Let's take our Bibles now and
turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 14. Proverbs chapter
14. As we continue through this blessed
book, and take these scriptures as
the Spirit of God wrote them, we've come to the second verse.
of the 14th chapter. Proverbs 14.2, and the scriptures, says this,
ìHe that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that
is perverse in his ways despiseth him.î Here the Holy Spirit sets forth
the evidence of those that either walk with
God or those that don't. Now there's only two categories
mentioned. There's only two. Either a man walks with God or
he doesn't. That's it. Either a man believes
God or he doesn't. Either a man trusts Christ or
he doesn't. He that walketh in his uprightness,
now let me just say before we go any farther, the only uprightness
that a man can possibly walk in. is the uprightness that's
been given. Man doesn't have any to boast
in of himself. He that walketh in God's uprightness—we'll
deal, I'm going to deal with this—respects the Lord, he fears
the Lord, he reverences the Lord. He that walks in the imputed
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ honors God, fears God. And the scripture sits forth,
but he that is perverse in his ways, he that turns from walking after Christ,
walking in his own darkness, This is what the Scripture says.
He despises God. He resents God. He has no regard
whatsoever for God. Despises Him. Now this verse right here, it
has a a way that is actually a reality. It's he that walketh, he that
has his manner of life. That's what to walk, that's what
it means. A manner of life. Either a man
walks in the light, or he walks in darkness. What's that mean? That's what I want to deal with.
I've entitled this message, Walking with God. Oh, it has such a sound of honor. It has a sound of beauty. It has a sound to it that just
a believer hears that. And they say, you know what?
I want that. I want that. Does not the sound
of walking in His uprightness Does that stir your heart? Tell me what the Scriptures have
to say about that. Tell me what Almighty God has
to say about walking with the Lord. I do know this, either
a man walks with God or he doesn't. If he's a believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ, he walks with God. Really? What? Tell me about that. Tell me what God has to say about
walking. Proverbs 10, 9 says, He that
walketh uprightly walketh surely. He that walketh with integrity
walks safely. That's what it means. Walks in
safety. walking in the Lord's uprightness,
walking in the light of Christ, walking robed in His righteousness,
speaks of a believer's soul, the state of his soul before
God. It speaks of the way as he is
found in Christ, those regenerated by the grace
of God. walk before God in uprightness. Let me tell you the first thing
I know about those that walk in His uprightness before God.
Romans 8 verse 1 says, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not. after the flesh,
but after the spirit. This is the thing that I know
concerning walking in God's uprightness. They do not walk after the flesh,
that is, believing and trusting in what the flesh is able to
produce, which is nothing. They don't walk people to please Almighty God,
they walk after the Spirit. And what the Spirit of God has
taught them through the Word of God concerning what pleases
God. There's no condemnation. All
born in Christ, all regenerated by the grace of God, all those
believe God. Abraham, Abraham believed God. And what God Almighty had to say
about regeneration, about righteousness, about holiness before God, Abraham
believed God. to Abraham. Abraham, by faith,
believed God. And the imputed righteousness
of Christ is what God Almighty was pleased
with. Abraham believed God. never is God pleased. Walking
after the Spirit, walking in His uprightness, walking in a
state of newness of life, regeneration, those that walk in God's uprightness
respect God, bow, thankful, love, reverence Almighty God. Now the
scripture has a lot to say about walking with God. And I think we ought to consider
for just a few minutes, what does that mean? What does the
scripture say? What does the scripture say concerning
he that walketh in his uprightness, feareth the Lord? It has a high
estimation of God's character. Never, never, never trying to
admit he understands the height or the depth or the breadth of
Almighty God. Oh no. I'll tell you what he
does do. He respects Almighty God. Admitting all the while I see
through a glass darkly. I know in part. I preach in part. I don't understand. I don't understand
all these things that I preach. I prophesy in part. I admit these
things are great mysteries to me. I was talking to Neil. He was coming back yesterday
and I thought, you know, thinking of this great mystery of regeneration,
great mystery of regeneration. Now think about this. Does the scripture say that which
is born of God sinneth not? Yes. That which is born of God
does not sin. Why? Because His sin remaineth
in you. That which Almighty God produces
is holy. It doesn't sin. Now here's a believer. Here's
a believer. And that believer knows in his
heart, knows in regenerating grace, knows taught by the Spirit
of God, he knows, he knows that he's got an old man living in
him. And that new man knows that that
old man wars against his new man. He knows that. He knows
that. He sees him. The things that
I would, I find not. I'm a wretched man. It's not me, it's sin that dwelleth
in me. Paul saw the wrestling going
on. taught his disciples. The disciples
asked him, said, Lord, teach us to pray. As John taught his
disciples to pray, our Lord began to teach him.
