The Reformed Witness Update
03-2000

Update

Volume 1 Issue 3

Strategies

 

“Though “the words of the wise be as nails fastened by the masters of the assemblies,” yet their examples are the hammer to drive them in, to take a deeper hold. A father that whipped his son for swearing, and swore himself whilst he whipped him, did more harm by his example than good by his correction.”

Thomas Fuller

 

The Godly Walk With God

For the saint, it is a solemn and joyful purpose to order one’s life in the fear and service of the Lord. Those who are truly Sons of God love to walk in the Light of His Grace. For these elect souls, there is no greater blessing than to walk with the Lord. Herein lies the blessing, honor, and duty of every Christian.

If this is so, then why are so many so-called Christians walking contrary to this admonition? Either through ignorance, sloth, or reprobation, today’s Christian has invalidated this fundamental Christian posture.

What is it to Walk With God?

In order to examine ourselves we first must understand what it means to walk with God. There are a number of issues concerning this principle.

Firstly, the obedience of walking with God must be a result of Grace. It is only through the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the soul, that establishes an individual in this relationship. Once born from His Spirit, the soul enjoys a walk with God. Therefore, to walk with God is to be in Spiritual fellowship with Him through the Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Secondly, we must understand that once this Grace is shed abroad in our hearts, and we are moved to cry, “Abba, Father” , we are brought into that eternal and glorious Covenant being in Covenant with God is to walk with God.

Thirdly, it must be established that to walk with God, by the New Birth, is to stand perfect in Christ. The Christian walks before God in the perfection of Christ’s person and work. He stands perfect before God in Christ, by faith, in faith, and through faith, which is that Divine Gift of the Father.

Yet, there is a fourth, and extremely important aspect of walking with God which must also be addressed. To walk with God implies that we ought to be exercised in the pragmatic aspects of obedience, as we live and function in this “real world“.

We are to follow His example so as to be examples ourselves. A professor of religion that does not manifest the posture of Jesus Christ in the actions of his life, is a hypocrite and deceives himself. Thus, a man’s witness is legitimized by his conduct.

Too often, Gospel obedience is looked at in a metaphysical way. This allows for the omission of any real action of obedient conduct. Looking at the Word of God in a Spiritual fashion is good, however, spiritualizing it away, is evil. The Scriptures identify the Godly life as a life that practically walks with God from the Root of the New Birth.

The Family Must Walk With God

One problem facing the Christian family is the neglecting of duties. Each position in the Gospel home is commissioned with particular responsibilities. Each of these responsibilities are Covenantal in nature, and engage the family member in a binding fashion.

God engages the husband of the household in official and practical duties. According to Ephesians 5, he is explicitly told that he is to “love his wife even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her“. This is to be accomplished in a very practical fashion.

The commission engages the husband in real duties. Principally, he is to love his wife. This does not mean that he can simply preach to her the Gospel. If she is a Christian woman she has received the Gospel already. Certainly God’s intention here has both a greater depth, and a wider scope.

The Scriptures give us further insight as the directive continues. The husband is also commanded to love his wife as Christ has loved the church. God is commanding the husband to be to his wife as caring, compassionate, communicative, protective, merciful, forgiving, patient, kind and loving, as Christ is toward the saints. God further exemplifies the husband’s practical commission by laying down the principles of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

In 1 Corinthians 13 God delineates exactly how one is to love. There can be no varying from these very real directives. A husband that does not minister to his wife through the practical means prescribed in the scriptures is not loving her as Christ loved the Church.

As a father, the husband has a further engagement of duties. He is to teach his children with care and patience. He is to be sober and gentle, so as not to provoke his children to wrath. Yet he is to be firm, without being tyrannical. In his administering of discipline, he must blend chastisement with mercy. All these precepts are living commandments that are to be exercised and manifested in this life.

The same admonition is given the wife. She too is in Covenant with God to perform her duties practically. She is given clear directives to love her husband and honor him. She is told to love her children and to be of a Godly character. She is commissioned particularly with the ordering of the entire household. When God says she is to guide the house, His words imply that she is to be the “Governor” of the house. Furthermore, she is to be the keeper at home with, her husband in support of her work. cf Prov 31

Likewise the children have a commission to obey their parents in the Lord. Their obedience must be actually executed for it to be Godly obedience. Whenever the Spirit of God is present, there will be the manifestation of a pragmatic Godly walk.

The Church Must Walk With God

The same holds for the Church. If the Church functions in a vacuum, without regard for the practical precepts of life, it cannot be called a Christian Church. Moreover, if the Church does not teach the practical issues of Godly conduct in every area of life, it blasphemes the word and falls under God’s chastisement.

Those who are the Children of the inheritance understand what it means to walk with God. They understand both the Spiritual import as well as the practical import, of Holy Scripture. One cannot nullify the other, nor are they antagonistic one toward another. They are yoked together for both the benefit of the saints and the Glory of God.

If there is ever to be Biblical Restoration in the land, it must begin with the saints. Let us, therefore, strive together to be the Christian that God has made us. Let us live and breathe the precepts of God, so that we would be strengthened in the inner man both to know and to do of His good pleasure, as He seeks to work mightily in us. Amen. RW

 

“God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority. It is not enough that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation as David did before he fell asleep.”

John Owen

 

The Reformed Witness is an Update and Strategy Newsletter for the edification of the Saints. Its companion issues, The Reformed Witness on Apostasy and The Reformed Analysis are available in print format or via internet access at www.hisglory.us The Reformed Witness and The Reformed Analysis are ministries of the Reformed Bible Church. PO Box 2397 Appomattox VA 24522 email

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Additional issues of "The Reformed Witness"

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