weekly sermon
8-12-07
Walking the Walk
Last week we discussed the entire word of God, well not all at once, but
believing the entire word of God, at all times, and how to talk the talk.
This week we will talk about walking the walk. I mean if you are going to talk
the talk, you MUST walk the walk. I have listened to many folks talk, and
they can talk a good game, but to see them walk the walk, that is the way they
really are. It has been said, I would rather see a sermon than hear one. Some
believe that it is ok to act like the devil on Saturday night and play like good
little Christians on Sunday morning. God is NOT a Sunday morning God. God
is an everyday and every night God. If you are out acting like the devil on
Saturday night, then what happens to the souls of the ones you were acting the
devil with? Were they saved? Would those you were out with even know that you are a
Christian? Some may never read, or even get the opportunity to read the Bible as
we do, and our actions, or the way we walk the walk, may be the only Bible they
will ever see.
If you are going to walk the walk, then you have to walk in one way, By Faith.
We need to walk by faith in newness of life, not by sight or feeling. Mom always
told me "never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." Faith
is the belief in something not seen. Just as it says in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Living
by faith is mentioned many times in the Bible. A few places where it can be
found, if you want to turn with me, is in Romans 1:17 "For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just
shall live by faith." Also in Hebrews 10:38 "Now the just shall live by faith;
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."
First look at the last half of Hebrews 10:38, "...but if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him". Here we see that if we do not live by
faith, God's soul will have no pleasure in us. From this we can see the
importance of living by faith.
Now one of my favorite, Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
I mentioned above, that faith was the unseen, and not of our mind. To have the
true faith we MUST do as Paul wrote here in Galatians, crucify ourselves
with Christ. Every morning we should start our day by crucifying our mind and
flesh with Christ, so we can walk in Christ. As we see in Romans 6:6 "Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." This tells us the reason we
should crucify ourselves, that our spiritual body of sin may be destroyed. So
that we may not be manipulated by sin, we must crucify our spiritual beings.
"For he that is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:7, and Romans 6:8 "Now if we
be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Just as I
stated above, we must die with Christ to be able to live with Christ.
This whole time I have been talking about walking the walk. I understand I am
asking you to look at many verses, but I truly believe that the verses really
show us how we are to walk. Look also with me at 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." This is still talking about crucifying
ourselves to be able to walk in the spirit. If we are going to walk in the
spirit of God, then we are to be known as the sons of God, just as it says in
Romans 8:14 "For as many as ARE led by the Spirit of God, they ARE
the sons of God." Notice that it is present tense. If we are led, then we are
the sons of God.
In closing, take one more walk with me, to Galatians 5:16-17. (16)"This I say
then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17)
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would." Walking in the Spirit keeps us in the Spirit, walking in the flesh will
allow the flesh to take over. We all know what the flesh likes, and that would
be sin. If we refer back to Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life."
The wages of sin is Spiritual death. Our only hope is exactly what it says here,
the gift of God, being eternal life. This gift is the loving grace of God and
our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. If you have never received this precious
gift, please say this simple prayer with me.
Dear Lord come into my life and crucify my flesh that I may walk in the walk of
Christ. Amen.
If you said this little prayer then please find a church home that preaches the
word of God and tell the preacher there that you have accepted Jesus as your
friend and saviour. Also drop me a line to let us know that you have accept
Jesus so we can rejoice with you and send you a few things to help you with your
Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone