Protecting the Image of God

 
The recent decision by the Supreme Court is very disheartening because it nationally sanctions a relationship that corrupts the image of the God.  Although we cannot control the decision of the Court, we can control our response and use this time as an opportunity to re-examine our own walk to ensure that we are living a life that honors God following the walk of Jesus.   After all, homosexuality is just one sin found among the extensive lists of transgressions contained in Leviticus 18:1-30 and First Corinthians 6:9-10.  If believers had been more faithful to our own marriages over the past century, loving our wives and honoring our spouses, then the door might never have opened to the Supreme Court.  In some ways, the Supreme Court is only reflecting a generation of people discouraged by the heartache and disappointment of divided homes and broken marriages.  Yet, the word of God remains true, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 
 
Sexual sins are especially grievous to God, “Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body,” (1 Cor 6:19).  While other sins are often transgressions against our fellow man, sexual sins, including homosexuality, can be seen as a direct attack on the very image of the Creator because, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created him,” (Gen 1:27).  Not man singularly, but the union of man and woman in marriage represents a restoration of the original Adam created in the image of God.  “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let man separate,” (Matt 19:5-6). 
 
Since the union of man and woman becomes a picture of the Creator, any deviation from this pattern is seen as a perversion to the very image of God.  For this reason, the Bible goes to great length in describing numerous types of prohibited sexual relationships (see Leviticus 18:1-30), all referred to as “abominations.”  The distortion of God’s image is seen as the gravest type of sin in scripture, whether the distortion occurs in the form of prohibited sexual relationships, the killing of a human being who has been created in the image of God, or the worshiping of an idol, such as the golden calf, formed to represent God.  The prohibitions given by the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 address these concerns to protect the image of God.
 
Marriage is a great "mystery", a gift from above to teach mankind truth about the Creator.  The Hebrew word for “joined” (Gen 2:24)(Matt 19:5) is “dabaq”, the same word used in scripture for “holding fast” to the LORD God, (Duet 30:20)(Heb 3:14).  Not only does marriage provide us with a picture of God, it teaches us the relationship the Creator desires with His creation.

Have a blessed holiday - Scott

Does Obedience Protect a Person From Sickness and Affliction?

 
“If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statues, I will put none of the disease on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”
(Ex 15:26)

“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them…The LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful disease of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.”  (Deut 7:12-15)

“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.  He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid and the will cling to you.” (Deut 28:58-60)
 
Does a life of obedience to the word of God offer a level of protection against sickness and affliction?  If not, to what does scripture refer when it told the Israelites that such protection was afforded those who kept the commandments contained in the Law?  I think this is a provocative question and one worth discussing.  Those who argue against this interpretation will be quick to point out the story of Job’s suffering and the New Testament story of the man born blind who had not sinned, but “that the works of God might be displayed in him” through the healing hand of Jesus, (John 9:1-34).  The scripture passages above also suggest that the diseases and afflictions referenced are those in excess of what might be considered common illnesses since these “lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses” are connected to the LORD’s judgment against Egypt.
  
Although modern believers perceive viruses and bacteria as the source of sickness and disease, the New Testament text portrays spiritual forces as the underlying cause of illness and affliction.  For example, the woman who could not straighten up for 18 years was said to have a “sickness caused by a spirit,” (Luke 13:10).  Jesus referred to the woman as a daughter of Abraham “whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years,” (Luke 13:16).  At another time, Jesus is approached by a Gentile Syrophoenician woman whose daughter had an illness caused by an “unclean spirit,” (Mark 7:25).  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave and the girl was healed.  Mark records a man who was made deaf and mute by an “unclean spirit,” (Mark 9:25).  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out and then raised the man up by his hand.
 
When Jesus “rebuked the fever” of Peter’s mother-in law (Luke 4:39), the reader is to recognize that the fever originated from an unclean spirit.  In scripture, the act of “rebuking” is most often directed toward unclean spirits (Matt 17:18, Mark 1:25, Luke 4:35, 9:42), but also toward Satan (Mark 8:33, Jude 1:9, Zech 2:3) and even sinful acts, (1 Tim 5:1, 2 Pet 2:16).  While scripture does not take a position that all illness and disease are caused by unclean spirits, scripture certainly connects many sicknesses and afflictions to spiritual forces.  If spiritual in origin, what steps can the believer take to protect himself/herself from these afflictions?  Fortunately scripture has provided the answer, keep the commandments as displayed through the life of Jesus.  So how does obedience help protect the believer?
    
