Photo: Adobe Stock
We often hear someone say, “Walk with Jesus,” or ask, “What would Jesus do?” While such statements and questions seem easy to understand, in a fallen world, they are quite difficult to carry out.
The mere definition of a Christian is someone who follows Jesus Christ and belongs to Him (Acts 11:26; Romans 8:9). In Acts 11:26, we are given the first biblical introduction to the term Christian. In the context of the usage of the term in Acts, the follower of Christ was meant as a learner, student, or apprentice of Christ, essentially a disciple.
Disciples were known to belong to Christ, or to identify with Christ and His message (Romans 8:9). A Christian is then not only a follower but also a student and a disciple, one seeking to identify with the teachings of the Lord.
Christians are told to glorify God in all that they do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Christian living undoubtedly connects to being the light and salt of Christ (Matthew 5:13–16). Of course, it is important to recognize that Jesus, though tempted by sin, lived a sinless life, and therefore did not sin as mankind does (Hebrews 4:15).
As created beings, we human beings err and fall into sin, but are enabled by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to repent (turn from sin) and follow Christ (Acts 3:19; Romans 8:11).
I heard a priest say once, “You must live as if Jesus Christ is in the room with you every day, standing side by side with you.” He followed up, saying, “Because He is.”
If man’s chief end goal is to glorify God and to love God and neighbor (1 Corinthians 10:31; Matthew 22:37–39), this should be a relatively simple idea to carry out. But of course, life does not seem entirely simple as we continue on each day.
First, not everyone we interact with shares the same sentiment about Jesus Christ, His deity, and His saving power. Simply, there are many unbelievers or non-practicing Christians. And most importantly, the world, and notably the Western world, in 2026 seems to be at odds with Christian standards.
The standards of Jesus Christ are not found strictly in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), or in the four Gospels. Yet they are found through the Old Testament, and the other twenty-three books of the New Testament, and in human reason, through the natural law written on the heart. Paul wrote, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived so they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19–20).
He later added, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness” (Romans 2:14–15).
If we analyze Paul’s teachings, we know that even people who have never heard of the saving power of Jesus Christ have a conscience, after all, being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). They know not to kill, lie, steal, or harm their fellow man (Exodus 20:13–16).
Christian living is emulating the ministry of Jesus Christ, growing in faith, hope, and charity, helping the unfortunate, proclaiming the seriousness of judgment, and the beauty of heaven. It is walking in the footsteps of the most famous biblical figures, of the faithful saints and Christians before us (Hebrews 12:1).
It has never been said that Christian living is easy; it surely is not. But it is required. How can one hate fellow man and yet expect Christ to forgive (1 John 4:20)? How can one sit idly by and see suffering occur, but expect service once tough times hit that person (James 2:15–17)?
The Christian faith is one of action and one of dedication. Daily, we must ask ourselves, do we walk with Jesus Christ? Are we willing to carry the cross to Calvary, enduring all the pain and struggles that come with discipleship (Luke 9:23)?