Walking Before God
The last two weeks we talked about walking with God, the two examples cited there were Enoch and Noah. Those came from Genesis 5:22, and Genesis 6:9, and those pointed out a continual communion with God that stemmed from faith. A practicing a presence of God on a continual basis, not a wandering about. It was a bringing Him nearer and nearer to us and making ourselves more conscious of His nearness to us, a clinging to Him and looking at that which is unseen and not seen, a walking by faith, that in which pleases God. It is a taking our eyes off ourselves, and putting them on another, mainly Him. In Genesis 17:1 today, we see God commanded Abram to "Walk before Me and be blameless." What is God trying to tell us here?
This walking before God is a life actively engaged in a continual consciousness of being open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do or give an account to. (Heb.4:13) His desire for us should be the aim and desire for ourselves. As God said to Abram, to be blameless, innocent, perfect, though we cannot be absolutely perfect without sin, can we not try to shoot for that? Paul says in Phil.3:12,"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I PRESS ON so that I may lay hold for that which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Knowing that sin is as easy as it is wicked, we should certainly be making every effort not to admit anything into our minds that is unworthy of our calling.
With the Spirit indwelling us, we can be sure He is working in us both to will and work according to His good pleasure which is helping us to destroy sin and building up in us holiness. And walking before Him with the help of the Holy Spirit and His eye upon us, we do not what is displeasing to Him but what is pleasing to Him. We walk before Him as Lord, Judge, and Rewarder, being careful to do all that is pleasing, obeying all that He has commanded us to do, and depending on Him for all our well doing and well-being. We must walk as under His watchful eye, that He sees and observes all things, that we should not have desires to elude His observation. But desiring to please Him as we walk before Him to enable us to hear those blessed words one day, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."
Walking before God for Abram and us is a command from God, a constant never ending, an obedient, always doing rule of life to be always abiding in Him and walking in the same manner as He walked. Alexander MacLaren states," That we are not only ever in the great Task-Master's eye, but that God's omniscience is all knowing love, and is brought closer to our hearts and clothed in gracious tenderness in Christ whose 'eyes were as a flame of fire,' but whose love is more ardent still, who knows us altogether, and pities and loves as perfectly as He knows." For we walk by faith and not by sight, let us walk by the Spirit so we do not carry out the desires of the flesh. Walking not, which is not subject to the law of God, but having newness of life through the Spirit of God, let us have impulses to mind and to do the things of the Spirit. Lord, help us to endeavor to conduct ourselves as under the Spirit's influence, and in a way that is always agreeable to that new nature He has deposited within us.
Elder Randy Slak
This walking before God is a life actively engaged in a continual consciousness of being open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do or give an account to. (Heb.4:13) His desire for us should be the aim and desire for ourselves. As God said to Abram, to be blameless, innocent, perfect, though we cannot be absolutely perfect without sin, can we not try to shoot for that? Paul says in Phil.3:12,"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I PRESS ON so that I may lay hold for that which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Knowing that sin is as easy as it is wicked, we should certainly be making every effort not to admit anything into our minds that is unworthy of our calling.
With the Spirit indwelling us, we can be sure He is working in us both to will and work according to His good pleasure which is helping us to destroy sin and building up in us holiness. And walking before Him with the help of the Holy Spirit and His eye upon us, we do not what is displeasing to Him but what is pleasing to Him. We walk before Him as Lord, Judge, and Rewarder, being careful to do all that is pleasing, obeying all that He has commanded us to do, and depending on Him for all our well doing and well-being. We must walk as under His watchful eye, that He sees and observes all things, that we should not have desires to elude His observation. But desiring to please Him as we walk before Him to enable us to hear those blessed words one day, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."
Walking before God for Abram and us is a command from God, a constant never ending, an obedient, always doing rule of life to be always abiding in Him and walking in the same manner as He walked. Alexander MacLaren states," That we are not only ever in the great Task-Master's eye, but that God's omniscience is all knowing love, and is brought closer to our hearts and clothed in gracious tenderness in Christ whose 'eyes were as a flame of fire,' but whose love is more ardent still, who knows us altogether, and pities and loves as perfectly as He knows." For we walk by faith and not by sight, let us walk by the Spirit so we do not carry out the desires of the flesh. Walking not, which is not subject to the law of God, but having newness of life through the Spirit of God, let us have impulses to mind and to do the things of the Spirit. Lord, help us to endeavor to conduct ourselves as under the Spirit's influence, and in a way that is always agreeable to that new nature He has deposited within us.
Elder Randy Slak