Walking With God

Coming up in the church, I found myself going through the motions of services.  I would go to church camp and go through the motions there; learning the things they needed me to learn, memorizing what they wanted me to memorize.  In doing that, I ended up finding my religion in church and only in church, but later in life I learned that I needed to have a personal relationship with God.  My father told me when I was young that I needed to have a church relationship with the Lord in which I have a purpose and membership in the body of Christ - one that requires a love and support of the other members.  However, he told me that I also needed a personal relationship with God. One where I find my own purpose and walk with God to be able to sustain my faith when I’m not being uplifted by the other members in their presence.  I searched for any references in the Bible that would guide me and was pointed to Philipians 2:12.

Philipians 2:12 (AMP)

12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].

Paul writes to the church to work out their salvation.  I found in studying that this could mean the plural form of you, however, in the King James and New King James version of the bible translations add the word “own” to say “own salvation.”  I believe it can mean both. In the context of this study, we can apply the thought that we are to work out our salvation with God separate of others with fear and trembling. I like the text that the Amplified translation adds to the verse to literally amplify what is seen in other translations.  The sentence of saying to work out salvation is further defined by adding cultivation and actively pursuing spiritual maturity. That makes me believe that working out our salvation is an active endeavor that requires dedication. This is amplified by the later fragment added to “fear and trembling” that says things like “critical self-evaluation” to basically avoid sin.  What I find interesting in this fragment is that it doesn’t say to avoid sin because it will not get us to heaven, but here it says to not offend God or discredit the name of Chrst. Saying that what is needed is constant self-evaluation and active pursuit of spiritual maturity to not just go to heaven, but also to properly represent the God we serve.

In the passage, it also says to have “awe-inspiring fear” of God.  Growing up, I learned to not sin so that I wouldn’t go to Hell. It seemed that was the constant message I received, however, we are to be awed by God and have a great deal of reverence for him in our walk with him.  One man that showed a large amount of reverence is David. The book of Psalms is full of praise of God.

Psalms 23:1-4 (AMP)

1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],  I shall not want. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. 3 He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the [sunless] [a]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.

David presents a walk with God in which he is his actual shepard leading him to still waters and refreshes his soul.  He leads him “in the paths of righteousness” saying that God will guide us to what is best for us and that will Glorify him.  Reaching this level of a relationship with God should be our goal. The Bible tells us in Micah about walking with God. It was a directive given to Jerusalem but it is directed to us as well.  

Micah 6:8 (AMP)

He has told you, O man, what is good;  And what does the Lord require of you

Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion),

And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

There is much added to when this translation that further defines the command.  Be just. Love and “diligently practice” kindness/compassion. This compliments the passage above by contributing to the idea of constant practice and effort.  Walking with God will require us to try to stay in his will. And to be humble and set aside “any overblown sense of importance” that we may have for ourselves.  We are to forget ourselves in order to walk with God.

Humility is a big deal in Christianity.  There are several examples in the Bible of humble men that walked with God, but one stands out above the rest -- Moses.

Numbers 12:3 (AMP)

3 ([a]Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

Exodus 33:11 (AMP)

11 And so the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Numbers 12:7-8 (AMP)

7 “But it is not so with My servant Moses; He is entrusted and faithful in all My house. 8 “With him I speak mouth to mouth [directly], Clearly and openly and not in riddles; And he beholds the form of the Lord.  Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”

Moses’ walk with God was so intense and he was so humble and “devoid of self-righteousness” that God spoke with him directly; not through dreams but “mouth to mouth.”  Other translations say “face to face.” God even came to his defense when someone was bad mouthing him. Moses followed God diligently and commanded his people to do the same.

Deuteronomy 8:6

6 Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in His ways and fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect].

We are to walk in his ways “each and every day.”  And to have a profound respect and reverence for him.  This is to say that we are to put his ways above our own in a personal walk with him.  Jesus emphasized the importance of a personal walk with him to Peter.

John 21:20-22

20 Peter turned and saw the [a]disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?” 21 So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, and what about this [b]man [what is in his future]?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you? You follow Me!”

Peter wanted to know John’s future after Jesus told him of his own.  Jesus’ reply sticks in my head because often times, I’ve compared my own walk with God to others as if I were some sort of Pharisee; trying to prove myself better than others.  Then I think of this verse. I am not to worry about others’ salvation in the aspect of trying to make myself feel better or worse. I must follow Christ on my own.