Walk With God

I Peter 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

I Peter 2:12 “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

In our King James translation of the scripture one word that we see some 21 times is the word “CONVERSATION”. This word is used predominantly by Paul and Peter in their writings and is used to designate a person’s behavior, or manner of life. Another word, one that means much the same thing and that is more common in usage in our world today is the word walk. During my business career it was common to hear that someone could “talk the talk” but refused to “walk the walk”. This simply meant that he was a hypocrite and didn’t practice that which he preached or did not conduct himself as he expected others to conduct themselves.

In the Old Testament scripture we are told about men who “WALKED” with or “BEFORE” God. Enoch walked with God and was one of two men in scripture that did die because God took them:

Genesis 5:21-22 “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: ²²And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:”

Then we read about his great-grandson, Noah; patriarch of the eight saved when God destroyed the earth by the flood:

Genesis 6:9 “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

When God made his covenant with Abram, before he renamed him Abraham, he gave him these instructions.

Genesis 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

And Abraham taught his son Isaac to do the same thing, and Isaac did so. When he approached Laban, having been sent there by Abraham to seek his wife he declared what his father Abraham had told him:

Genesis 24:40 “And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:”

What does in mean to walk with God? The Psalmist describes it this way:

Psalms 16:8 “I HAVE SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE ME: BECAUSE he is AT MY RIGHT HAND, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED.”

Psalms 73:23 “NEVERTHELESS I am CONTINUALLY WITH THEE: THOU HAS HOLDEN me BY MY RIGHT HAND.”

Just as you and I were taken by the hand and led by our parents as a little child; we walk with God when we allow God our Father to take us by the hand spiritually and lead us through our lives. But in order to walk with God we must be reconciled to God, be in harmony with him:

Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

In order to walk with God we must be reconciled and in harmony with Him in all aspects of a godly, righteous and sober life. To walk with God is to set God always before us, and to act as those that are always under his eye. There’s an old hymn that we don’t sing much anymore because I don’t think people like it much. It’s called “Watching You” and talks about an “all-seeing eye” watching you.

To “Walk With God” is to live a life in communion and fellowship with God in both his law and his providence. It is to make God’s word the ruling factor of our lives and his glory our purpose in all of our actions. It is to make the way of God our constant concern and work so that in every thing we please God, and do nothing to offend him. It is to conform to his will, to agree with his precepts and to be workers together with him. It is to be as Paul told the Ephesian brethren:

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ²And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:1-2

This is the example that Enoch sets before the multiplied millions that read this very brief account of his life. And as Enoch was rewarded by God, our walk will be rewarded as well with eternity in the presence of Almighty God. Will you be rewarded at the judgment because of your “Walk With God?” But before you can walk with God you must first be a child of God – Invitation.