9-16-’01 The Necessity of Walking With God
A. Armstrong
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." [Gatatians 5:25]
There is something within every man, woman, boy, and girl.
The Bible tells us that Jesus knew ‘what was in man.’
Whose we are determines ‘what is in us.’
And ‘what is in us’ is the evidence of whose we are.
The Bible says …
Jer 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Mark 7:21-23
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
This is the fountain that is found in the unregenerate man.
Sin and wickedness, which like a deluge has overflowed the world, are only so many streams running from this dreadful contagious fountain.
Sadly, we all were the enemies of God when we were yet sinners.
Not necessarily because we wanted to be the enemy of God, but it was inherent in us.
Therefore, though we might have desired to be good, we were not.
The root [seed] that was in us was bad, therefore, the fruit that we produced was also.
And we, because of the blindness of sin,didn’t know we were in such a state.
Eph 2:2-3
2 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:
3 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.
That’s where we were. That’s what we were. That is whose we were.
Eph. 2:4-5
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…
We were so miserably and hopelessly lost, but God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
What we were was enmity against God, and we could not walk with him as long as we remained in that state.
And everyone who knows this, will readily acknowledge, that before a person can be said to walk with God, the prevailing power of this heart-enmity must be destroyed: for…
Amos 3:3
3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
2 Cor 6:14
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Our lesson today is freedom from sin’s power. And the key to walking free from sin once you have been forgiven, is to ‘walk with God.’
Walking with God not only implies, that the prevailing power of the enmity of a man’s heart is taken away, but also that he is actually reconciled to God the Father, through the righteousness and atonement of Christ.
Jesus is our peace as well as our peace-maker. When we are justified by faith in Christ, then, but not till then, we have peace with God. Consequently we cannot claim to walk with Him until we have been justified by faith in Christ.
Walking with a person is a sign of friendship.
Even just going for a walk with a person would indicate that you were friends with that person. But this walk is greater than just going out for a stroll.
I have gone for a stroll with my neighbor, but we are in no way agreed [or one].
This walk is day by day; to and fro; up and down…
keeping apace of; be continually conversant with.
And for this kind of walk, two must be agreed… of one mind… of one spirit.
The Bible tells us concerning God‘s Spirit, that he is...
John 14:17
17 …Spirit of truth; …dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
And if he abides with us and in us, then indeed are we in agreement with God.
The Holy Ghost doesn’t come to spend the night with you and pass on in the morning. [That is what evidently some think who believe they can shout on Sunday and sin on Monday.]
He isn’t here on vacation; to spend a few days or weeks with you.
When he comes, he moves in lock, stock, and barrel.
He is the house guest who is coming to stay. And this one we want to stay. My mom always said you should let your company decide when you are wanting to do something. And although that didn’t always work out well in the physical world, because they didn’t always make good choices, this guest will never make the wrong choice. He will always want to do the ‘good’ thing.
He has come to ‘walk’ with you. And he will be the path selector.
He knows the good way… the old path; the one that leads to eternal life…
Jer 6:16
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
We should always say, ‘Holy Spirit, show me the old paths, lead me in the good way.’ And he will never fail to do so.
To walk with God is to have a ‘bent’ for heaven…
The world has a saying… ‘hell bent.’ That means someone is on the path of destruction and is determined to stay there. They are talking about their ‘will.’ It is bent in the direction of destruction.
We were all bent in that direction.
But when the Spirit of God came, he bent me in a new direction. You might say he ‘straightened’ me out, and made straight paths for my feet.
Now the Bible says…
Gen 5:24
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Walking indicates a forward movement.
Walking with God implies our making progress or advances in the divine life.
Walking, in the very first idea of the word, seems to suppose a progressive motion. A person that walks, though he move slowly, yet he goes forward, and does not continue in one place. and so it is with those who walk with God.
The scriptures indicate that we should be making progress more and more in our Christian walk.
When we are first born again, we are babes in Christ. But we should not remain so. Even as we are to keep on walking in Christ, we are to continue to…
2 Pet 3:18
18 …grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To walk with God, is to ‘walk in the Spirit.’ To walk with God will mean your spiritual growth. It will be to increase in the knowledge of the Lord.
When Jesus said ‘Come unto me, he also said… and learn of me;
The more I ‘learn of him’, the more like him I should become…
2 Cor 3:18
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
So we conclude that to walk in the Spirit means...
our having the prevailing enmity of our hearts taken away by the power of the Spirit of God;
our being actually reconciled and united to him by faith in Jesus Christ;
our having and keeping up a settled communion and fellowship with him;
and our making a daily progress in this fellowship, so as to be conformed to the divine image more and more.
Can you look back over your Christian life and see a picture of spiritual growth? Can you say, ‘I’m closer to God than I was?
Can you realize that you know more than you did in the beginning and that it has made a difference in what you have become?
And now [where you are in the Lord right now] do you have a desire to grow more? Or do you say, ‘I have arrived and have no need of any more understanding, of any more spiritual growth.’
NO, I don’t suppose any of us believe there is no more depth of God to be searched out, no higher height to be pressing toward.
We are still ‘walking in the Spirit’ and that continues to mean ‘forward progress.’
