Walking on the Footsteps of the Lord (Edited by ChatGPT)

  

The Lord Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and He insisted that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven, but only those who listen to and obey the commandments of the Heavenly Father (Matthew 7:21). John also insisted that if we claim to belong to the Lord, we must live as He lived, in holiness (1 John 2:3–6). Even in the Great Commission, Jesus insisted that those who become His disciples must be taught to obey His commandments (Matthew 28:18–20).

 

But who can be like Jesus, and who can walk as Jesus walked? No one — because the narrow path that leads to salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Yet that path is walked when we live as He lived on this earth, in our flesh, while facing human weakness. We may not reach perfection instantly, but we can grow toward it. We move from glory to glory until the image of the Son is formed in our lives. That is why walking in the footsteps of Jesus is a process of growth.

 

We are given new birth — our spirit is reborn in the image of the Lord — but the problem is that we are still accustomed to our old ways. For the old to fade and the new identity to take hold, time and growth are required. We must grow in the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the Word of God, faith, conduct, and love — and we must grow deliberately.

 

Not only individuals, but the entire assembly — the body of Christ united under the Lord Jesus — must grow into the identity of Christ, who is the Head of the assembly. The world does not know that Jesus is Lord, but we must proclaim Him and reflect His character in our lives. For this, we need a heavenly mind ruled by the Spirit, and we must bury the flesh with its ambitions. When the body is earthly but the Head is heavenly, conflict arises — the body runs after earthly desires while the Head pursues heavenly purposes. This is the crisis of the body of Christ today.

That is why spiritual growth is preceded by the second birth in the Spirit — and the second birth is preceded by death in the waters of baptism. We must die. Our old self is buried, washed away, and crucified with Christ. The world is crucified to us, and we now live for the One who gave His life for us and gave us new life through the Holy Spirit.

 

Now we must put to death the works of the flesh and earthly desires and live according to the Spirit, who is renewing us into the image of the Lord. Holiness is not merely demanded from us — it is given to us to put on. Yet we must remove our filthy garments so that we may be clothed in the white garments of the Lord, our sins having been washed away by His blood.

 

Walking in the footsteps of the Lord is therefore not impossible — because it is not we who walk, but the Lord who walks in us. The real problem is that the assembly has become divided — the Head has one will, and the body has another. When the Head says “right,” the body says “left.” Though our faith is meant to be a faith of obedience, we confess Jesus as Lord while resisting His authority.

 

How can we obey when we cling to our own will and continually push the Lord aside when He seeks to lead us? The reason we do not walk in the footsteps of the Lord is not because the Holy Spirit is incapable of producing holiness, but because we are unwilling to obey the will of God. We often do not seek the will of God; instead, we attempt to reshape God according to our own will.

 

If we desire to grow into the image of the Lord, we must crucify our will, our desires, and our ambitions, and be ready to live entirely for Him. Paul gave up marriage and every earthly claim so that he could serve God without restriction. God desires our undivided attention, yet we burden ourselves with luggage upon luggage until we become a hindrance to the journey. To serve the Lord, we must live simply. As soldiers, we must be ready to be mobilized whenever the call comes.

Through spiritual growth, we begin to walk in the footsteps of the Lord. The light of the Lord will shine through our lives, and the salt of heaven will preserve what we touch. When people see us, they will see the glory of God revealed through both the Word we proclaim and the heavenly life manifested in us by the Holy Spirit. This becomes a living witness to the birth, death, and resurrection of the Lord — drawing souls to salvation and glorifying God.

 

We are called to be light in the darkness — and we can afford to be light. Our Watcher neither sleeps nor rests. The One who is with us is greater than anyone in the world. We can afford to be bold, truthful, and faithful. We can afford to suffer for the cross. We can afford whatever the devil may scheme — because we are not alone. The armies of heaven and the mighty hand of God stand with us.

 

Others may lose and strive to regain, but we have a Father to lean on. Unless it is the judgment of God that we suffer or die for the cross, dry rocks will yield water, bitter sources will become sweet, and food will come from nowhere. The mighty God is with us. We can afford to be just, holy, truthful, and unconditional lovers of our enemies and persecutors. If we suffer, we suffer in the hands of God. If we die, we go to God.

 

We are more than victorious — and we can afford to walk in the footsteps of the Lord.

If not us, who then?

 

It is us.