Scripture commands us “to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,” (Lev 10:10).  Not only were the Israelites commanded to eat clean animals, they were commanded to maintain a clean condition, a “holy” condition.  Peter said it this way, “Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am holy,” (1 Pet 1:15-16).  Maintaining a state of “holiness” is synonymous with maintaining a “clean” condition.  In a “clean” condition, the believer can approach the LORD.  In a “clean” condition, the believer may also be afforded a level of protection against an “unclean” spirit, and therefore, against sickness and affliction. 

 As another example, recall the story of the man possessed by numerous unclean spirits “Legion,” (Luke 8:30).  At the request of Legion, Jesus permitted the unclean spirits to move from the man into two thousand unclean swine.  If the animals had been sheep, I doubt this transfer would have been possible since sheep are clean animals.  However, pigs are not clean animals and unclean spirits can apparently move from one unclean vessel to another unclean vessel, whether that be an animal or a person.  (As a side note, it’s also interesting to recognize that some diseases transmittable to mankind originate from unclean animals such as “swine flu”.)

 When people became unclean through natural acts or sin, the commandments prescribed a way to be restored to a state of cleanliness, which includes baptism.  Water can make clean that which is unclean.  Maybe for this reason “the unclean spirit…passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it,” (Matt 12:43).  While the unclean spirit desires “waterless places”, the unclean spirit does not find rest because even unclean people and animals need water to survive. 
    
In our day, believers are quick to acknowledge the work of “angels watching over me.”  These same believers are less likely to recognize that suffering, illness, and disease potentially originate as the work of Satan or from unclean spirits.  Up to the present day, our nation may have received some protection through the merit of the witnesses who lived before us, the salt who kept the nation clean.  Maybe the righteous who lived before helps explain why some of the more deadly diseases like “Ebola” seem to originate in places that have less salt. 

 As I get older, I am more inclined to consider that illnesses, diseases, and even the senseless acts of violence may increase in a society that moves toward a greater level of uncleanness.  An unclean people will open the door to a higher activity of unclean spirits, which can result in greater stress for the individual and the nation.  The solution for the individual and the nation can be found in obedience to the commandments as demonstrated through the atoning life of Jesus Christ.  A clean condition increases the protection an individual has against disease and sickness.  The righteous still suffer, but their suffering does not result from their sin.  Through the suffering of the righteous, the world is preserved and the righteous accrue merit.  This is my simple understanding of the potential protection afforded through obedience.  The reader may have a different and better understanding so I always remain open as a new wineskins.

Believers must always acknowledge that the Bible frequently teaches the benefit and blessing for a walk of obedience,

“My son, do not forget my teaching (Torah), But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you,” (Prov 3:1-2).  

Even Paul, whose words are often used to argue against the continuing relevance of the Law, said, “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth,” (Eph 6:2). 

Scott

The Fitbit Craze (Part 5)

JUST AS JESUS WALKED

 “By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:5-6)

We can confidently say that the commandment to “walk in the same manner as He walked” calls the believer to a life of obedience following the pattern of Jesus, (John 15:10).  So I asked my family recently at lunch, “If our ‘walk’ is measured by obedience to the commandments, what commandments did you keep today?”  Mark responded with, “Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, etc.”  To which I replied, “True, but even the dead are capable of keeping the negative commandments.  What positive commandments did you keep today?”  That’s a question not only for my family, but also for me since keeping the commandments becomes the measure of how well my “walk” is reflecting the life of Jesus.  The more commandments I fulfill, the more “Christ-like” I see myself and the more Christ-like my life.  In reality, I need to replace my “fitbit” with a “command-bit” that constantly reminds me to fulfill the commandments.

Herein lies the paradoxical position of Jews compared to Gentiles.  In Jewish thinking, the more the commandments, the greater the opportunity to walk as the LORD God walks.  In the Gentile mind, the more the commandments, the more burdensome the requirements to keep and be judged against.  Can you see how warped our thinking has become as Gentiles?  Rather than striving to be more like Jesus, believers have used every justification we can muster to remain in our current state of existence.  We should not have this mindset, rather we should, “Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Phil 3:14).

