Setting an Example By Walking in the Light - Santosh Poonen - April 1, 2018
http://rlcfchurch.org/setting-example-walking-light River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message emphasizes that true Christianity is defined by one's actions—walking in the manner of Christ—rather than mere profession or identity. The speaker stresses the profound responsibility adults have to set a positive example for the younger generation, warning that children are highly susceptible to absorbing the behavior they observe. He encourages the congregation to live out their faith visibly through their daily walk.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What does it mean to walk as Jesus walked?The apostle John tells us that anyone who claims to abide in Christ ought to walk just as He walked, which is the true definition of being a Christian.1 John 2:6
The serious warning about causing little ones to stumbleJesus warned that leading children or others astray through bad examples has severe consequences, highlighting our great responsibility as adults.
Pay close attention to your life and your teachingPaul urged Timothy to watch his life closely, demonstrating that living out the truth comes before teaching it and ensures salvation for those who listen.1 Timothy 4:16
The Old Covenant mentality versus the New CovenantThe Pharisees practiced the old way of saying one thing and doing another, whereas the New Covenant requires us to model Christ-likeness so others can follow.Matthew 23:3
Walking in the light where God cleanses all sinGod is light, and walking in the light means bringing our faults into His presence where the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us, rather than pretending we never sin.1 John 1:5–7
The difference between walking in darkness and stumbling in the lightWalking in darkness involves hiding our mess, while walking in the light means bringing our failures into the open so Jesus can help us clean them up.
Delivered for our sins and raised for our justificationJesus was delivered to death for our forgiveness and raised so that we could experience justification, standing before God as though we were never in debt.
Guiding our children into the life of justificationWe must teach our children not to live under self-condemnation from past sins, but to rest in the reality that God remembers their repented sins no more.
Children of God awaiting future complete transformationWhile we are already children of God clothed in Christ's righteousness, it does not yet appear fully what we will be until Christ returns and we are made completely like Him.
Purifying ourselves with the hope of seeing HimEveryone who fixes this hope on Christ purifies themselves as He is pure, walking in the light until all remaining un-Christlikeness is finally destroyed.
