Watch Our Conduct

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Good morning.

We’re talking about watching. Apart from watching out for the enemy and temptations, there are many other ways a Christian should watch. Life is all about watching, isn’t it? We must watch our finances, watch how we do our job so our employers stay pleased, watch our behaviour with our spouses so our marriages can keep going and -blooming, watch our conduct with our children so they will not get desponded and rebellious, watch our behaviour with our neighbours so we have an acceptable social life, etc. This list is endless.

If we therefore do so much watching out to make sure we are accepted by people, what about watching out to see that we act acceptable to the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Which words was Jesus referring to here? It’s the words He had just spoken in the Sermon on the Mount.

These words involved conduct from the beginning to the end of this sermon. It was basically Jesus’ modernisation and intensification of the Law. Do we watch ourselves whether we murder with our tongue, look at women lustfully, pray correctly, forgive others, shine our light, etc? I’ve heard it so many times said that we are saved by grace and it’s all up to God, and I see many Christians living like that. We wait for the Lord to bless us, protect us, provide for us, care for us, heal us, us, us, etc. We stay babies, for that is what’s being done for babies. However, if we read the New Testament it’s all about conduct. Jesus said if we DO what He tells us we will be strong and all the storms of life and the things the enemy throws at us will not prevail against us.

We love to quote scriptures like ‘no weapon formed against me will prosper’ (Isaiah 54:17), but we forget instructions like “¹⁵ If you love me, you will obey what I command, ²¹ Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me, ²³ If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching,” (John 14:15-24). Jesus said this three times in matter of seconds. Do you think He might be serious about our conduct? Both verses 21 and 23 are followed by “he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him,” and “My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” It appears that those who show the Lord love through obedience will receive special love from God, an extra intimacy, don’t it? God’s care seems conditional to our obedience.

It’s worth then to watch our conduct to please the Lord, isn’t it? We need to obey everything He expects of us. This includes looking out for opportunities to obey, give, teach, encourage and bless and to look out for the presence of the Lord and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit to hear what He wants from us.

Lord, I’d like to focus more on you. Your second coming is near and we have no time to waste.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

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