An expert in the “path” of life was King David. He was a man after God’s Heart and desired deeply to walk with God every day of his life. In Psalms 16:11, David wrote: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Walking on the path of God gives us three great treasures: “life,” “fulness of joy,” and “pleasures for evermore.” If we walked up to ten people today and offered them life, fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore, how many do you think would say they weren’t interested? My guess is most would say they would like to know more about how to have those things in their life.
How does a person get to the point where they know they’re walking with God and will receive life, joy and pleasure for evermore? Here are the first three of ten steps in the process as David explained in Psalms 16. They are the same steps we can use to Teach Wisdom to Our Children.
1. “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
We begin with salvation. No child can become spiritually wise until they place their faith and trust in God. We must be clear with our students that the path begins by acknowledging our need for God because of our sin and separation from God (“Preserve me, O God”) and need to stop trusting in ourselves and trust God for His Gift of Salvation (“for in thee do I put my trust”).
Jesus told His disciples: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Jesus Christ is the only Way to God. I tried many religious paths before coming to Christ and can speak personally of the absolute truth of Christ’s claim. He is the “only” Way to the Father.
The problem every human being faces is the same: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) It’s not a situation where “some” or “several” people have sinned and come short of the glory of God. “All” have sinned and come short of God’s glory. That means our ministry is to every person we know and every person we meet. Everyone begins life at the same place – lost in trespasses and sins.
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Fortunately for all of us, God is a God of Love, Mercy and Grace.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)
2. “O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord.”
Our relationship with God is based on the Lordship of His Son in our lives. God is not something we add to our life; God is our Life through Jesus Christ (“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”). We have access to God by faith in Christ, and not only do we gain access, we stand in it and rejoice in hope. We must teach our students to look to Christ and say, “Thou art my Lord.”
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ … And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement … That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:1,11,21
” That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved … For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him … For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9,12,13
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s … For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living … For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:8,9,11
“Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.” Romans 15:11
3. “My goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.”
God delights in all His children. He loves us and our relationship with Him is one of joy. Do we do things that displease God? Yes, all children cause their parents problems at times. But we need to know that God delights in us as a Perfect Father. He delights in all who are on His Path. Our students need to enjoy God and others who are members of the Body of Christ. There is no place in God’s Family for egos and petty jealousy. Christian Martial Artists should be best friends and closer than human family. We are part of a Heavenly Family that will continue to enjoy each other through eternity.
“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Mark 3:35
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you … These things I command you, that ye love one another.” John 15:12,17
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another … Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another … Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.” Romans 12:5,10,16
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Romans 14:19
“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus … Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God … And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:5,7,14
” For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ … But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him … But now are they many members, yet but one body … Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary … And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness … That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another … And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it … Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:12,18,20,22,23,25-27
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love … Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another … And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:2,25,32
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds … Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye … Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:9
“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you” 1 Thessalonians 3:12
“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” 1 Thessalonians 4:9
“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” 1 Peter 1:22
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” 1 Peter 3:8
