(Deuteronomy 10:12) And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,Perhaps you have heard a brother or sister in the course of a conversation say, 'If only I knew what God would have me to do then I would be busy about it.'(Micah 6:8) He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
(Amos 3:3) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?It is obvious that an unregenerate person who is in rebellion to God's commands and precepts and who has not submitted unto the total authority of God over their lives is not in agreement with Him and therefore they can not be walking with Him.
(2 Peter 3:1) This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:So let us begin our considerations of God's people walking with Him.
(Deuteronomy 5:33) Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.Every saint should be concerned with the walk which they have with the One who not only created them from the dust of the ground but Who also elected them unto salvation and redeemed them through His only begotten Son's redemptive work.(Jeremiah 7:23) But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
(Revelation 3:1) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.In the eyes of those around them the church at Sardis had a name that they were alive when they were by God's standard dead. And God's standard is the only standard that counts!
(Deuteronomy 28:9) The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.We have probably all heard someone jokingly say, 'There is my way and the wrong way.' And perhaps there are some people who have been so egotistical as to really believe such a foolhardy statement.(Joshua 22:5) But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
(Psalms 18:30) As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.When God commands us to walk in His ways it is for our own good, for when we walk in His ways we are walking in the perfect ways.
(Matthew 7:13-14) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {14} Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.Because of our yet depraved and sinful nature and our deceitful heart the way that seems right unto us may not necessarily be so.
(Proverbs 14:12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.Our own ways and the ways of those around us, no matter how spiritual they may seem to be, are to be turned from if they are in opposition to the revealed ways of God!
(1 Corinthians 11:1) Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.We are to follow the ways of Godly men and women as long as those ways are following Christ.(Hebrews 13:7) Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
(Jeremiah 6:16) 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. But they said, We will not walk therein.Today much of professing Christendom is seeking ways to motivate people into serving God and following Him. I have personally seen a so-called worship service that contained elements of activity which were completely foreign to the revealed Word of God. Those who are in charge of those organizations appear to feel that the old ways which were established by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry are insufficient or inadequate in this modern society in which we live. By their actions and in some cases by their words they say that God is unable to save and sanctify His elect by those old ways and they must improve upon them with newfound schemes and plans.
(Isaiah 2:3) And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.No one comes from their mothers womb with the knowledge of how to care for themselves and how to survive in the world which they were born into. They must be taught the necessary things to grow, to mature and to survive.(Isaiah 30:21) And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
(Isaiah 2:3) "... He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:"There are two divinely given mechanisms through which we may be taught how to walk with God. The Bible, as prayerfully and diligently read, and the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood, are the ultimate vessels through which we gain the knowledge of how to walk in God's ways.
(John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.Another point that we may mention in passing is that God does not teach one saint or group of saints one thing and then teach another saint or group of saints something that is diametrically opposed to it. When we have two people or two groups of people who hold contrary positions, both of which claim to be instructed by the Holy Spirit and supported by the Word of God, then we may justly conclude that they may both be wrong but they can not possibly both be right. God is not the author of confusion and He does not teach His people with contradictory instructions. He is immutable and therefore does not change His commands and precepts.
(Romans 6:4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.When a person is made a new creature in Christ Jesus they are to put off the old man with his former affections and lusts and put on the new man which is in Christ Jesus.
(Ephesians 4:22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;Our walk after conversion should be so radically different from our previous walk that our former associates should be able to see that difference, be amazed at that difference and wonder at that difference.
(1 Peter 4:3-4) For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: {4} Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:The Master has declared that we 'must be born again' and as a result of that new birth we have new spiritual concerns and Godly desires. We should encourage those new and holy desires by seeking to walk with God and by turning hastily from any walk that would stifle them.
(2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.Note if you will that ' old things are passed away' and that ' all things are become new.' By walking in newness of life we are able to daily crucify the flesh and the lusts there of as we draw nearer to the one who loved us before there was time.
(Romans 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.There are many things in this world which are mutually exclusive. You can do one thing or have one thing and not do another thing or have the other thing. The above verse of Scripture clearly shows us of one such mutually exclusive condition. According to the divine instruction Book it is impossible to fulfill the lusts of the flesh while we are walking in the Spirit. Conversely therefore we know that it is impossible to walk in the Spirit while we are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.(Galatians 5:16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
(2 Corinthians 5:7) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)Much of the way in which a child of God conducts their life seems strange and mysterious, yea even foolish to those around us who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer. It is impossible for them to understand why we do things as we do and also why we do not do some of the things which they do. The importance that we place on God's Word and our obedience unto it and the importance we place on His church and our service to Him through it are beyond their comprehension.
(Ephesians 5:2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.The Scripture tell us that we are to walk in love as Christ has loved us. I fear one of the greatest shortcomings which can be ascribed unto the people of God is a lack of genuine love as set forth in God's Word. There is a real sense in which we are to love and be concerned for those about us. But our greatest need is for a burning love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a Godly jealously for His glory. If we have a true and Scripturally based love for the Lord Jesus Christ then all the other loves that we should manifest will fall naturally in place. It is only reasonable that if we walk in a love for the Lord Jesus Christ that we will seek to follow Him.
(Colossians 2:6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:We are instructed by the Holy Spirit in this Scripture to walk in Christ. In the same way that we received Christ so should we walk in Him. We have received by divine enablement the Lord Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God, who was in all points obedient unto the Father. Christ's complete submission unto the will of the Father and His complete obedience unto that will are but two of the ways in which we are to walk in Christ. As Christ was obedient in all points so we need to strive to do likewise.
(Ezekiel 37:24) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.God's people should walk with Him: Honestly, as in the day.
(Romans 13:13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.God's people should walk with Him: In the light, as God is light.
(1 John 1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.God's people should walk with Him: Worthy of the Lord.
(Proverbs 2:7) He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.Up to this point we have been speaking of ways in which God's people should be walking with Him. Due to our sinful and rebellious natures we may not always be walking with God as we should be in this present life.(Colossians 1:10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
(Revelation 3:4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.Those who walk with God in white raiment are worthy to do so because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did in their place. They are worthy because of the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Revelation 19:8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.It is a result of the good works that God before ordained that we should walk therein that the saint is clothed in white linen. Those good works are a result of our salvation and certainly not a cause of it.
(Revelation 21:24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.We walk with God in spirit in this present life but in the life which is to come we will walk with Him in our entire glorified being.
(Revelation 21:23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.As the Lamb of God is the source of heavens light so He is also the source of our entrance thereto. Only through the merits of Christ's shed blood can we hope to gain entrance into that celestial kingdom.
(Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,May the blessed Holy Spirit grant each of us the personal resolve to do everything that we are instructed to do so that we may in truth answer the hymn writer who asks the question, 'Are you walking daily by the Savior's side ...?' with a triumphant and resounding yes, yes, by God's enablement, yes.