Living By The Commandments Is Easy

I've always heard that it is hard to live a clean, good, Christian life. I've heard people say we as humans are not meant to be perfect. I've heard we are born of sin and that we are inherantly evil and bent to sin. Bur I say the Bible tells us uf good people. Noah Joseph Moses Elijah Joshuah Abraham David Soloman Ruth Naomi Rahab Mary 1. Enoch. Enoch was a man of character because he literally walked with God (Genesis 5:24). In fact, he walked so closely with God that the Lord simply took him home one day. Scholars believe that he and Elijah were the only men to walk so closely with God that they didn’t experience death. That’s character worth imitating! 2. Noah. Genuine manhood requires difficult choices—including choices that don’t make sense. For those times, Noah provides a great example of biblical character. God called him to build a boat and prepare for a flood even though it had never rained (Genesis 6:11-22). Responding in obedience to that kind of challenge requires godly character. 3. Abraham. With a GPS system in the palms of our hands, it’s hard to contemplate making a trip without knowing the final destination. But God told Abraham (then known as Abram) to move to an unknown land (Genesis 12:1-3). He also promised to make Abraham into a great nation when logic said that wasn’t possible. But Abraham knew how to have faith in God, and Abraham waited. Examples of godly character in Scripture often remind us that we can’t get ahead of God’s direction or God’s timing. 4. Moses. Many examples of godly character in the Bible demonstrate incredible leadership. Of that group, Moses stands out as the first and, possibly, greatest leader of God’s people. Despite his initial objections (Exodus 3-4), Moses eventually accepted God’s call to confront Pharoah and lead the Israelites. Through his example, we learn to seek God’s wisdom in leadership and His strength to make tough decisions. Leaders who demonstrate godly character are not always popular, but they are committed to following God’s design for leadership. 5. David. The prophet Samuel (another solid example of godly character) once described David as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-15). And while we see His passion for God throughout His life, we might learn about godly character best in our greatest failures. After committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, David hid his sin for a while. But once confronted with the truth, he begged God for forgiveness (Psalm 51). Godly character isn’t about perfection. Often, it’s about turning back to God in humility once you’ve fallen. 6. Elijah. Throughout Scripture, God led His representatives to confront people in powerful positions. Elijah had an ongoing battle with Israel’s King Ahab and Queen Jezebel that started with God withholding rain (1 Kings 17:1-3) and culminated with Him sending fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:20-39). All the while, Elijah demonstrated godly character by speaking truth, even if the people in charge didn’t want to hear it. He never compromised, and he never backed down. That’s a powerful example of biblical character. 7. Daniel. Godly men wrestle with the balance between finding common ground and selling out. Daniel demonstrated a God-ordained knack for walking that tightrope. He was able to work humbly and graciously with kings and their officials (Daniel 1-2), but he also refused to back down when non-negotiable convictions were threatened (Daniel 6). He determined to be an example of godly character whether he was praised for interpreting dreams or sent to a lion’s den for his prayer life. 8. Andrew. Among Jesus’s disciples, guys like John or Peter or even Judas are probably more notable. But Andrew is a great example of godly character in the Bible because he was always bringing people to Jesus. First, it was his brother (John 1:42). Later, he found the boy who gave his bread and fish to Jesus (John 6:7-10). Then, just days before Jesus’s crucifixion, he joined Philip in introducing some Greeks to the Lord (John 12:20-22). Men of godly character are always looking for ways to connect others with Jesus, just like Andrew. 9. Barnabas. Whether it’s a kind word, a loving action, or the gift of presence, friends who pick us up are priceless. That’s the role Barnabas played in the early church. His real name was Joseph, but everyone called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” He sold the property to help people in need (Acts 4:36-37), stood up for Saul (later Paul) when everyone else steered clear (Acts 9:26-28), and served in both the local church and the mission field (Acts 13:1-3). He served others where they were living and helped them become more like Jesus. For that, he earns a place among the great examples of godly character in the Bible. 10. Philip. Most guys create their own plan and act it out. Philip, an early lay leader of the church, took the opposite approach. He learned how to hear the Holy Spirit and follow His plans. As a result, his ministries tore down walls, first in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8) and then with an Ethiopian official (Acts 8:26-40). Either would have been despised by most Jews, but he showed godly character by overcoming prejudice and obeying God. Even as a child of God, you might not be familiar with Enoch. His name appears and disappears quickly in a Genesis genealogy of Adam’s descendants. But one thing we do know is amazing—he chose to walk with God in a way that was both intentional and extraordinary. Enoch embraced the importance of walking with God, living a life of faith daily. In fact, most scholars agree that he walked so closely with God that one day he simply walked into God’s presence: “Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him” (Genesis 5:24). For Enoch, following God’s path meant being one of only two men in the Bible (along with Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11) to escape physical death. And while that’s the exception rather than the rule, it makes sense for us to consider what walking with God means