He said, when you pray, on this wise, not just fluttering over
and over, but in this manner, in this manner, our Father, which
art in heaven, your Holy Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come,
Lord. We pray that your people, your
elect, be brought out, be magnified, be shone in regenerating grace.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day a fresh meal
of Christ. Give us this day, not just the
temporal thing I may eat three times a day, but Lord let me
feast on Christ. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts. Forgive us. Now let me ask you
something. Which man is the sinner against
God? Which one is sinning against
God? The old man or the new man? And the new man that struggles
against himself is asking God, forgive me, forgive me. That old man that struggles,
strives, wars, that Paul said, I loathe myself. Lord, forgive
me. Can you understand the depths
of regeneration? What's going on? These things
that I don't understand, that the Scriptures reveal, are so. He that walks, walketh in his
uprightness, spirit of God, reverence. It's a persuasion of the mind,
but it's only proved to exist when it brings forth action,
faith. James says faith without works.
dead, those that do, those that walk,
as a habit of life, as a habit by which this life is governed,
walking after Christ, walking with God, walking. Genesis 5.24
says this, I just I read this passage of scripture
and I think, oh, I want to be like this. And Enoch
walked with God, and he was not, but God took him. Enoch was a
sinner. I know he was. I know he was. He was a sinner against God.
Regenerated saint, born again in Christ. He's just like everybody
else. God's not a respecter of persons.
He ain't a walk with God. This is what the Lord said to
Abraham. Genesis 17, verse 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect. What is it to walk with God? What is it to walk in a brightness
What is it according to Psalms 116.9? Walk before the Lord in
the land of the living. I'll be the first to admit, this
is a truth that can be greatly abused, I know
that, and greatly misunderstood. When we speak of walking in uprightness,
the first thing that we think of is this, acting like a believer. I do know that believers do act
like believers, but the first thing we think of is to walk
before God is going to have to be something that I manifest
that evidences How good I really am. I need to act good. I need to act right. I agree with you. Do you know
the word act is found one time in the New Testament? Act. Let
me read you the scripture where the word act is found. John 8 They said unto him, Master,
this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act, in the very
crime, in theft itself. He that walketh in his uprightness
in the Spirit of the Lord is not trying to put on a show.
He's not a hypocrite. hypocrite, an actor, a facade. He's not trying to impress somebody
because he knows this, he can't. No possible way. 2 Corinthians
10-12, listen to this scripture. Paul says, for we dare not make
ourselves of the number, of the the pretenders trying to make
you think that there's something, trying to act holier than thou.
I say, you know, stay away from me, I'm holier than you are.
Paul says we're not, we dare not make ourselves of the numbers. Or compare ourselves with some
that command themselves, but they measuring themselves by
themselves. and comparing themselves among
themselves are not lies. You got folks and they're saying
this, you want to know what it is to walk before God? You look
at me. If you want to know what a consistent
life is, you look at me. Send me your money while you're
doing it. Paul refused to elevate himself
by the methods that was used by teachers of false religion
in order to commend himself. They prided themselves on their
righteousness and estimated their value in God's kingdom by comparing
themselves with themselves. The Lord said they're not wise.
