Walk This Way

Gal 3:1-7,

2 Cor 7:1 Since these promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring consecration to completeness in the fear of God.

We are the children of God if we believe and receive Jesus Christ. We also by faith perfect our walk, our conduct and behavior to match the inward reality. The best cup of coffee will be unappealing when it comes to us in a dirty, cracked cup. We believe and let the Holy Spirit work His will, His nature into our hearts. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6

Phil 2:13 God works in us both to do and will… Our will is freed. We allow ourselves to co-labor with God in order that we may look and act/behave more and more like our Father. We grow up into this. We embrace the lessons by faith, believing, receiving His nature, we let it grow into fullness within us. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Eph 3:20-21.

Each of us have a garden inside of us. Each of us are responsible for what grows and are allowed to flourish in our garden.  Our job is to “let” and “let not”. Romans 6 says that we are no longer slaves. We have been freed to make choices, to make righteous choices. 1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and [fn]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

People ask why God allows the evil in the world. He gave us the job of taking care of this world and we allow the evil to flourish. When good people are only concerned about their own little circle, their own comfort, their own ease, then evil flourishes. When we do not take responsibility for the world we were given, we have wickedness in charge. We have the job to yield to God and not to evil. Yet we yield to evil, we refuse to fight it. We choose the easy, lazy way. We choose the path of least resistance and reap a dust storm.

We can through faith combat evil/sin/wickedness in our own personal lives; in our family, in our neighborhood. We have the authority from God, as kings and priests to say “NO” to wickedness and evil but “YES” to righteousness, goodness and godliness.  We are NO LONGER slaves. We have been freed. We have choices. Ro 6:14 says that sin/evil shall no longer have dominion over us. Eph 4:14-16 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Being under grace does not mean that you park your blessed assurance in a rocking chair or hammock and hang a sign that reads: “Don’t bother me. I’ve arrived.” Because of this grace we have received we persuade others. What do we persuade them of? What is our message? That the emancipation proclamation has been made! You and I have been freed from sin. Receive your freedom and take the responsibility to live like those who are free. You are redeemed in Jesus Christ. You are Kings and Priests. You are citizens of God’s Eternal Kingdom! Now live like it. Eph 2:10 says that we are God’s handiwork/ His workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do the good works which God has purposed for us.

This does not mean that we earn salvation by works. It means that because we are free to serve God, free to be His ambassadors, free to be His kings and priests, we do those things that bring Him glory and honor. We are His temple, His habitation, His body, His bride, His people, His army and we are to be busy doing His work. Col1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;, Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places..

Jesus, at the age of 12, told his mother and Joseph. “I need to be about my father’s business”. How about you?