Originally posted on April 9th 2020
“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.” Genesis 17:1 KJV
If ever there was an inspirational text, this must be the one!
Today, I want to start with Abraham’s walk with God, and compare it to our own.
The principle governing Abraham´s walk with God was FAITH, NOT LAW!
The principle governing the Christian´s walk with God is FAITH, NOT LAW!
“Walk before me and be perfect”, God said to Abraham. His faith was counted as righteousness! Gen. 15,6
According to Paul, as Christians, it is Christ who is our righteousness (1 Cor.1,30). We are hidden in him. Col. 3,3
God says to us through Paul:
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Col. 2,6-7
We walk in him by being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith – with thanksgiving! NO LAW!
But in practice, how must this work? I know, that I am righteous in Christ, I am acquitted before God because of Jesus! But I am far from showing forth the righteousness of Christ in practice.
Jesus said:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Mt. 5:6 KJV
Jesus’ words echo what needs to be the cry of our heart!
In Christ, this hunger, this thirst for righteousness – this hope, that I CAN BE CHANGED, BECOMES REAL by the Spirit!
We do not see Christ’s own righteousness worked out in our lives, by pulling ourselves together and trying to be as nice and holy as we can!
It involves much much more! This is something WE HAVE TO RUN AFTER, as if to win a prize! We have to pursue it with all we’ve got, NOT BY KEEPING THE LAW, but BY FAITH AND THE SPIRIT!
Listen to Paul:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control*, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. 1 Cor. 9:24-27
Paul is comparing the Christian life to running in a race. The weight of his argument is against the notion that there is an automatic connection between running and winning. There is none! Not in the world of athletics! Not in the Christian life! The Christian must not only start in the race, he must run in the right way. He must run to win!
In Philippians, Paul says:
“For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”. Phil. 3:8-9
If anyone could have had the ability to change his own life by keeping the law, it had to be Paul! But he says: I count EVERY effort of mine to achieve that; any credentials I thought I had as a devout Jew and Pharisee as DUNG, RUBBISH – that I may gain Christ and be found in him!
The Christian runs therefore, not to attain his own righteousness, but that which is through faith in Jesus Christ, knowing that it will not be fully attainable in this life.
And the Christian runs in love and without fear (1 Jn. 4,18), being joyful, with thanksgiving, confident in him who called!
And the Christian runs in hope!
For: “Through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.” Gal. 5:5
THE CHRISTIAN IS DEAD TO THE LAW, THAT HE MIGHT LIVE FOR CHRIST! Gal. 2,19-20; Romans 8,2-4
KEY TEXT TO BE REMEMBERED: GAL 2,19-20
We will be victorious, if we stay focussed on Jesus, worshipping him!
*Paul’s thought is not that the body is evil, but that it must be brought into the service of God. See Rom. 6,19.