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bigmike

"Walk in Wisdom"
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Colossians 4:5
One of the most sobering realizations of the Christian life is the awesome responsibility we are given to share the gospel with the lost. God does not hold us accountable for how people respond, but He does hold us accountable for whether we give the warning. "When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand" (Ezekiel 33:8).
Every interaction we have with others should be guided and governed by this truth. People are watching us to see if our lives match our words. Bill Rice told the story from his days as an evangelist when he got on a streetcar and was given too much change. When he returned it to the driver the man said, "I knew I gave you too much. I heard you preach last night and wanted to see if you would live what you preached." Our words should always be right, but so should our actions.
We do not live to impress others, nor are we to put on an ostentatious show of piety like the Pharisees did. But we should be constantly aware of the impact our actions have on our witness. The life Lot was living undermined his attempt to warn his own family of the coming judgment on Sodom. "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city.
But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law" (Genesis 19:14).
Annie Johnson Flint wrote:
We are the only Bible
The careless world will read;
We are the sinner's Gospel,
We are the scoffer's creed;
We are the Lord's last message,
Given in deed and word;
What if the type is crooked?
What if the print is blurred?
Each day our lives bring credit to God and reinforce our witness or tear it down.
The Mark Trammell Quartet has a song entitled:
"Your Talk Talks and Your Walk Talks, But Your Walk Talks Louder Than Your Talk Talks"
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