Everything that Jesus accomplished was according to the Word that our God had spoken. His every step was not perfectly synchronized to a written script, but he very definitely surrendered his everyday life to the Will of the Father. We must do the same. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” When we become born-again through the Lord Jesus Christ, we should endeavor with everything in us to abstain from sin, but this isn’t all that is required of us as Christians. It is not enough that we turn our backs to evil deeds. We must walk by the Spirit the way that Christ did because this is what God requires, and it is the best way to live.
The Spirit will teach us to walk worthy of the righteousness God has given us through Christ. No matter how much we have tried in the past, and no matter how much good we try to do right now or in the future, you and I can’t make ourselves righteous. God knows this, and Romans 5:17 tells us that He took care of it by giving us the righteousness of Christ. Our precious Lord made it possible for us to stand before God fully clothed in righteousness, with no sense of guilt, sin, or condemnation. Every day we should try to demonstrate how thankful we are for such an amazing gift by living the way God wants us to.
Jesus Christ is our example. John 14:6 tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Our lives are hidden in him and our steps should be ordered by him. Life can be extremely challenging with its turns and twists. We have to make decisions and choices on a daily basis that shape our futures. God tells us in Proverbs 3:5-7(NLT), “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” The way to make sure our steps are ones that please God is to trust Him with everything that is in us. He tells us not to lean on our own understanding because we have a very limited view of problems and their solutions. God always knows best.
Heavenly Father also tells us to seek His Will in all we do. Seeking His Will requires us to go to His Word to find out what He says about the matters we face in life. God’s Word is a spiritual book written for His spiritual people. In order to walk by His Spirit, we must walk according to His Word. His Word contains His Will.
In the world system, a person goes to an attorney to have their wills written on paper. When this person passes from this life to the next, there is a binding document, a will, that clarifies their wishes. In this will, there are promises made to individuals regarding what they can expect to receive from this deceased person’s estate. Even though the person is no longer on the earth, their will speaks for them. It communicates their heart and mind, and this will is honored as a legally binding document that most people respect. The only way to question or dispute the will is through a court of law.
Our Heavenly Father is a righteous judge. Hebrews 12:23 tells us that He’s the judge over all things. He is very much alive, but He has a will and thankfully for us, it is written on paper in ink; and is available through many other forms of media as well. God’s Word is infinitely more binding than the will of a person. It clarifies both His wishes and His promises. But more than this, God’s Word will always come to pass. Our Heavenly Father knows the end at the beginning. He knows how things will turn out before they occur. He has delivered His Will and Word to prophets and seers throughout biblical history, and everything that God has said is true. Again, prophecy given in the past has been fulfilled, and it is still being fulfilled as you and I live and breathe.
After he was baptized, Jesus was led in the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, and there he fasted forty days and nights. After his fast, he was of course very hungry. It was during this time that Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil. We would do well to remember that the enemy seeks to tempt us during our most vulnerable times. We also must understand that Jesus Christ was well of aware of his mission. He came to fulfill the law and to set us free. There was no part of the law that could be left unfulfilled by him. Every ‘i’ had to be dotted and every ‘t’ had to be crossed.
From the time Jesus was a young child, he began studying God’s Word in the synagogues. During his time, it had been painstakingly transcribed from the words of the prophets and was written on scrolls. Jesus read the scriptures, and he knew what had been prophesied by the prophets. He was not unaware of the devil’s tricks, and Jesus knew how tremendously high the stakes were. He couldn’t give in to temptation, because this would have been catastrophic for us.
Jesus Christ walked in the Spirit, studied the scriptures, and stayed in continual communication with God. Each time he was tested by the devil he responded with “It is written…” He could have chosen to respond to the temptations of the devil in his own words, but he didn’t do this. Jesus Christ understood the power of God’s Word. He knew the Will of the Father would come to pass, and he ordered his steps to God’s truth. Mathew 28:16-18 (NLT) says “Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Christ had all authority because he fulfilled everything that was written. He did the Will of God, and for you and me to walk in the authority and power of Christ, we must live by what is written in God’s Word. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“It Is Written” written by JMack for 4theChristianMan.Com© 2018. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.