today. “Walking” in the Bible When it comes to connecting with God and deepening one’s relationship with Jesus, the Bible is filled with walking images. It serves as one of the most common metaphors for our spiritual lives in Scripture. For example, even before Enoch walked into heaven, Adam and Eve experienced the presence of God in the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:8 says that they heard God walking in the garden, and some scholars believe that walks with God were a regular habit for the first humans. But regardless of what form this fellowship took, it set the stage for God’s ongoing desire to “walk” with people across the ages. In the Old Testament, we’re told that those who avoid walking like the wicked are blessed (Psalm 1:1) and that God expects His people to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). In the New Testament, Paul challenged his readers in Ephesus to walk “worthy” of their spiritual calling (Ephesians 4:1) and to walk wisely “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). John later encouraged his friends to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) and to walk as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). The comparison of walking and living a life of faith daily makes sense. Walking implies progress toward a destination, which also characterizes a consistent relationship with God. Walking often suggests fellowship with someone, which, again, fits who we are as believers learning to put our faith in God. And walking is not a sprint. Likewise, deepening our relationship with Christ happens over months and years, not seconds or minutes. Strengthening your walk In a sense, we know when a person is walking with God. Despite humanity’s incredible ability to deceive ourselves, the quality of our spiritual walk—our connection with God—reveals itself over time. After all, the apostle Paul highlighted several indicators of a healthy walk with God, indicators that include speaking to others well, dealing with anger, loving people, working hard, protecting integrity, and forgiving like Jesus (Ephesians 4:27-32). He also gave us the fruit of the Spirit to measure how well we’re following God’s path for our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). But knowing what it looks like and knowing how to get there are two different things. To really learn what it means to walk with God and to live a life of faith daily, we’ve got to dig a little deeper. Below are five keys for walking with God in a way that faces challenges head on and makes a difference in the world for His glory. Start with a personal relationship You cannot walk with God unless you accept His offer of salvation through Jesus. You can’t deepen your relationship with Christ if no relationship with Him exists. Without accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross as the penalty for your sin, you will never move forward with God. If you’ve made that commitment already, that’s awesome. If not, speak with a friend, family member, or minister you trust about taking this first step in the most important journey of your life. Die to yourself each day Along with walking, another common biblical metaphor is dying. In particular, Christ followers are called to die to their own desires and passions. Paul even compared it to being crucified—executed—each day (Galatians 2:20). The idea is to surrender everything we are and everything we have to Jesus on a daily basis. This allows us to put God first in our lives, while also focusing on others more than on ourselves. It’s not easy, but it’s a necessary part of following God’s path for our lives. Spend time with Him When my wife and I were dating, she lived in one state and I lived in another. When we got together, we took walks to reconnect. Those personal moments gave us a chance to talk about where we’d been, where we were in the moment, and what we hoped for the future. As believers, the best ways to spend time with God—to walk with Him—come through prayer and Bible study. You talk to Him, and He talks to you. If walking with God is all about building a relationship with Him, this is how the relationship grows. Guard your heart and mind The world is filled with distractions that will derail your walk with God. For every step you take toward deepening your relationship with Jesus, you’ll be tempted to stray off the path. That’s why the writer of Proverbs warned his readers to “guard your heart above all else” (Proverbs 4:23) and Paul told the Christians in Rome to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). You can’t just wander into a healthy walk with God. You’ve got to be vigilant and careful about the voices you hear and the steps you take. Learn to trust God Think about your drive home each day. You probably could choose any number of roads to get from the office back to your house, but time and experience have taught you which route is the best. The same is true with following God’s path. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. He knows the best way to move you from where you are to where you need to be. So, you’ve got to trust Him—especially when it doesn’t make sense. The writer of Proverbs said that if we trust the Lord instead of trusting ourselves, He “will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). In other words, following God’s path is the fastest route to becoming the best version of ourselves. Walk with the right people Whether we like to admit it or not, we’re influenced by the people around us. As Paul told the Corinthians, “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). But the influence doesn’t have to be negative. Proverbs 13:20 flips the coin by highlighting the positive impact of others in living a life of faith daily: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise.” Surrounding yourself with the right people can be a gamechanger when it comes to walking with God. The support and accountability offered by wise mentors can keep you on the right path and challenge you to put one foot in front of the other each day. The Christian life is a team sport, so build a quality team around you.