YOU ARE EITHER WALKING IN GOD'S WAYS OR STUMBLING AT THEM

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Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Psalm 119:1

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Furthermore
we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians
4:1-2

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Matthew 1

Exodus 20-21

Proverbs 9

You Are Either Walking In God's Ways Or Stumbling At Them

"This is to us the end of all, this is thy choice, Christian soul, to walk in God's ways, or to stumble at them." - Barnes' Notes

In The Treasury Of David (pgs. 1105-1107), Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying - "Blessed is the man whose life is the practical transcript of God's will...Rough may be the way, stern the rule, and hard the discipline; all this we know and more, but a thousand heaped up blessings are still found in godly living, for which we bless the Lord."

Oh Child of God, are these your sentiments?

Can you proclaim with the Psalmist in Psalm 119:1 that - "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD"? Do you agree that there is no greater happiness than to be perfectly holy - sincerely believing what God has spoken...observing all of His rules...daily being conformed to His Word... and walking with a holy circumspection lest your life be defiled or spotted by the flesh?

What constitutes godly living?

It is making the "law of the Lord" our only rule of conduct

...though it be strict and narrow, we govern ourselves by that rule - walking within its guidelines

...consider it a great blessing to be obedient to all that we learn from this "law"

...with a steady progress and advancement, we walk in God's company - learning His ways and eagerly applying our learning to our everyday living.

It is definitely God's will that each and every believer's practical life be in harmony with his godly beliefs. We can see this expressed in the word of the Lord through the Prophet in Ezekiel 11:20 - "That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."

In fact, this is the only way that Christians could ever profess to be the people of God. He gave them a new spirit for the main purpose so that they would walk in all of His statutes. Their holy conduct - in turn - proves to all that He is indeed their God - the One Who did the work of redemption in their heart whereby they have abolished all idolatry and made the decision to walk in covenant with Him alone.

The Apostle Paul was so emphatic about this issue that he declared in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 - "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus."

He had a strong desire to see the Church excelling in righteousness and true holiness. He started out by "beseeching" - asking or requesting - the "brethren" - then he resorted to more earnest entreaties - "exhort you by the Lord Jesus..."

As their instructor in the faith, he repeatedly taught them their duty as Christians - "how ye ought to walk and to please God..." But even that wasn't enough. Knowing that the Lord places no limit on the measure of His grace or Spirit for the Child of God, the Apostle encouraged them to increase... excel... make further progress in holiness...walk more closely to Jesus...and grow in faith - "abound more and more."

How would it all be possible?

"...by the Lord Jesus..." - In His name and by His direction and authority it would all be made possible.

Has anyone ever attained such a state of blessedness or exuberant happiness in walking in all of the ways of the Lord?

Luke 1:6 tells us of one couple who had done so - "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Zechariah and Elisabeth were upright and holy in all of their conduct - walking faithfully with God... expressing their love for Him by their strict, exact, and punctual regard for His commands and law...and living exemplary lives whereby no one was able to charge them with any evil, fault, or sin.

But, you can almost hear some crying out - "IMPOSSIBLE!!! Such a life is not possible in the day and hour in which we live. Who can possibly walk so honestly and inoffensively before the Lord and men -whereby they are deemed "blameless" - being just and holy in all of their ways?"

The Prophet Hosea would quickly answer that question with - the "wise," "prudent," and "the just" - for, in his prophesy, he proclaimed - "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein." (Hosea 14:9).

These are the ones who have been well instructed...are gifted with a readiness to apply what they have learned to their lives... are endued with true wisdom and the understanding of God's ways... profit by any Truth given to them...hear the word of the Lord through His servants and choose to obey it...and tremble at His threatenings and are greatly encouraged by His promises.

"...for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them..."

It is "the just" who consider His "ways" to be direct, straight, exact, and perfect. His demands, principles, providences, interruptions,and actions are always "right." He cannot fail or err for He is God.

However, there is a group of people who are grieved over the requirements of this holy walk. They are the first ones to call out - "Impossible! This cannot be! No one can live that uprightly! No one can follow such high standards for holiness!" They are offended because of the restrictions or limitations that they meet along the way which oppose their lusts and passions. They stumble at "the ways of the LORD." They rebel against His commands and prohibitions. They are the "transgressors" who "fall therein" - fall in the pathway of righteousness.

There are some people - so-called "Christians" that is - who get very disturbed when they hear a sermon or read a message which presents the high standards of godliness required of believers. Because their Christianity amounts to no more than going to some Church every Sunday and Wednesday and calling themselves followers of Jesus Christ, they are severely convicted of a very shallow, meaningless, and ineffectual "walk with God." Instead of changing their ways, they "stumble at the word, being disobedient" (1 Peter 2:8). In their pride, they get highly offended and seek to find fault with the Preacher - his words or his lifestyle.

The Bible calls such - "transgressors."

We wonder - just how many "transgressors" are in the Church today proclaiming to be Born Again Christians?

You are either -

...regarding righteous living as the one and only source of all true happiness or the source of utmost grief

...identified with "the just" or with the "the transgressors"

..."defiled" or "undefiled" "in the way"

..."walking in God's ways" or stumbling at them.

Which is it?

Your answer will be determined by how many excuses for sin - if any - you make after reading a message like this one.

If you are searching for reasons to find fault with this message, guess which side you are on?

May God Bless His Word,

Connie

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)

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YOU ARE EITHER WALKING IN GOD'S WAYS OR STUMBLING AT THEM

Posted by: Administrator on Tue, Sep 4, 2012: