July 11, 2018
… Continued from July 4, 2018, Though these spiritual “infants” had been born again, they were still dripping baptismal water, that is, they had come up out of the water but had not left the water for dry land and a maturing life of walking with God. God wants us to grow and mature in our faith and our relationship with Him. In doing this, we honor Him and grow in our walk with Him. (Continued July 11, 2018) …
The great British mathematician and physicist, Sir Isaac Newton, when asked about his scientific greatness, confessed, “I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” If Newton acknowledged to only touching the shoreline of truth, what can we Christians say about the degree of our commitment to walking with God?
Is there an ocean or sea of spiritual opportunity that leads to a walk with God? Jesus provides an example using His disciple Peter. Peter, a fisherman, had fished all night and caught nothing. But at Jesus’ directive, Peter and his weary crew left the shoreline and rowed back into the deep water and reluctantly cast their nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to break (Luke 5:6). While Peter saw only a long night of hard work and empty nets, Jesus saw a sea filled with fish. This fisherman would become a fisher of men for Christ.
God Desires Faith to Be Accompanied By Godly Behavior
In the Book of Micah. The Old Testament prophet writes, “He has told you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
THE THREE KEYS TO WALKING WITH GOD
In a single sentence, Micah sets down three principles of behavior an individual will practice if they desire to grow spiritually and walk with God. According to the Bible, these standards of conduct are not optional. God requires them.
- That you do justice—that is doing what is just and right with neighbors; to act with integrity and fairness in all your relationships. Jesus endorsed this command when He said, “And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way” (Luke 6:31). You come close to living justly when the golden rule governs your actions.
- That you love kindness—that you be helpful, considerate, and merciful; loving your neighbor, even when undeserved. It is the kind of love and compassion that embodies the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16a). The person, who desires to walk with God, will love their neighbor with God’s kind of love. Only when we practice justice and show loving-kindness toward our neighbor are we indeed prepared to walk humbly with God.
- That you walk humbly (that you fellowship with God in the spirit of humility), being ever mindful that you are in the presence of the Most Holy One. He is the Creator and you the creation. The goal is to be pleasing to God.
In its simplicity, this threefold spiritual plan—do justly, love kindness and walk humbly with God— provides for spiritual growth and happiness. God warns that spiritual form must not become a substitute for religious service; no ritual can make up for the absence of character and ethical behavior. People can be very religious and still not walk with God.