The Christian Walk

The New Testament calls the life we live in Christ the walk. It begins when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. Just as a physical walk progresses us in our travels, our Christian walk progresses us in our relationship with God. In our Christian life, we start out just as a baby, crawling then learning to walk before we can ever think of running.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7 

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 

For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16 

Walk In The Light 

It is a lot easier to walk without falling when you are walking in the light. 

The time during which 1 John was written was a time of spiritual darkness. A group of false teachers had emerged who denied many things, one being that Jesus had come in the flesh. Many people of that time followed these false teachers. John wanted those who had accepted Jesus Christ to walk in the light. He wanted them to grow and progress in their faith and not waiver. John expresses that God is not only light, but there is NO darkness or evil in Him. 

We as His children, walking in His light should reflect in our actions what we believe. We must continually ask ourselves if our actions reflect His teachings. There are many things in this world that attempt to pull us away from the light into the darkness. When we accept Christ we have a spiritual nature, but we do not lose our natural human nature. We struggle with our dual nature. Even as we strive to live in the light, there is always that pull towards darkness. John's message is as relevant today as it was then. We need close fellowship with the Lord, to walk in the light and keep away from that darkness that wants to pull us away.

Walk In Fellowship

As John wrote this letter, he was writing to Christian people. We are to be in fellowship with one another. As we travel through our Christian life, in our Christian walk, we do it together. It so important in our Christian walk to be to walk with others. And best of all, Jesus is also walking with us. Walking in His light is the best path as we walk through this life. Have you been walking your path alone? If so have you been discouraged along the way? We do not have to walk alone. As Christians, we have each other to encourage us through whatever comes across our path. Christians should not live in isolation from one another. We really do need one another. We have much greater opportunity to make a difference for our Lord if we work together. 

Walk In Forgiveness 

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6 

Here Paul talks about being thankful for one another; he talks about praying for one another; he talks about partnering together with the confidence that He saved us and He will continue to work in us to complete the walk. We need to walk in the light and walk together and walk in forgiveness. 

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It is great to receive it and to be the one to offer forgiveness. We are all sinners and to claim to be without it is a lie because we are all guilty. Our God is a faithful and just God and He will forgive us. However, the fact that we have this forgiveness does not give us free reign to sin over and over with the expectation that all we have to do is ask to be forgiven. If we are His children, He is the best Father that has ever been and as such, He will discipline us. 

How is your walk? Are you walking in the light, in fellowship with other Christians, in His forgiveness?