I am ashamed to say that I can name too few of the positive commandments.  By tradition, there are 365 positive commandments, although many are associated with the operation of the temple or applicable only to those living in the land of Israel.  To this total, Jesus added a number of positive commandments such as “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matt 5:44).  Most positive commandments also come with a subset of implied actions that can be seen as fulfilling the greater commandment.  For example, reading my Bible, meditating on the word of God, and praying can all be seen as actions that fulfill the commandment to “Love God”.

The Pharisees, their predecessors and followers, developed many specific actions to fulfill the broader commandments.  (In Pharisaic thinking, the larger the number of specific actions, the greater the opportunity to walk after God.)  One example is hand washing, which led to a conflict between the Pharisees and the disciples, (Matt 15:2).  While hand washing is not a specific commandment, it does mirror the actions of the priests prior to coming into the presence of God at the temple.  When I wash my hands before a meal, I am reminded of the priests as I go before the LORD in prayer thanking Him for the food we receive.  Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees was not against the practice of hand washing, but that the practice had been elevated to a commandment.  In other words, a person who does not wash his hands does not sin. 

The gospel account of John is probably the most popular of the four gospel accounts because of John’s emphasis on God’s love for His creation, (John 3:16).  What readers regularly overlook is John’s strong connection between love and obedience to the commandments, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me: and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him,” (John 14:21).  John defines “love” on the basis of what a believer does, not on the basis of what a believer thinks, “This is love that we walk according to His commandments,” (2 John 1:6).  Frustrated with the lack of action from the German church, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.”  Bonhoeffer observed that the first and last words that Jesus spoke to Peter were “Follow me,” (Mark 1:17)(John 21:22). [1]  These words frame the calling and life of Peter, and become the pattern for all disciples.

Largely unique to the gospel of John is the concept of “abiding”, as reflected in the instruction of Jesus to His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5).  If asked to define “abiding”, most believers might say something like, “to dwell comfortably.”  The Bible defines “abiding” this way, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love,” (John 15:10).  Abiding is testified to by personal obedience to the commandments, but somehow the majority of believers fail to recognize this close relationship.

Earlier in the fifteenth chapter of John, we are told that the response to a person’s prayers are directly related to abiding, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you,” (John 15:7).  Since scripture defines “abiding” as obedience, we understand that obedience to the commandments directly impacts our prayer life.  John repeats the same principle in his first epistle, “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and to do the things that are pleasing in His sight,” (1 John 3:22).

If obedience to the commandments reflects a believer’s “walk”, how was your “walk” today?  Can you name the commandments you performed today since this is the basis the Bible uses to define a person’s walk? 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:1-2)

 -- Scott

---

[1] The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1959 Edition, page 45

The Fitbit Craze (Part 4)

HALAKHAH:  INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WALK

The other primary form of teaching in first century Israel is called Halakhah.  Halakhah comes from the Hebrew word, “halakh” which means “to go” or “to walk.”  In the Bible, the righteous life is frequently spoken of as a way in which men are “to go,” e.g., “teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do,” (Ex 18:20).[1]  The original term “halakhah” was associated with the particular laws or decisions given by Moses, but “halakhah” later came to be understood as a generic term for the whole legal system of Judaism.  The concept of a person’s “walk” has a much more legalistic connotation than simply acknowledging a “faith” in Jesus.  It is safe to say that scripture is concerned with how a person lives, not simply with what a person believes.

In simple terms, Halakhah attempts to teach an individual the specific steps required to “walk after the LORD your God,” (Deut 13:4, KJV).  At a very foundational level, walking after the LORD means keeping the commandments of the LORD, as it is written,

 

“You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him,” (Deut 8:6), and “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD you God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good,” (Deut 10:12-13).

The close connection between the commandments as the way a believer is called “to walk” is reflected in the Greek text by the apostle John,

“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.” (2 John 6)

The passage, "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19), can be interpreted as a call to obedience just as the obedience of Jesus enabled Him to become the perfect offering for sin.

 

Added to the written commandments were the oral traditions that came to define how the commandments were fulfilled.  The oral traditions defined what was specifically required to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” (Ex 20:8).  The traditions, in addition to the commandments came to defined how a person was to walk.  This understanding is expressed in the encounter between the disciples of Jesus and the Pharisees.

“The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, ‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?’” (Mark 7:5)

In this example, the traditions of the elders defined the washing of the hands before eating as part of the way to walk.  However, traditions should never take priority over the commandments of God, (Mark 7:8).

From Paul’s perspective, how to “walk” was also defined by the instructions and the examples of the apostles.  To the Thessolonians, Paul wrote,

“Brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.” (1 Thess 4:1)

Paul told the Philippians, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us,” (Phil 3:17).  The goal of learning to walk is to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling.”