Not wise. Proud. Arrogant. Knowing that
there's only two ways that a man is going to have a manner of
living. Either in the flesh or in the
spirit. Believing him or not believing him. Tell me. Tell me what does the scriptures
have to say about walking before God in God's uprightness? Walking in a way that's pleasing
to Him. Tell me what it is. I'm going
to read you a scripture, and this is the heart. If you want
to know what the heart is of walking before God in uprightness,
walking before God, not comparing yourself with yourself or comparing
yourself with some other frail creature. What does it mean to
walk with God? Colossians 2, 6 and 7. As ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built
up in him, established in the faith as you have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving." How did you come to Christ? Well, I came to Christ as a needy, wretched, sinner. I needed a Savior. I needed a substitute. I needed
a surety. I needed one that would sustain
me, one that would keep me, one that would uphold me by the right
hand of His power, one that would represent me before God Almighty,
one that would stood eternally as my substitute and representative,
as my Lord, my God, my King. I came to Him like old blind
Bartimaeus. Jesus, Thou Son of David, have
mercy on me! Have mercy on me! Well, as you
therefore receive Christ, don't ever get beyond that. Don't ever
go beyond that. Don't ever think that you will.
Don't ever think that you do. The Apostle Paul. Oh, the things that God Almighty
taught that man. Scripture says there was a man,
Paul said, whether in spirit or out of the spirit, I don't
know, God knows. Entered into the third heaven and saw things
as unspeakable. You know, Paul says it himself,
Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners. Never got beyond walking before God as He received
the Lord. Those that walk in God's uprightness,
they walk in the same way that they came to Christ. Helplessness. Have you gotten
beyond that? Oh, God help us not to. I'll
tell you this, you never have. But if He's revealed it to you.
Those that walk with God, walk knowing the presence of sins. They walk knowing that they could
do nothing to help themselves. Have you ever gotten beyond the
point of thinking that you yourself could do something for Him? I
know He saved me by His grace, but now I've kind of progressed
into the... That's not walking with God.
Walking with the Lord. They know they can never go beyond
their need of Him. They never go beyond His wisdom,
His righteousness, His sanctification, His redemption daily, they rest
their eternal soul on the very fact, He is my life. The more a man matures in Christ,
the more he grows in grace, I'm telling you that man's The estimation
of himself is downward, downward. John the Baptist said, I must
decrease, I must decrease, I must decrease. He must increase. Those that grow in grace, those
that walk with God in God's uprightness, there's a spirit of a believer
that walks with God that is made humble by God's great meekness. Slowly, you start finding arrogance
and pride, high-mindedness and stuff. Men want to portray themselves. I've just gotten so much higher. Boy, I'm telling you, you look
at that and it just makes you sick. It makes you sick in yourself,
of yourself. It makes you sick in others too. You don't know what this Bible's
got to say about walking with God. How does a man walk with
God? Has he received Christ Jesus? Walk in Him. Walk, the Scripture
says, by faith and not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5-7. The life and
conduct of God's people is governed by their conviction, their belief
of God's mercies and graces toward them in Christ. They believe
Him. They struggle. But thanks be
unto God, they believe God. Just sinners. What are you? Just a sinner. Saved by the grace
of God. Thankful just to be able to have
one more time just to hear God's Word before I leave this world. And I stand before God Almighty
And I hear Him say unto me, by His grace and mercy, well done. Enter in. If I hear Him say that,
I'll admit, I admit now, I'll admit it then. Lord, I am what
I am by Your grace. Help me. Keep me. Direct me. Sin, misery, death
is constantly before those that walk with God. But all the while
they look to Christ. They hold to Him. Lord, hold
me and I'll hold you. Lord, you keep me and I'll keep
you. You keep me, I'll keep you. Lord,
you're in me, I'm in you. Lord, don't forsake me. They'll
say just like the bribe back in Solomon. Saw ye Him whom my
soul loved? They'll look for Him. They'll
come, they'll sit under the sound of the gospel. They'll come every
time and say, Lord, speak to me. Lord, help me. Boy, that's walking with God.
