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Christian Walk

This teaching section takes a look at what God's Word tells us about our walk and what manner of life we should show forth. Let's start by turning to the Scriptures:

Ephesians 2:10 Ephesians 4:1 Ephesians 4:17 Ephesians 5:2 Ephesians 5:8 Ephesians 5:15

1. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.Here, in the first mention of walk, we find it connected with works. The believer is the workmanship of God and has a purpose in this life. Whether the works were before ordained, or we were ordained to walk in them, makes little difference. We can conclude that the mark of the real believer is that he is walking in good works according to the will of God. He fulfills the desire of God.

2. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. In the Greek, this word worthy means in balance, as the beam on the scales. Our works are to balance the doctrine of the first 3 chapters. This is the balance we should keep in our walk.

3. Walk not as other Gentiles walk. This is as much as to say that we are not to be conformed to the world about us. Such a walk is in emptiness of mind, with the understanding darkened, and in such a blindness of heart as to be alienated from the life of God. Such a walk leads only to death, for the wages of sin is death, and always has been. Those who have learned Christ do not walk as do other Gentiles. One's true character is revealed by his walk.

4. Walk in love. This item and the 2 following give some detail of the walk of the member of the body of Christ. This is the testing ground and the basis for judging for rewards and the crown. Walk in love has to do primarily with the relationship of husband and wife ( Ephesians 5:22 and Eph. 5:25-33). Every item in these verses is truth for today. The wife who is not subject to her husband cannot have joy and peace in this life. She was made to be a helpmeet.

Any other position she may take is contrary to nature. Likewise the husband is to love and cherish his wife, for they are one flesh. The man who obeys this admonition shows forth as an example the love of Christ for His church, which is His own body and of His flesh, a church or body of which He is the Head.

5. Walk as children of light. We are to walk as if in the full Sheckinah glory of the tabernacle in the heavens above. For our citizenship is in the holy of holies in the heavenly places, we are blest there, and we are seated there in Christ. Our walk should be in keeping with such a high calling. This walk can also be applied to the relation of children and parents (Ephesians 6:1-4). The walk has to do with such everyday things as home relationships, not to exploits on the battlefield or the like. The home is the gateway to heaven.

6. Walk circumspectly. Walk carefully. This applies especially to our contacts without the home, and may be covered by the relationship of masters and servants (Ephesians 6:5-9).

Few workers can be found these days who will do their service as unto the Lord. But this is a testing and the future service will be gauged by our service now. Those who endure will reign with Him. Our diligence in our job advertizes our zeal for the Lord. Ultimately all our service is for Christ and should be done heartily, not as to men, and we know that of Him we receive the reward of the inheritance.

In a past dispensation, we are reminded that All them that believe...have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22-23). And if that is true, then where does the unbeliever stand? It is common for verse 23 to be taken out of its context and made to refer to the unbeliever by the self-styled evangelist. But is this distortion of Scripture justified? In the doctrinal section of Ephesians (chapters 1-3) we find much about the perfection of the believer. But does he have sinless perfection? If he did, then we would have no need for the last 3 chapters which are about practice. We have many do's and don'ts for the member of the church which is the body of Christ. Are these laws? No, they are exhortations for believers. When there was law, there was a covenant. But no covenant today. Yet, we are to understand that there is reward, prize, crown, or something extra for the ones who suffer or endure in the faith.

Law gave the knowledge of sin, what it was and to avoid it, lest... But grace tells us about how sin has been abolished as far as a penalty is concerned, for Christ died for our sins. That is grace. So it is up to us to accept that as a fact and walk accordingly.

In Paul's day there were some who would advocate sinning so that grace would abound. That is a sample of man's reasoning. Just where did he expect to get with that?

And since the Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world, not imputing men's trespasses against them, them are those who live in darkness who would say that we can now sin without any fear of punishment. And that is true of the unbeliever, for if he never believes, he will never live again. We cannot say that this is a punishment, for the dead know not anything. And there are times when we are inclined to think that many of the living know not anything. Why? Because they are dead already in trespasses and sins. Not all who walk about are considered to be alive - spiritually.

Members of the church are to walk in love: To love one another as Christ loved us. God is love, and Christ is God. How can one be in Christ and not love his neighbor? Impossible!

Members of the church are to walk as children of light, as walking in the sheckinah glory of the heavenly places. Why should any prefer darkness? Are their deeds evil?

Members of the church are to walk circumspectly or narrowly. One who walks in a straight line can save mileage and time and not get lost, as do those who wander all over the landscape and forget where they are going.

The grand and glorious calling of the members of the body is beyond description. Yet, we are to walk worthy of that calling...to walk worthy of Christ. Search the Scriptures. These might be so.

For ye are saved by grace. This is truth for all times. All men who have ever been saved have been saved by grace and by grace alone. It has never been by works. Nor has it ever been by grace plus works at any time. No man has ever deserved salvation. The natural man can do no work that could be pleasing to God. The flesh, the natural man is not subject to the law of God, neither can be.

