WALKING WITH GOD

Part 2

Amos 3:3

Morning Meditation 8/23/17

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

NOAH IS ALSO MENTIONED IN HEBREWS 11 AS A MAN OF FAITH.

Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Let's notice some things mentioned here about Noah.

1. First of all we are told that Noah did what he did by faith. This is where the walk with God begins. There is no walk with God apart from repentance. Repentance is what one does when he believes God. For instance God says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Do you believe that? If you do, then you are agreeing with God that you are included in God's diagnosis of the human race. Because this verse says, "For ALL have sinned." That means we are all sinners. This means that we have sinned against our Creator. This means we have done Him wrong. If we admit we have done Him wrong, we are accountable to Him for it. What do we have to do to make things right? The answer to this question is shocking. There is nothing we can do. We can admit we are sinners and we can admit that we are guilty and accountable but that is as far as we can go. God says the human race was so damaged by the fall that we cannot correct the wrong we did. For instance God says in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

2. God says in these verses that no flesh will be justified by keeping the law. We can't keep God's law because we were so damaged by the fall that we just can't meet God's demands. This is brought out in Romans 8:3, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" It was not God's law that was weak, it is our flesh. Man can attempt to keep God's law but that is as far as it goes. It is like making a New Year's resolution. I have often said, and I still say, that we can't make a set of rules that we can keep, even if we make the rules ourselves. Man is a sinner and he is a slave to his own lusts and when he wants to do something badly enough, he goes ahead and does it no matter what the rules say.

3. God so loved us that He made another way for us. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

- Why does it say God gave His Son?

- What is the extent of God's love? Who does God love?

- What did God do because He loved the world?

- What does man have to do to take advantage of God giving His Son to die on the cross?

- What two things does God promise the person who believes in Jesus as his personal Saviour?

1. This is where the cross comes in. Jesus, God's eternal Son, was born of the virgin Mary so that He could have a natural body, so that He could live the life we could not live, so that He could offer Himself for our sins and die in our place. Jesus did not have a human father. If He had, He would have inherited a sinful nature just like ours. And because He didn't have an old sin nature, He lived a perfect life, and that perfect life qualified Him to die as our substitute. So when we receive Him as our personal Saviour by faith, God is satisfied in that Jesus paid our sin debt. This is God's way for us to be forgiven of our sins and become His child. When this happens He gives us eternal life and this settles the issue of our destiny once for all.

BEFORE WE CAN WALK WITH GOD WE MUST BE SAVED.

We must repent of our sins and trust Jesus as our personal Saviour. Once we are saved, we are confronted with another choice. Now that we are saved, are we going to walk with God? It is a choice. Not all Christians walk with God. God saved us to walk with Him. That should be the choice that all Christians make. But it is not easy. It takes a commitment for life. Remember this. What we do for Christ after we are saved is our love gift to Him for giving us eternal life and giving us an inheritance with Him in heaven forever. God tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." There are two very important things said in these verses:

1. We have an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us.

2. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" If we are going to walk with our Lord we must be in agreement with Him. The reason this is true is because Christianity is a religion of the heart. It will change one's entire life. You will quit running with the old crowd. When you do they are going to want to know why. When you tell them, it will infuriate them.. In many countries one could lose his life. This still happens in Muslim countries. It happens in India in certain families. When Paul was saved, those he once worked and worshipped with had every intention of killing him. Acts 9:20-25, "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket."

THEN PAUL TESTIFIED CONCERNING WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH IN CHRIST AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN 2 CORINTHIANS 11:24-28,

"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." Few have ever suffered as much as Paul did when he became a follower of Jesus Christ. But Paul was more than willing to suffer and even give his life for the gospel's sake. I have often wondered what would happen in the U.S. if we were persecuted for our faith. How many of us would be willing to go to prison or even die for the gospel's sake. Even the suggestion of this, is unbelievable for the average Christian. But the U. S. is probably the only country in the world that has not had martyrs for their faith. We need to thank God daily that we have freedom of religion in America.

America is in a sad shape morally. They have made it easy to marry and easier to get a divorce. They have made it easy to get rid of an unwanted child. I have looked and listened to the 9 supreme court judges argue the constitution of the U.S. recently and I'm going to tell you that the U. S. Constitution means very little when people get through interpreting it. What does mean something is their interpretation of the constitution. This is a very sad hour. What those honorable men meant when they wrote the constitution means very little now. The nine supreme court judges can interpret the constitution and when they do, everyone from Washington to the West coast to the Mexican border and up to the Canadian border know that the framers of the constitution didn't mean what is being interpreted at all. But the interpretation of the constitution is what our present supreme court says they meant to say. Therefore, they make a ruling and that becomes the law. Because of their ruling, a teacher can't bring a Bible, and read a verse out of it in the opening exercise of a class in a public school, and then have prayer and ask the Creator to bless them that day. And the Lord knows that they need His blessings when the public schools are turning out students that can't even read.