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:1-3)

Lake Travis has gained 15' since Saturday night and it is raining hard as I type - Scott

 

---

[1] Ibid, Volume 8, page 251

The Fitbit Craze (Part 3)

FIRST CENTURY TEACHING TECHNIQUES: AGGADAH AND HALAKHAH

 

If believers were to define “walk” they might come up with a number of possible explanations.  Some might be close to the original intent, but Paul has a specific understanding in mind when he tells believers to “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.”  Paul’s understanding, and that of the John and the other apostles, is rooted in the teaching techniques of the rabbis. 

In biblical first century Israel, the two primary rabbinical teaching techniques were known as “Aggadah” and “Halakhah”.  Although most believers have probably never heard these words before, any person who has read the New Testament gospel accounts and the epistles has been exposed to both teaching techniques.  Before we discuss "Halakah", which means "to walk", let's briefly discuss "Aggadah." 

Aggadah is a form of teaching that frequently used analogies to illustrate a truth about God in order to teach the audience a moral principle.  Aggadah teaching can sound like this,

“A man had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me,” (Luke 15:11).  Aggadah can also sound like this,

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away,” (Matt 13:24). 

Parables are a common form of aggadah where an easy to remember story is employed to teach a moral lesson.  Aggadah can end with examples such as, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt 7:11), and like, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night,” (Luke 18:6).

It is easy to understand why parables were a popular form of aggadah teaching among the rabbis.  A parable offers an easy to remember story with a lesson that can be recalled and applied.  Jesus was the Master of this form of teaching.  Depending on how they are counted, scholars have identified between 31-57 parables recorded in the gospel accounts.  Outside of scripture, there are over 1500 parables that exist in the rabbinical literature of the Talmud and Midrash including 300 parables that use animals.[1]  Many rabbinic parables contain themes common to the parables of Jesus such as kings, weddings, and feasts.  Study of the rabbinic parables can sometimes offer light to understanding the words of Jesus.  Here is one parable example I recently read,

“And Solomon too said in his wisdom, 'Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack ointment.' (Eccel 9:8).  R. Johanan b. Zakkai said: This may be compared to a king who summoned his servants to a banquet without appointing a time. The wise ones adorned themselves and sat at the door of the palace. ['for,'] said they. 'is anything lacking in a royal palace?'  The fools went about their work, saying, 'can there be a banquet without preparations'?  Suddenly the king desired [the presence of] his servants: the wise entered adorned, while the fools entered soiled. The king rejoiced at the wise but was angry with the fools. 'Those who adorned themselves for the banquet,' ordered he, 'let them sit, eat and drink. But those who did not adorn themselves for the banquet, let them stand and watch.'” (Talmud – b. Shabbat 153b)

In the parable above, the king summoned his servants to a banquet, but did not tell the people when the banquet would occur.  Those who were wise prepared themselves for the banquet believing that nothing was lacking in preparation in a king’s palace.  Those who were fools believed that some activity of preparation would precede the banquet which would give them time to prepare.  As it turned out, the wise were correct and the fool was forced to enter unprepared.  As a result, the wise sat down at the banquet to eat and drink, while the fool had to stand and watch, as it is written, “In that place there will be gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves being thrown out.  And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God,” (Luke 13:28-29).

The rabbinic parable above reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the king who gave a wedding feast, “But when the king come in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matt 22:12-13).

When reading Jesus’ parable of the man not dressed in wedding clothes, I have often wondered why the king was so harsh since we perceive that the man came in a hurry and did not have time to dress.  However, when we overlay the parable of Jesus on top of the parable from rabbinic literature, we understand that the man had not prepared himself in advance for such an occasion and was considered a fool by the king.  The moral of Jesus’ parable is that His return will come quickly, “just like a thief in the night” (1 Thes 5:2), and a believer must prepare in advance for the return of Jesus, “as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work,” (John 9:4).

Thanks for all your recent prayers both for my father and my trip on business matters.  I am still not home, but hope to be there later today by the grace of the LORD.  Scott 

 

---

[1] Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 15, page 621

The Fitbit Craze (Part 2)

WALKING IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD

Walking in the ways of the LORD is not a concept that is new to Paul and the Greek text.  Paul utilized a concept reflected in scripture nearly two thousand years earlier.

