1 John 2:6: He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
Some see salvation as a gift that enables us to barely make it through life and into heaven, but Scripture tells us over and over that there is so much more. It tells us that in Christ we are empowered to live as Jesus did.
How did He live? Jesus lived in extraordinary holiness, godliness, and power. He walked in wisdom and creativity and He influenced His society. In His earthly life, there were many things He did but the one way He lived that I want to focus on today is that: He met the needs of the world around Him.
Throughout His time on the earth, Jesus healed the sick, cleansed the diseased, delivered people from bondages, opened blind eyes and deaf ears, make the mute to speak and the crippled to walk. He multiplied food to feed the hungry and He even raised the dead.
Says in John 10:10b, “…I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus was sent to bring abundant life and while He was here, anywhere He went that He saw that lack or devastation threatened, He brought restoration. We may know this and we may hear the teaching of it and celebrate it even but we often miss or we ignore the charge to believers that follows those teachings. One of these is in John 20:21 says: Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
We are empowered and commissioned to carry the miraculous power of God into our world. There are so many who hurt and who are suffering around us and there are many people praying for healing and deliverance or a breakthrough to meet their needs. Many, many times the Lord answers those prayers through us. WE are the response to their prayers and WE are God’s response to their needs.
How are we supposed to do this? The first step is obedience to do what He tells you or you feel He is leading you to do. But the outcome is all on Him and whatever outcomes they are they are through the free gift of God’s grace!
The Bible records of the early church in Acts 4:33 says: and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
They did what God asked them to do BUT it wasn’t in their own strength or power or provision…it was God’s grace that was given to them to carry out and walk in obedience. It is the same with us. He might ask us to step out and do some things but He supplies to us too with the strength, the power, the provision and even the FAITH to believe!!!
All throughout the New Testament, we read of God’s people walking in His power to bring wholeness to the broken. This same power is available to you if you are a believer and it is available to me. Whether those we meet along the way face physical sickness, bondages, an addiction, mind battles or spiritual distress, God wants us to see ourselves as the carriers of HIS redemption…and to walk even as He walked, by His grace.
What would our world, our communities, our churches, our homes look like today if every believer acted on His promises that go along with this commission? What would our own lives look like if we took the commands of scripture seriously? Such Scriptures as
Matthew 10:7-8: And as ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdome of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
a lamp and a light 