When we walk with God, it sometimes calls for suffering and has even at times caused one to suffer martyrdom. I don't mean to scare anyone, but one needs to look at life like God looks at it. He did not create man to live for ever on this earth. This earth has had a planned end from the beginning. And man was created as an eternal being to serve God forever. Man was created in the image of God and to glorify Him. Revelation 4:11 says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

When man reads the Bible, it will not take him long to see God's point of view for eternity. God has His point of view in mind for man and that is a joyous thing that will never end. When man gets wrapped up in this world, he forgets God's point of view and when he does that, life becomes almost meaningless and it is over before it begins.

Amos 3:3 asks, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" When God regenerates man, he changes immediately. He suddenly sees things from an altogether different viewpoint.

THE LORD TEACHES THIS SAME PRINCIPLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

2 Corinthians 6:14-18, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

The verb "be ye" is in the imperative mood. This constitutes a command that expresses urgency. To be unequally yoked together with an unbeliever, the Christian not only disobeys a command, but the yoke makes him a part of every action that the one to whom he is yoked takes. The Christian must not allow himself to become yoked to an individual or organization wherein he would partake of another person's sins."

Why does the Scripture forbid the believer yoking up with an unbeliever? 1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The unbeliever cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. The word "receiveth" translates "dechomai" and means, "to take with the hand, to take hold of." This means that the unsaved man or natural man, as it is put here, cannot take a hand with the Holy Spirit, or to take hold of a truth declared to him by the Holy Spirit. The fact is this passage teaches that the natural man does not have the capacity to receive the things of the Spirit of God. Believers are on the same page, but unbelievers are not. There is no way an unbeliever would understand, if you told him he couldn't understand. Because his reasoning is like you sit down in a secular class room and study and then take a test. The fact is, the unbeliever could very well beat us in that kind of a learning experience. But when it comes to Spiritual matters it takes the Holy Spirit's illumination for one to understand, and the Holy Spirit does not work with the unsaved except on the subject of salvation.

Then Paul uses several illustrations to make this truth understandable even to Christians. The first thing He asks is, "What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" The word "concord" means "agreement." There is absolutely no agreement between Christ and Belial. The Online Bible Greek Lexicon says that Belial is a name for Satan. Then Paul illustrates by comparison different things where there is obviously no agreement.

So Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit exhorts believers in the words in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Now this is our Father in heaven talking to us about fellowship with Him. Salvation is not only a relationship but it is also a fellowship. 1 John 1:3 says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." But God is plain, there can be no fellowship between the believer and God if he is in fellowship with the people of this world who hate God and commit sin as a way of life. That relationship must be broken with repentance and faith in the shed blood of Jesus and at that point our fellowship is restored with the Father.

Paul makes it clear that if a believer wants to have fellowship with the Father, he must separate himself from the things mentioned here. If we are the temple of God, and every Christian is, we would be making God a part of the things mentioned in this passage, if we participated in any of them. So there is just one thing for the believer to do, "Come out and be separate saith the Lord and TOUCH (caps mine for emphasis) not the unclean thing. The Lord says if we will separate ourselves from these things that He will receive us and will be a Father unto us and we will be His sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (Paraphrased by me for clarity and application). This is another way to describe close fellowship with Him and I believe that it is the same walk as Enoch experienced with God. Genesis 5:24 says, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." What a tribute for God to say in His Word, "And Enoch walked with God." This is God making this statement. We can have the same approval of God, it is a decision that we must make, we can if we are willing to pay the price. Remember being saved costs nothing. Salvation is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Rewards are a different question. They are earned by our faithfulness to Him after we are saved. Those who are saved and are obedient to the Lord in faithfulness to the things He has commanded, will be rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:11-17 says, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." Now let's illustrate:

1. The believer has been put into the body of Christ. This takes place at salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The word "new" translates "kainos" and means, "recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of." The word "creature" translates, "ktisis" and means, "the act of founding, establishing, the act of creating, creation, i.e. a thing created."

This same word is used in Mark 10:6, "But from the beginning of the CREATION God made them male and female." (My caps for emphasis).

Romans 1:20 says, "For the invisible things of him from the CREATION of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (Caps mine).

Galatians 6:15 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." What Paul is saying here is explained in 2 Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (ktisis): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Paul explains this in Ephesians 4:24, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." The word "created" translates "ktizo" and is the same root word where the New Testament speaks of God creating the worlds.

2. Remember this. Salvation is a gift. Let's make this clear with verses from the Bible. Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Note carefully: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul again makes it clear that salvation is "the gift of God" in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." To preach salvation by good works would give man a reason to boast. And there is no place to boast because salvation is a gift of God. Our morality or personal strength does not even enter the picture.

Noah is a good example of a saved person walking with God. What God taught in the Old Testament is true in the New Testament also. However, it is just as Amos taught by asking, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" That is a rhetorical question where the answer is obvious. No, two can't walk together except they be agreed.

This is the reason a Church has a covenant that they adopt at the organizational services. The Church covenant states what this church believes and each member agrees to walk by the truths declared in the covenant. Therefore ideally the whole church walks together keeping the truths of the covenant that states the fundamentals of the faith as they understand the Bible to teach.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts. Part three to this series will follow tomorrow.

In Christ

Bro. White