructions as to what we are to avoid in our walk. We all need to understand that in the passage before us the word "walk" is being used in reference to how we conduct ourselves. This word is also in reference to how we live and behave. The world should be able to see a difference between how the Christian walks and how the person of the world walks.

The apostle Paul told the Ephesians, as well as us today, why it was necessary to walk as wise and not as fools: because the days were evil. We all must agree that the days have not changed any; if at all, they have changed for the worse. There was so much evil in the days of Paul (as there is today), that we all need to be very careful not to become contaminated by those who walk contrary to the will of God. In the passage of scripture before us, Paul told us exactly how the Christian was to walk: circumspectly, which means "carefully." We never know who might be watching how we are walking. We would never want to cause others to stumble because we were not careful in our walking. How are you walking the "Christian walk?"