CENTRAL THOUGHT
God’s desire is that we walk closely with Him.
Hymn: “Oh for a closer walk with God”
TEXT: GENESIS 3:3-8, 5:24; JOHN 13:21-26
INTRODUCTION:
Perhaps one of the greatest privileges anyone can have, is to walk with God. Men and women of God across generations, past and present; that made genuine marks in the work of God always had this testimony that they WALKED with Him. It involves a relationship with God the Father – as was Adam and
Enoch, Genesis 3:8-11, 5:24; The Lord Jesus, as with John the apostle, John 13:23; and FELLOWSHIP with the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 2:1. A closer walk with God therefore entails a deeper realm and dimension of this relationship with the Godhead (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). Today the need for the call to a closer walk with God has become increasingly imperative. This is because the increasing rate at which Christians see to be vulnerable to the same “plague” their unbelieving counterpart are subjected has become worrisome. The covenant of blood, “. . . and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. . .” Exodus 12:13.
This study seeks to help us return to the pathway of closely walking with God on a sustainable basis.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1.) To know what it means to walk with the Lord.
2.) To know how to develop a culture of closer relationship with God; and
3.) To avail oneself of the blessed benefits of such a life.
BIBLE TRUTH:
QUESTION 1) WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD” MEAN?
The phrase immediately suggests that there is a GAP between where we are currently, and where we ought to be in matters of godliness. For example: (a) a Christians that claims to be born again and is still living actively in sin have a clear gap to fill; (b) a Christian that has been saved and refuses to go for water baptism by immersion has an obvious issue with God; (c) after water baptism, a Christian that refuses to seek the baptism in the Holy Ghost has a very dangerous gap to fill; (d) the “tongue talking” Christian that is not evangelizing, is not wise and is unproductive; and (e) the “tongue talking” Christian that cannot demonstrate both the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit is empty spiritually and carnal. The phrase also
suggests that after identifying one’s true position, relative to where we ought to be, that we go to God in very sincere cry of ardent desire to return back to Him, Philippians 3:13
-The first step is having a very personal knowledge of God through the born-again experience enshrined in the salvation plan of God. This involves being decisive in putting away the old life, living a new one in Christ, that has the genuine fruit of sustained holiness and practical commitment to the propagation of God’s interest on earth. That admits you into the family of God, Colossians 1:12-14;
-Fellowship with God. While this can be as dramatic as the physical interactive presence of God, which was with Adam in the garden of Eden, the intercessory session with angelic representatives of God as with Abraham, fellowship with God in the New Testament arrangement by God is MORE WITH THE HOLY GHOST, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19 and Philippians 2:1. What admits us into this glorious relationship is the genuine baptism in the Holy Ghost. With this in place, fellowship with God is consummated in a disciplined and consistent prayer life – perhaps long enough for you to receive definite instructions
as per individual requests and God’s personal information, due for transmission, through His feedback mechanism.
-Obedience. God cannot share highly classified information with you if you are not ready to obey. 1
Samuel 15:22-23 indicates thus, for “…..to obey is better than sacrifice”. God also deposited on the obedient Apostle Paul, some things that were “not lawful for a man to utter”, 2 Corinthians 12:1-6.
QUESTION 3) ARE THERE BLESSED BENEFITS IN HAVING A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD?
A few examples should be sufficient to illustrate the blessedness of this privileged relationship with God
-Enoch. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not, for God took him”, Genesis 5:23. Any greater privilege than to be preserved by God until your time for special assignment ripens?
-Abraham. “And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do…?”, Genesis 18:16-22. What an honor for the opinion of mortal man to be consulted before the Almighty takes a final decision on crucial destiny matters
-Job. “And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil?” Blessed is the man that God can trust. Can He trust you? -John the apostle. “Now there was LEANING on Jesus’ bossom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”, John 13:23-26. Can you imagine the intimacy? Little wonder then why the greatest revelations of all ages was committed to Brother John in the book of Revelation. Let’s summarize the benefits in the words of Apostle Paul thus: “godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come”, 1 Timothy 4:8.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
The need to encourage ourselves to desire a closer walk with the Lord on a daily basis cannot be
overemphasized. The increasing pressure on our faith deserves no less if we must be able to withstand all the wiles of the devil, Ephesians 6:11. Recurrent seeming helpless situations must begin to generate spiritual revolts in our spirit as was Lot, 2 Peter 2:7, as to how a more lasting solution can be achieved. A closer walk with the Lord allows us access to the Lords’ treasury of solutions to our individual, family, congregational, societal and national problems.
MEMORY VERSE:
GENESIS 5:24
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not, for God took him”.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
MON: Be born again. John 3:7
TUE: What, could not watch with me one hour? Matthew 26:36-46
WED: Are you baptized in the Holy Ghost? Acts 19:2
THU: Begin to practice having fellowship with the Spirit of the Living God. Philippians 2:1
FRI: What has God said concerning your particular situation? Deuteronomy 29:29
SAT: Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. Luke 5:4