B – WALKING WITH JESUS – 2
Our walk is the way we behave and conduct our daily life. This is not just a casual stroll. When we walk with Jesus we have chosen Him to be our guide. Ps.31:3 He alone knows the way. Ps.1:1,6 Man thinks He knows the way but he deceives himself when he follows his own way. Prov.14:12; Gal.6:3 Jesus said, “I am the Way…”. Jhn.14:6 Surely, we want to walk with someone that knows the way. The life of the early Christian was so well known that it was spoken of as “The Way”. Acts 22:4 Paul spoke of the Way before Felix as he explained his conversion. As we walk with Jesus, is the way we behave and the conduct in our daily life so obvious to the world that they can see we are walking with Jesus?
So much sin and darkness surrounds us in this world. We need to walk with a Light. Jesus is that Light. Jhn.8:12 The Corinthian Christians lived in the midst of idolatry and darkness of sin, Paul quoted from Leviticus and told them to come out and be separate. Then God could walk with them. 2 Cor.6:16,17 Jesus cannot walk with us when we are walking in sin. Sin separates us from God. Isa.59:2 This is serious.
The Colossians had once walked in terrible sin (all sin is terrible). Their lives had shown anger and wrath. Malice, slander and abusive speech had come from their mouth. They had lied to one another. Now they had put all of these things aside and had put on a brand new self. Col.3:7-10 They were changing their lives from darkness to Light. Such should be our renewal. Do we still have things which need to be “put off”? If we intend to walk with Jesus, sin cannot be in our lives. Do we sin? Of course we do. The difference is found in Heb.10:26. After we learn what sin is, we cannot willfully go on doing those things and expect to be able to walk with our Lord.
If we are walking in the Light of Jesus, our sins can still be forgiven and cleansed as we have fellowship with one another in Christ. 1 Jhn.1:7 These sins would not be willful and continuous when we know better.
One detriment to our walking with Jesus is hate. We cover this up. “Oh, we don’t hate”, we say; yet we do not love them. This blinds our eyes so we are deceived. 1 Jhn.2:11 The Greek word for “hate” often means “detest or love less”. This probably involves a lack of forgiveness as well. This person may have said something, done something, or have had an attitude that rubbed us the wrong way. We are never guilty of these things, are we? Or maybe we are! At any rate, we detest them or don’t love them—especially if they are a brother or sister in Christ. We can’t walk with Jesus with these blind eyes as to what we are doing. 1 Jhn.2:6 Let us walk in the same way Jesus walks. We cannot hold a grudge. This leads to bitterness. Heb.12:15 Our heart becomes damaged with this attitude.
If we are walking with Jesus, we need to walk in Truth. Ps.86:11 As John begins his gospel, he states that Jesus, the Son of God, was full of grace and truth. Jhn.1:14 Thomas asked Jesus how they would know the way to the place where Jesus was going. Jhn.14:6 Jesus is not only the way but He is the Truth. When we walk with Jesus, we walk with the Truth. Innumerable times through the gospels, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth”. As Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit that would be sent after He left, He called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. Jhn.14:16,17
Paul warned the elders of Ephesus as he was departing for Jerusalem
Pilot asked, “What is truth?” Jhn.18:38 This question is answered in Eph.1:13. From obeying this Truth, the gospel of our salvation, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. This enables us to walk with Jesus.
We speak of the fruit of the spirit. When we follow the Light or we walk with Jesus, there is fruit that is shown in our lives. Eph.5:9 Along with goodness and righteousness truth is also a fruit. This pleases the Lord with whom we walk. Truth is part of our armor as a Christian against the temptations of the devil. Eph.6:14
Paul commends the Colossians in that they had learned of the hope in Christ from the Word of Truth, the gospel, and this knowledge caused them to understand God’s grace in its Truth. Col.1:5,6 A real understanding of our salvation and the hope that is in us takes both grace and Truth. Truth defines grace but grace cannot come without Truth.
We purify ourselves by obeying the Truth. 1 Pet.1:22 This enables us to have a sincere love for each other—a love that comes from the heart. This love shows the world that we are walking with Jesus. Jhn.13:35
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