Salvation has never been forced on any man in any age or dispensation. Peter recognized the universal truth of this when he said, Whosoever believeth in Him (Acts 10:43) and to that also agrees John 3:16 which uses the same wording. So salvation comes by faith or belief. That faith may be only like unto a mustard seed for size at the beginning, but God can make it grow. Man can choose life or death. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. This is the principle given. Faith is not a work, but simply the acceptance of a work that has been done and finished on Calvary.

What the Word Says About Self Defense

Alan talks about what YHWH's Word says about self defense ... it's not as simple as most churches would like you to think.

Why Have You Forsaken Me? | Psalm 22

Alan covers the whole of Psalm 22 – the prophecy of Yahshua's crucifixion ... and explains what Yahshua was really saying when He cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"

Repent or Perish!

A growing debate in our fundamental churches is the issue of repentance. Since large churches are often built by "not scaring anyone away," it is becoming very common to hear sermons and read newsletters which proclaim a repentless salvation. That is, many are boldly proclaiming that one does not have to repent of his sins to be saved. I recently heard a message on tape by a very popular preacher who stated that every New Testament command to repent is addressed to a saved person. His reasoning was that lost people just need to trust Christ and not worry about sins. This man has preached this doctrine for many years, and many have followed in his steps. Most any Bible-believing preacher or personal worker can tell you numerous stories about the so-called "Christians" they've met who were supposedly saved after repeating a brief prayer. There was no Holy Ghost conviction, no change of attitude about the world, the flesh, or their numerous sins, and there was no evidence of a new life after their conversion. Yet, this person was "chalked up" as another new addition to the kingdom of God.

I know of a church which used to send out a monthly bulletin which gave the totals for their converts and baptisms for the month. Nearly every issue stated that between two and three hundred people had been saved in the previous thirty days. This went on for about three or four years, which means that over 7,000 people made professions. Did this church have 7,000 members? No, they did not. Did they have at least 5,000? No, they did not. At least 1,000? Nope. Maybe 500? I think not! On a big day this church might break 300. On an average Sunday, their attendance was less than 200 people. They had 200 in attendance, yet they really believed that they had been leading 200 to Christ every month for over thirty-six months straight! One of their members ran into me at the county fair one night where we were passing out tracts. He said, "Hey, we've had twelve saved tonight!" I don't know if these twelve ever made it to church, but I'm certain they made the monthly bulletin.

The trouble is that too many preachers have been convinced that getting a profession and getting folks to church is the main thing. "If we can just get them in church, we can work on the repentance later" seems to be the rule of the day. Another rule goes like this: "We don't want to say or do anything to scare them off." Naturally, the word "repent" scares the daylights out of lost people, so repentance is forsaken in order to get the person to make a profession and maybe even come to church. As the years roll by, the church becomes a great big nursery filled with lost people and spiritual babies. Less than ten percent of the membership does over ninety percent of the spiritual work of the church. However, the weak majority still FEELS important because they have their picture in the church directory, and they get to argue and vote in business meetings.

This whole stinking mess started when the ambitious preacher got the "bright" idea to ignore a word that occurs over one hundred times in the Bible in its various forms. With the inspired words of God being our guide, let us study the subject of repentance and hopefully help someone to stay on the straight and narrow way.

Repentance in the Bible has three basic elements: a genuine sorrow towards God (II Cor. 7:9-10), a genuine separation from sin (Heb. 6:1; Acts 26:20), and a genuine submission to God's will (Acts 9:6; 1Thess. 1:9). In other words, repentance involves a totally changed life. II Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." According to the Bible, all things are new once a man is in Christ, and old things are passed away. Repentance is certainly a requirement. Jesus began his ministry preaching, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat. 4:17) In Matthew 9:13 he said, ". . . I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." He upbraided cities in Matthew 11:20 "because they repented not." Repentance is required for salvation, and no honest and serious student of Scripture can claim otherwise.

But let's not stop here. The Bible offers many clear commands for preachers to deal with sin and repentance. In Isaiah 58:1, God says, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

How about Isaiah 55:6-7? "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." God is holy, and he demands that we forsake sin in order to have his fellowship.

We use Isaiah 1:18 a lot in dealing with lost people: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." That's a great verse, but so are verses 16 and 17: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." God isn't just interested in forgiveness; he's first interested in repentance.

Do you want more? Consider some words from Ezekiel: "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 18:30-31) "Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers." (Ezekiel 20:4) "Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations." (Ezekiel 22:2) Why so much emphasis on sin? Doesn't God know that such negative preaching will scare people away?! Maybe some of the brethren need to send the Lord one of their milky and repentless newsletters to inform him of his errors. Just imagine how many souls could be "saved" if we would all just shut up about sin and repentance!

To Read More "Repent or Perish!"

