SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1136

“Living Biographies”

And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

I have been taken to the woodshed over the past few weeks. Once when a fellow coworker showed me the remains of a product package that was stolen from my sales department I used a few choice words to describe such a thief. I could not help but notice my coworker’s facial expression at my use of such words. I apologized to him the next day.

More recently, I posted a ‘joke’ at other’s expense on social media and was held accountable by a long-time friend who scolded me for such an insensitive act. Again I apologized.

Both times the Holy Spirit convicted me in my spirit and I knew I had to repent and resolve to live more like Jesus by seeking His presence continually and walking by the Spirit.

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – 1 Chronicles 16:11 – Galatians 5:16

Spurgeon wrote:

“A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people.”

God’s Word details for us what it is like to be His living biography. Ephesians 4:25 to 5:1 gives us an outline.

Be a person of truth, not lies.

 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor…

Do not let your anger lead to sinful behavior.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Do not steal – be trustworthy. Be faithful even in the little things – do not cheat on taxes, withhold the Lord’s tithe, steal time at work by not being productive and so on.

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Watch your tongue. Choose words carefully. Know when to be silent.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Don’t disgrace God’s grace by choosing to sin, expecting to be forgiven afterward. Saved by grace is not a license to sin.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Don’t harbor bitterness in your heart. Do not seek revenge.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Forgive as God forgave you.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Be a Living Biography of God by living by the example of Jesus.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Paul had the same struggle as we do as he wrote in the book of Romans.

…For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! – Romans 7:15-25

May the Holy Spirit come upon you and fill you, melt you, and mold you to be a living biography of Jesus.