WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF HIS CHILDREN
By W. G. Guy
Micah 6:8 – He hath showed thee, o man, what is good; and doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
First of all is to identify what is good in the eyes of God our Heavenly Father. To be good is to be pleasing to Him in appearance and behavior, just as a good and proper son is to his father; as being one who does not bring dishonor or shame.
The first element is to do justly. The word “justly” is a judicial term that means being lawful and righteous in actions and decisions as before a tribunal or court. God is the one who makes the determination of how justifiable a person is because He knows and sees all: nothing can be hid from Him. He sees how you live and if you measured up to the standards that He has set up. This is basically how we deal with and treat others.
Before the advent of Jesus Christ, the Law of Moses was the standard that was set up for God’s people to follow. Obviously they did not do a very good job at being obedient. So God made another provision for the forgiveness of transgressing God’s commands and to justify us.
For Christians, Jesus is that standard, and justifies us before the Father as we then receive His righteousness upon accepting the life of Christ which then is to be formed in us. Then His life in us should be evident. This is what the Father is looking for in His children – Fruit, or evidence of a changed and repented life. Jesus justifies us before the Father – thus we are to live and do justly, which reveals that Jesus is truly our LORD and Savior.
John 15:1-7 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The next element listed is to love mercy. Mercy is a product of love and is perfectly demonstrated by our Heavenly Father, whose mercy endureth forever, because God is LOVE. So what is it that mercy does? Since mercy involves showing love for another, even if they have offended you, mercy means to forgive. It also means to have a care, compassion or concern for the wellbeing of another so as to reach out to help, assist or intervene on their behalf.
Actually it is love itself that God requires of us. Consider that the Ten Commandments are all about love: love for God, and love for others. Also, love is the great commandment that Jesus declared to His disciples. In addition love fulfills all the law and the commandments.
1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth
God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Finally, what God requires of us has to do with our personal relationship with Him; to walk humbly with thy God. To walk humbly means to be in constant submission to Him, dependent and leaning on Him for all of our needs: acknowledging Him as our loving Father and as being the source of our protection, provision, health, strength and guidance. All of these things He gives to us abundantly through Jesus Christ. and because of His Grace, Mercy and Love.
Romans 8:31-32 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
In heaven, God maintains a record of how we live our lives on earth. That record will be presented to us on the Day of Judgment; and rewards will be meted out to each of us based on how obedient we were to Him in this life. Therefore, fulfilling what God requires is far more important to each of us than what we feel is our own status in this life. Thus it should be evident that Jesus Christ is truly your Savior and LORD.
Luke 6:46-49 – And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Jesus tells us that there is a serious consequence to not knowing Him and walking in accordance with His Word, (His sayings). This same call to walk in obedience to Him and His Word is repeated in Matthew; listing the same consequences for disobedience.
Matthew 7:24-27 – Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The evidence of the Lordship of Christ in your life is displayed by heeding His Words and conforming to what He commands in the way we are to live. This goes back to what God, our Heavenly Father, said He requires of us.
Micah 6:8 – He hath showed thee, o man, what is good; and doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Conclusion: God made provision for us to be restored to Him and to equip us to walk humbly with God. This means for us to be in close fellowship with Jesus whom God has provided to us to restore His own image in those of us who claim Him as Savior and LORD. Do you have this evidence in your life?