“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘Walk before Me, and be blameless,” (Gen 17:1)

Five hundred years later, the LORD said to Moses in the wilderness, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction,” (Ex 16:4).  If a person searches the Hebrew text using the combination words “LORD” and “walk”, he will find over fifty references like the following:

 
“How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD,” (Psa 119:1), and “I am the LORD your God; walk in My statues and keep My ordinances and observe them.” (Ezek 20:19)

By the time of the apostles, walking in the ways of the LORD was an established concept.  The rabbis speaking through the Babylonian Talmud (~500 A.D.) recorded the following discussion in reference to “walking after the LORD your God.”

“What does the text mean, ‘You shall walk after the LORD your God’ (Deut 13:4)? Is it then possible for a man to walk after the Shechinah of which it is written, ‘The LORD your God is a devouring fire’ (Deut 4:24)?  But the meaning is to follow the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He: as He clothed the naked (Gen 3:21), so do you clothe the naked; as He visited the sick (Gen 18:1), so do you visit the sick; as He comforted mourners (Gen 25:11), so do you comfort those who mourn; as He buried the dead (Deut 34:6), so do you bury the dead” (b. Sot. 14a)

In the Hebrew understanding, the LORD does not call a man to perform a task unless He has first demonstrated how to perform the task.  Believers seek to cloth the naked, as God clothed Adam and Eve.  Believers see burying the dead as scriptural because God buried Moses.  Within the framework of this understanding, the life and ministry of Jesus can be seen as the ultimate pattern and example for the life that a believer is called to live, as John has written,

“The one who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). 

A person’s “walk” refers to the specific actions a believer undertakes to mirror the life of Jesus, as we might say to our children, “Walk in my footsteps”, meaning follow the pattern of my example.  Paul gave this instruction to believers,

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Col 2:6-7).

It is my understanding that the disciples of a rabbi often placed their feet in the exact location as their rabbi had walked so they could experience what their rabbi had experienced.  This was all part of the process to become like the rabbi, to “walk in Him.”  Every time a believer takes communion, participates in a festival, or performs any activity that Jesus performed, that believer participates in a common experience of Jesus and becomes more like the Master.  So what will each of us do today to become more like Jesus?

 

Scott

 

The Apostle Paul and the Fitbit Craze

About 18 months ago, my son Paul gave Teresa and I a “fitbit”, a wristband device that monitors the steps a person takes in a day.  All this and more are then accessible through an app on a person’s cell phone.  Tracking a person’s steps causes them to consider walking more.  One person recently told me that his company now monitors the steps employees take in a day because their health insurance company will reduce the rates charged for all persons who average over 6,000 steps a day.  I can now see where the future is headed.

 
Almost two thousand years before the invention of the fitbit, there was an apostle who was also interested in the walk of believers.  Paul may not have been the first proponent of the modern “fitbit” technology craze, but he did understand the importance of the proper lifestyle.  More often than most of us realize, Paul told believers to, “Walk…”
 
“…in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4)
“…according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:4)
“…according to love.” (Rom 14:15)
“…by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7)
“…by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16&25)
“…in good works, which God prepared beforehand,” (Eph 2:10)
“…in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,” (Eph 4:1)
“…in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us,” (Eph 5:2)
“…as children of Light,” (Eph 5:8)
“…in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects,” (Col 1:10)
“…in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom,” (1 Thess 2:12)

At the same time, Paul warned against, “Not walking…”

 
“…according to the flesh,” (Rom 8:4)
“…like mere men.” (1 Cor 3:3)
“…in craftiness or adulterating the word of truth,” (2 Cor 4:2)
“…according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of that spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,” (Eph 2:2)
“…as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,” (Eph 4:17)
“…not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time,” (Eph 5:15-16)

Just in case believers do not know how to program and operate their fitbits, the apostles have provided the following instructions, “Walk…”

 
“…according to the pattern you have in us (Paul, the apostles, and disciples)” (Phil 3:17)
“…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Col 2:6)
“…as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God,” (1 Thes 4:1)
“…in the Light as He Himself is in the Light,” (1 John 1:7)
“…in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)
“…in truth, just as we have received the commandment to do from the Father.” (2 John 1:4)
“…according to His commandments…just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk,” (2 John 1:6)
“…in truth.” (3 John 1-3-4)

In the end, everyone will catch the craze, as it is written, “The nations will walk by its light (light from God and the Lamb),” (Rev 21:24)

(Scott)