Walking in Wisdom: The Way of Life and Peace GCU College of Theology

The conclusion wraps up exploration of the Christian life by reflecting on a life-giving metaphor that Jesus himself employed in comforting his early followers as he prepared them for his imminent trial and crucifixion. Jesus encouraged his first followers to “abide” in him by continuing in close, personal relationship with him. This sort of intimate relationship involves trust in who Jesus is and dependence on what only he can provide. Trust and dependence of this kind is characterized by obedience to his teaching, peace, joy, and abundant life. Because we are not the source of life, we must depend on Jesus rather than ourselves for life, peace, and all else needed to walk in a manner worthy of our calling to follow him.

Chapter 7 summarizes the ways that living an integrated life places Christ at its center. Such a life does not happen by default in the world, which exists in a state of brokenness. Jesus perfectly displayed what an integrated life looks like as God originally intended when he created humanity in his image. Although Christians will never be able to reflect Christ's image with flawless consistency, they can nevertheless grow in reflecting his image. An integrated Christian life practically demonstrates a focus on Jesus in the spiritual, social, academic, and vocational dimensions of life. It also reveals an intentional desire to align the words and works of a person's life. In other words, Christians desire to see their beliefs increasingly impact their behaviors so that their conduct reflects their core beliefs.

Chapter 6 describes the ways that Jesus’s call to follow him extends to the workplace and to our respective vocations. Vocations represent vital opportunities to glorify God by serving others. Jesus intends to be Lord of our homes, our communities, and even our work. As the Son of God, he offers a God-sized vision for our vocations that will result in his glory and our good. Strong economies, healthy organizations, and virtuous people are foundational to vibrant communities and thriving societies. Realizing these ideals depends substantially on arriving at true understandings about who we are and how we are meant to live in this world.

Chapter 5 explores what it means to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14–16) as educated Christ followers who engage in various academic disciplines. Jesus calls those who follow him to seek and to find their purpose in him as they explore the vast riches of the world he has made. Faith, properly understood, should not stifle research, suppress dialogue, or inhibit investigation. Rather, Christians believe in order to understand more fully, and by doing so, they expect to see the power of God at work in the lives of individuals and in the restoration of communities. By connecting faith and learning in these ways, they participate in the rich Christian tradition that has been described as a matter of faith seeking understanding.

Chapter 4 outlines the ways that connecting Christ's values to daily living should define the path toward Christian maturity. The way of Jesus connects the Christian to full dependence on the reality of this life revealed by the Spirit in the Bible. Building a life of faith requires daily commitment to hope beyond the limits of current challenges and circumstances, seeing the opportunities of the present in light of the rule and reign of Christ. Such living faith and abiding hope pulls the Christian to love the people, place, and time where Jesus calls the church to exist. The new life received by faith in Christ demands true justice, the protection of the weak, and patient restoration of life as God intended it to be.

Chapter 3 interacts with humanity’s searching for meaning and significance. Many try to fill themselves with things such as sex, money, and drugs. Only God can fill the human heart and bring a person back to restoration. In Jesus, the vision for humanity is to be united with him in his death, burial, and resurrection. According to the New Testament, the love, security, and contentment found in Jesus is the remedy to anger, fear, worry, and the like. Human beings are physical and yet also immaterial. They have bodily as well as psychological sensations. These two aspects of human beings are uniquely tied together and will one day be redeemed and resurrected to live in eternal fellowship with the God of the universe. Neither aspect should be ignored.