In the Genesis 5 genealogies a monotonous “and then he died” finalizes the person’s life in nine of the ten patriarchs. Only in the life of Enoch does a change occur. “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” 5:22. “For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” Hebrews 11:5. Only Elijah had a similar non-death departure from this life II Kings 2:11-12.
However, Noah, a righteous man, walked with God Genesis 6:9. Being righteous before God and being moral within self differs as noon-day sun differs from black midnight. And Abraham had God’s special invitation to “walk before me and be blameless” Genesis 17:1. A tribute that made Abraham the first of God’s prophets, Genesis 20:7, and the father of many nations Genesis 17:2, 4-6, 15-16. Obviously, then, “walking with God” differs from merely living. As being a disciple of Christ, seeking to be like him, distinguishes the Christian from the unsaved in pursuit of any of a multitude of dead-end choices. Especially notice that confessing Christ before others means more than saying we believe in Christ. It means we publicly declare what our walk embodies: Christ-centered values based securely on his life and teachings that can’t ever be shaken, let alone shattered. (A fact our politically-correct society will have to learn by hard times since they don’t believe while in prosperity.) Dr. Charles Malik, famous Lebanese diplomat, and Christian witness, once noted that the Master’s words in Matthew 10:32-33 never stopped challenging him as a Christian. They encouraged and inspired him to WALK his TALK about God in Christ. They gave him the inspiration to live in God’s will, not merely exists as another dying mortal among all dying mortals. Christians…what evidence of spiritual dynamism do we offer the unsaved that shatters their castles-in-the-air-life and challenges them to build instead on the eternal ROCK of Ages, who will not be moved because he cannot be moved? As steel is a stronger form of iron, Christian is an infinitely stronger form of religious. And only we can be! I can’t say whether an old dog can learn new tricks, but age is no determining factor in learning how to become more Christ-like. Only the believer who doesn’t want to grow in his Savior’s likeness will be resigned to remain the same mortal. All who seek Christ’s change in them, however minute or incremental, shall GROW in his image. Only those who don’t stagnate in discipleship. Amen.
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