Walking Together It’s not just one, or a few steps that makes a walk. It’s not a rabbit trail here or there that makes a walk. A walk is an overall pattern of life’s steps that takes you along a specific path, defining everything about who you are and what your life is about. We are inundated with offers that will “change your life”. If you can just take this pill or do this particular exercise, your whole life will be transformed. There may be validity to some of these opportunities, but with every legitimate claim, it will only effectively bring change where it replaces an old way of walking with a completely new one. Until that thing becomes more than a trial, until it becomes a way of life, its potential will never be realized. What we’ve been given in Christ is so much more than just a random stroll from time to time. When we join Him in His death by accepting Him as Lord, we also join Him in His resurrection to new life. As powerful as this experience is by the glory of God, it will only realize its full purpose and potential as it completely displaces the old way of life with one that is continually new and fresh. In this new life everything must change if anything will. However, with every exposure to and acceptance of God’s glory, there is awakening to this new life and its walk of love. Where His praises rise from hearts that are reborn, there is an occupation of God’s resurrection glory with power to experience so much more than just a destination. From our place in Him we are together enabled to experience a completely transformed way of life, a walk that confirms our identity in Him. Notes By glory raised to walk Romans 6:4 4 Sharing in his death by our baptism means that we were co-buried and entombed with him, so that when the Father’s glory raised Christ from the dead, we were also raised with him. We have been co-resurrected with him so that we could be empowered to walk in the freshness of new life. Only in dying together with Him can there be living/walking in Him Galatians 2:20 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Walk according to Word, not sight 2 Corinthians 5:7 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. To follow – lit walk John 8:12 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” To walk in light is to become light Ephesians 5:8-10 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Armored walk in light Romans 13:12-13 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. Life needs walk for fruit Galatians 5:22-25 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Spirit walk vs flesh walk Galatians 5:16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. No condemnation walk Romans 8:1-4 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. A walk in light is a walk in love Ephesians 5:1-2 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Overview: We have died and risen together with Christ with power to walk in newness of life. Now the walk that is our way of life is according to what God says and not what we see. To follow Christ is to walk in the light of His presence, in honor of His holiness. Like a plant needs light to produce, so we need the light of God’s presence to produce fruit from a walk, not just a life in the Spirit. Freedom from condemnation found in a Spirit walk. Walking in the light a His children is imitating the love found there. Prayer: Father, I am so grateful for Your amazing expression of love for me in sending Jesus to die for my sins. I receive this gift of life and the grace to not just be raised together with Him, but to live, move and have my being in Christ. Flood my understanding with the light of Your love so I may imitate You in every part of my walk. Declarations: In receiving Christ as my Savior, I have been immersed together with Him in death to sin and risen together to life in God’s glory. Now my whole way of life is no longer dictated by what I can see in this life, but what I believe according to the truth of God’s Word. As I walk in the light of Jesus’ presence, I am armored against the threats of condemnation in the flesh. As a child of light I walk in the love I’ve found there, imitating my Father of lights.