NEW LIFE FACT I

BELIEVE YOU ARE VALUABLE AS GOD’S CREATION
YOU ARE CREATED in God’s image to share His life, love, purpose and creative plan. You are therefore infinitely valuable to Him. He is saying to you, right now: “I love you. I created my best when I created you. I paid a price for you and you are worth all I ever paid for you. I have destined my best for you.
God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. In the likeness of God he created male and female.2

God made nothing inferior. He is first class all the way. He created you unique. You are exceptional —one-of-a-kind Before you were born, you existed in God’s mind. He knew this world would need you at this time. He planned you with a special purpose that no one but you could fulfil because no one on earth could do what you are here to do. Your God-given value does not depend on special genes from superior parents. Your worth before God is not measured by your assets, the colour of your skin, super intelligence or formal education. All sorts of miracles start happening when you discover and accept your value and your potential.

The Bible says, You are God’s workmanship.3 The man who wrote most of the Psalms was wonder-struck by how God made human persons. The Lord made people a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor4 (K.J.V. a little lower than the angels. The original Hebrew word used is “Elohim” — God, as used in Ge.1:l.)
The Lord gave them dominion over the works of his hands; he put all things under their feet.5
The bottom line of positive and stable self-esteem is when you can say: “I accept the value that God has put on me. When you do that, you will then cooperate with God to develop the best possible you in this world.

Self-value will rid you of all jealousy because you will never again want to be anyone else.6
Self-value will wipe out inferiority because you are in God’s class of being and He, in you, is greater than any person or any power outside of you.7
Self-value will eliminate fear of failure or defeat because nothing can stop you and God working together.8
Self-value will give you courage because you discover that with God at work in you, you become indomitable.9
Self-value will cause you to stand up tall, to square your shoulders, to look out into the future with new confidence, to walk with a steady stride, and to rise to the level of importance for which God created you. ‘
God created human persons as much like Himself as any child can be like its natural parents.
God planned that whatever could be said about Him, could be said about you.’
God never planned you or me for poverty, inferiority, sickness, depression, want or insecurity. 12
God never created anything inferior — not you —not any human person.’3

As this powerful principle takes root, you begin to see and respect yourself as a member of divine royalty. 14
God’s family is supposed to represent Him and to reflect His lifestyle on earth. Recognise your value. When you do, you cause the seeds of greatness to germinate in you.’5 Keep those seeds watered by thinking on them and reaffirming your value until your attitude and conduct are transformed.

Now say this to God, out loud.

I RECOGNIZE my value, that You created me in Your own image and likeness. Whatever can be said about You can be said about me as Your offspring.

My life is Your very breath — Your life in human form. Your best material is in me. I am the product of love. Tam created for greatness, crowned with glory and honour, to have dominion over all of Your works.

THANK YOU, LORD. I have had a rebirth of self-worth. Knowing that I am created in Your image and likeness reminds me of my divine origin, of my high purpose, of my infinite value.

I shall never again depreciate the me that You value so much. I shall never again put down what You have lifted up. I am not a nobody. I am a real somebody.

AMEN!

NEW LIFE FACT II
KNOW THAT DISTRUSTING GOD’S WORD IS THE ORIGINAL AND BASIC PROBLEM
GOD’S DREAM for humanity is recorded in the Bible book of Genesis. His plan was to reproduce Himself in Adam and Eve and to have companionship with them.
But their friendship had to be two-way. God would need to be sure that Adam and Eve wanted Him, like He wanted them. They were not required or forced to respect Him any more than you are.
God placed them in the garden of Eden and gave them every tree that is pleasant to the eye and good for food; and the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.’

The only condition: Since they were created in God’s image, to share His lifestyle, they were to trust what
He said. God made one single restriction to measure their faith and confidence in His dream for them. He said:
Of every tree of the garden you may free/v eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.2

They were expected to have confidence in what God said and that is all that He expects of you and me.
Satan, God’s enemy, heard of God’s dream and conceived a scheme to induce Adam and Eve to betray
God’s trust.
Satan came into the garden.3 He contradicted God, asserting himself as an authority, and said: If you eat of that tree, you will not surely die.4
Eve took of the fruit and ate it, and gave some to her husband with her; and he ate it.
That was the original sin — distrusting God’s word.
Say this to God.
PRAYER:
LORD, now I understand why faith is so important. That is all You ask of me — just to believe
Your word.
I now realise that lack of confidence in Your word was the original sin. Your friendship and companionship with me depend on our mutual trust. You want to know that I desire Your company and Your lifestyle, just like You have proven that You desire mine, And the only way I can prove my affection for You, is to trust what You say.
I have not done that hi the past. I now realise why I have had to walk alone. I have played into the enemy’s hands by abusing the trust of life You placed in me.
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE of this basic problem, I come to You, 0 Lord, convinced that Your word and Your way is the only basis for the abundant and blessed life You created me for.</p> From today, my choice shall always be to totally trust in Your living word.
AMEN!
Bible References
Gen 2:9; Gen 3:1; Gen 3:6; Gen 2:16-17; Ge.3:4

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