Needed. Helpless. They're not looking
for anybody to pat them on the back and tell them how spiritual
they are. They know what they are. They know what God's made
them. How do they walk? Galatians 5,
6, walk in the Spirit. And ye shall not fulfill the
lust of the flesh. This is the same instruction
as walk by faith and not beside it. Same message. Those that trust Christ as He's
revealed in God's Word. Walking in the Spirit. Boy, I tell you, there's an abused
statement. Walking in the Spirit. I'm telling
you people, They'll read that right there. They want to magnify
themselves and they want you to just speak so highly of them. Walking in the Spirit is to believe
God. The Spirit of God reveals the
things of Christ to God's people. Walking in the Spirit is to walk
believing the Lord with the Holy Spirit witness to our heart,
the Holy Spirit's witness to our heart that we're accepted
of God in Christ. His Spirit bears witness to our
spirit that we are the sons of God. I know though the flesh
is witness, though the lust of the flesh yields prides against
the new man, walking in the Spirit, reveals that by the grace of
God, the lust of the flesh is not fulfilled in us. It doesn't
rule. It's there. Oh, my friend, it's
there. Believers, they don't lovingly
live by the evil dictates of the flesh. They do not. No, they
don't. No, they don't. Not believers. Not believers in Christ. against it, it loathed them. Ephesians 4-1, walk worthy of
the vocation wherewith you are called, wherewith you are factually
called. Brother Henry wrote this concerning
Ephesians 4-1, the scripture, walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called. This is what Brother Henry said,
take heed to your conduct. to be a credit to Him who by
His grace calls you out of darkness into His kingdom of light. Believers say, yeah, but I see
everything in me that's just wild and dark. Walk worthy. Walk worthy. Striving after,
knowing what you are. You say, I struggle with it.
I'll agree with you. I'll agree with you. Ephesians 5, 2 says, walk in
love as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. Walk. That is live. Live in love. And this by the grace of God,
he that walketh in his uprightness if the Lord has given me a love
for Him. If God has given me a love for
Christ, for the Father, for the Spirit, walk in love as Christ
has loved us, redeemed us from the bondage of sin, the curse
of the law. Walk. Have your manner of life. He said, yeah, but you don't
know the struggles that I have. Well, yours may be just a little
different from mine, but buddy, let me tell you something. We
all struggle. We all need Him. We all long after Him. We're
all honest with Him. Listen to this, 1 John 1, 7.
Walk in the light as He is in the light. Walk as being regenerated
by the Holy Spirit. and having a true sense of ourselves
and our need, having a true sense of God Almighty who He is, sovereign
in salvation, creation and providence, walk in the light. Walk in the
light of the revealed scriptures. Walk in the light of what Almighty
God has sent forth. You know what our problem is?
Our problem is not a lack of knowledge. Our problem is not
a lack of knowledge. No, our problem is that we struggle
in a war against, by that old man, against obedience. That's our problem. Walk in the
light of God's revealed scripture. Forsake not the assembling of
yourselves together. That's scripture. You know what
the problem is? Disobedience. As God Almighty has prospered
man, so let him give. You know what the problem is? Disobedience. It's not a lack
of knowledge. When you enter into your closet,
pray to your father in secret. You know what the problem is? It's not a lack of knowledge.
It's obedience. Walk in the light as He is in
the light. A believer will hear that right
there and he'll say, Lord help me. Make much of hearing the
gospel. Make much of prayer. Make much
of knocking, seeking. Those that seek, you'll find.
Those that ask, you'll be given. Those that walk in His uprightness
in fear, you'll be saved. God's people are struggling people. They struggle every day. They
struggle in themselves. as ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus, so walk ye. May the Lord bless these words
to our hearts for Christ's sake.