Walk

How is your walk with God?

Last week we discovered that we’re made alive in Christ, raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly realm (Eph. 2:5-6). Our Christian experience with Christ begins, and is sustained, by being seated in Christ. This position is a posture of intimacy and rest. In this blog I want to address the subject matter of walking with Christ. However, keep in mind that we cannot effectively walk with Christ if we don’t learn to rest in Him. Being seated in intimacy enables us to walk with consistency. Watchman Nee wrote, “The Christian’s secret is his rest in Christ. His power derives from his God-given position. All who sit can walk, for in the thought of God the one follows the other spontaneously. We sit forever with Christ that we may walk continuously before men.”

The book of Ephesians has much to say about walking. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them…Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…Walk no longer as the Gentiles walk [but] be renewed in the Spirit of your mind…Walk in love…Walk as children of light” (Eph. 2:10; 4:1-2, 17, 23; 5:2,8). The word walk (peripateo) carries the idea of conduct; one’s way of life or the way in which one regulates their life. If sitting represents our posture in Christ then walking represents our life in the world.

Examining the scriptures identified in Ephesians, there are five mandates concerning our walk in Christ and how it should look in the world. First, we are to walk in good works (Eph. 2:10). These works have been prepared and demonstrated by Christ and now handed to us. In fact, we don’t have our ministry, but we have His. We are to do the works of Christ and even greater (see John 14:12). Every believer is significant in Christ’s eyes because every believer has been given works to do. Faith in Christ always spills forth with good works; otherwise, faith is dead (James 2:17). Walk in the good works imparted to you by Christ. If you’re unsure what they are, then start with the commission accounts given by Christ.

Second, we are to walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1). All of us have been called to walk in Christ, and we’ve all been called to walk in a manner that reflects the One who has called us. We’re to walk with humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love; and we’re to be diligent to preserve unity within the body of Christ (see Eph. 2:2-3). To walk worthy of something means to walk in a manner that is appropriate or congruent with the character of the person who called us. Through the redemptive power of Christ we have been enabled to walk in a manner that resembles Him. By all means let’s walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling.

Third, we are to walk with a renewed mind (Eph. 4:17, 23). Christ not only redeemed our heart, but He renews our mind. The word renewed (ananeoo) means to renovate. We are in the process of renovating our back porch. It is a messy and tedious process but this much for sure, when it is completed it will look completely different. The old is gone and the new has come! God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, completely renovates our mind so that we can think from a completely different perspective (see Rom. 12:2). A renewed mind dwells on heavenly issues more than earthly conflicts. A renewed mind seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness before seeking anything else (see Matt. 6:33). A mind that has been renovated is set on things above and not on the things of this earth (see Col. 3:2).

Fourth, we are to walk in love (Eph. 5:2). Nothing reflects God more than when you and I walk in love because He is love (see 1 John 4:8). When we walk in love we change the atmosphere around us to the sweet fragrance of Christ (see Eph. 5:2). Love is the atmosphere of heaven being made manifest on earth. A few days ago I had the privilege of praying healing over a woman at the deli counter in the grocery store four miles from our house. Love turned a deli counter into a sanctuary where the presence of Jesus was made known. Let’s be people who walk in love wherever we might go and watch the good works that God will do through you.

Fifth, we are to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8). God is light; therefore, to walk as light implies that we’re in fellowship with Him (see 1 John 1:5-6). Walking in the light is the antithesis of immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, and course jesting as mentioned in the Bible (Eph. 5:3-5). To walk in light means to walk in holiness and righteousness. When we walk as light we penetrate darkness and it scatters. Our lives, by the very nature of light, bring clarity and revelation of who Christ is.

Take inventory of your walk with Christ, does it reflect these biblical mandates? Remember, to walk effectively with Christ can only be fashioned as we rest intimately in Him. Let’s allow Him do His work in us so that He can walk through us.

Let’s Pray

Jesus, I desire to walk consistently and effectively in you. From my posture of intimacy I pray that you will transform my daily walk, amen