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HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND BE EVER GROWING?
The Word of the Lord is our guideline for this walk.
We are suppose to read and study the Bible prayerfully so that we might have a good understanding of what is expected and required of us in this life.
I think that there are too many today that have the attitude that my children always had when they got a new game.
We had one of those games that is now considered to be ancient. Bit it was a video game- ’Atari’- that you hooked up to your t.v. and you could play games like surround, frogger, etc…
But when we would get a new game, instead of reading the directions on how to play the game, they would put it in and just begin pushing buttons and trying to do something.
Ultimately they would say, "Would you come read these directions and tell me what to do?" And do you know why?
It was because they couldn’t win without knowing what it was they were suppose to be doing!
Well, it seems so many start out their Christian walk in the same way. But we have been left with clear instructions as to what we are suppose to do.
And guess what! You can’t win unless you know what you are SUPPOSE to be doing!
Remember what Paul said….
2 Tim 2:5
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. [according to the Word of the Lord]
1 Cor 9:24
So run, that ye may obtain.
[according to the Word of the Lord]
1 Cor 9:25-26
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: [but,according to the Word of the Lord]
To run this Christian race any other way than according to the word of the Lord is to run uncertainly. To fight the good fight of faith any other way than according to the Word of the Lord is to fight as one that just beateth the air.
So if we are going to ‘walk with God - to walk in the Spirit’ so that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh, we must take the Word into our hearts and follow it.
Jesus said…
John 5:39
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And the Psalmist said…
Ps 119:105
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Without His Word, you just stumble around in darkness, for his word is light.
Blessed is the man whose…
Ps 1:2
2 [But his] delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And finally…
2 Tim 3:14-17
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
If we once get above our Bibles, and cease making the written word of God our sole rule both as to faith and practice, we shall soon be open to all manner of delusion, and be in great danger of making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.
Our Lord, though he had the Spirit of God without measure, yet always was governed by, and fought the devil with, “It is written.” This the apostle calls the “sword of the Spirit.”
Eph 6:17
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
It is utter folly to try to fight the good fight of faith without that powerful sword. Do you know what a sword is? It is that weapon with which we fight.
And the Word of God is that weapon that the Holy Spirit uses to defeat the enemy. Yes! It is so important that it means our life or death!
It is our daily spiritual sustenance. What I find in the Word of the Lord is indeed spiritual meat and spiritual drink. When I clothe myself in that blessed word, I take on the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is the Word made flesh.
I would just like to add to that -- meditation on the Word.
If reading the Word may be likened unto feeding my soul, then meditating on his word might be likened unto digesting for our souls good.
Food that isn’t digested really is of no value except to taste good while it is eaten. But when it is digested, the good nutrients are extracted to be taken to every part of the body for it’s growth and maintenance.
Remember the verse we just quoted?…
Ps 1:1-2
1 Blessed is the man… [whose]
2 [But his] delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
There is a not too old saying- ‘Milk, it does a body good’
But I say- ‘The Word of God does a spiritual body good’
You can live by it. Really live. But you cannot not really live without it.
It is one of the ways we walk with God- walk in the Spirit.
Meditate upon good things for the good of your soul…
Phil 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
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Secondly- we walk with God by personal prayer.
One man said….
“It is the very breath of the new creature, the fan of the divine life, whereby the spark of the holy fire, kindled in the soul by God, is not only kept in, but raised into a flame.
A neglect of prayer has been frequently an inlet to many spiritual diseases, and has been attended with fatal consequences.”
How true that is. How much we are exhorted to a life of prayer by the Word we just talked about!!!!!!!
Paul, who said take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God- also said…
Eph 6:18
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
That tells us that we ought to persevere in prayer.
And Jesus said…
Matt 26:41
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And he spake a parable, that his disciples should pray, and not
faint. Then he told them about a widow woman who desired something from the judge, and she continued to come to him until he granted her request.
And that word ‘faint’ means… ‘to despair, to lose heart, to tire of’
And we have this confidence - the one to whom we seek is not unjust, but just and compassionate to his people.
Not that our Lord would have us always upon our knees, or in our closets, to the neglect of our other relative duties. But he means, that our souls should be kept in a praying frame.
O prayer! prayer! Blessed communion with God!
SONG:
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care and bids me at my Father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief. And oft escaped the tempters snare, by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
How true!!!!!!! How often by prayer have we escaped the snare of the enemy of our souls??????? Or by the lack of that sweet hour of prayer how oft have souls fallen into a snare.
Prayer...
It brings and keeps God and man together. It raises man up to God, and brings God down to man. If you would, therefore, keep up your walk with God; pray, pray without ceasing.
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Lastly, to walk with God is to trust him unconditionally.
Ps 40:5
5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
We have to know for sure that God is for us and not against us.
That he not only sees us in our struggles, but cares about us - even the most minute things about us…
Luke 12:6-7
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
GOD VALUES US!!!!!! That ought to greatly encourage our hearts. He is for us!
Rom 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
[We need to recognize God’s providential care of us.]
All these things are needful to walking with God.
And that is necessary if we are to be what he requires of us.
