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Walk in
The Word of God talks about the
believer walking in many
things. Most of the time in the New Testament the Greek
word used for "walk" is the
word peripateo
which means "to trample around."
A person can literally "walk around in
the dirt" or "walk around in the water" or "walk around in the
leaves." Important points in God's Word are emphasized by God in
figures of speech. When the Word of God talks about "walking around in truth" it
is a figure of speech and is thus emphasized by the Father. The
believer is to walk in the spirit; walk in good works; walk in love;
walk in wisdom; walk in light; walk in truth; walk in believing; and
walk in the Lord Christ Jesus. These are all figures of speech
using
the example of "walking or treading
around."
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about [peripateo], seeking whom he may devour:
In this verse the devil is compared in a
figure of speech to a roaring lion that walks about seeking someone to
eat. A lion will roar to scare its prey into freezing up just
before the lion jumps on and devours its victim. The figure of
speech puts emphasis on the picture of a lion trampling about looking
for its prey. We are to be watchful and alert to these attacks of
the devil.
In the Old Testament administration of law the
Word of God in statues and commandments was given to Moses. The
believers were commanded to walk in the ways of the Lord and keep his
commandments so that God could bless them.
Deuteronomy
30:16
In that I
command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep
his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest
live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land
whither thou goest to possess it.
Joshua 22:5
But take diligent
heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the
LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to
keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with
all your heart and with all your soul.
In the Gospels the promised Christ was walking
about on the earth fulfilling the promises of the Father.
Believers during the Christ administration were to follow Christ who
was personally present to lead them.
John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall
not walk in [peripateo] darkness, but shall have the light of
life.
In our day and time the work of Christ to
reconcile us to God is an accomplished reality. We have been
given holy spirit and are now sons and daughters of God. The
charge to us is to walk in light of that which we have received.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in [peripateo] the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the
lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in [stoicheo] the Spirit.
In
Galatians 5:25 a different Greek word is used. Stoicheo means "to march in line with." We
are to walk in line with that which we have been given on the
inside. We line up our thinking and action and renew our minds to
that which we have spiritually. Then we walk around in the spirit
and do not spend time trampling around in the flesh. Flesh is a
figure for the five senses and the course of life that we used to
follow before we were born again of God's spirit.
Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time
past ye walked [peripateo] according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in [peripateo] them.
Now, we
are God's workmanship. We have holy spirit in us and God has
before ordained that we should walk in light of that which is created
on the inside. We are spiritual men and women created in Christ
Jesus to carry out the spiritual work that God has given us to
reconcile the world back to Him.
2 Corinthians
6:16
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 [emperipateo] them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
Emperipateo means to rest in one
place and walk around there. God dwells in the believers in
our day and time. He is at rest in us and spends His time walking
around in us. What a fantastic truth! God in Christ in YOU!
Romans 6:4
Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in [peripateo] newness of life.
We are born again of God's spirit. Our old man
was crucified with Christ. We have a new life: a spiritual
life. We no longer walk according to the course of this
world. We walk according to the spirit given us. We renew
our minds and walk around in the newness of life we have in Christ
seated at the right hand of God.
2 Corinthians
4:2
But have
renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in [peripateo] craftiness, nor handling the word of
God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves
to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
We are no longer following the course of
this world. We have renounced the shame of walking according to
the course of this world. We do not walk in craftiness or
trickery. We do not handle the Word of God
deceitfully. We walk in truth.
2 Corinthians
5:7
(For we walk [peripateo] by faith, not by sight:)
To walk by sight
is to walk by one of the five senses. It is to walk according to
the course of this world. To walk by faith is to walk by
believing God's Word. When God's Word contradicts the evidence of
our senses we go by the Word. That is walking by believing, not
by sight.
Ephesians 5:2
And walk in [peripateo] love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.
When we got born again and received holy spirit we
received the love God had to give His only son. We received the
love Christ had to offer himself a sacrifice to God for us. We
have the love of God. Now we put that love into our minds and
walk in it.
Ephesians 5:8
For ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk [peripateo] as children of light:
When we walked according to the course of this world
we walked in darkness. God is light. His gift of holy
spirit in us makes us light in the Lord. Now we put that light
into our minds and walk in light.
Ephesians
5:15
See then that
ye walk [peripateo] circumspectly, not as fools, but as
wise,
We have been given wisdom in Christ Jesus.
Wisdom is knowing what to do. We have spiritual wisdom. Now
we must put that wisdom into action by renewing our minds and walking
circumspectly. To walk circumspectly is to walk with precision
and wisdom according to the accuracy of God's Word.
Colossians
4:3-6
Withal praying
also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak
the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
That I may make
it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in [peripateo] wisdom toward them that are without,
redeeming the time.
Let your speech
be alway with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Paul asked that the believers pray for him
that he would have opportunities to make known the mystery of
Christ. That which we received (the gift of holy spirit) is
available to everyone who believes. It was a mystery kept secret
by God until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. Now, we have
been given knowledge of that mystery and the wisdom to make it
known. Making known the mystery is what we ought to speak.
We have been given wisdom to speak to those who have not yet
believed. We can season our words with grace and salt and know
exactly how to answer every man as we walk in wisdom toward those who
are without (outside of the body of Christ).
1 John
1:6
If we say that
we have fellowship with him, and walk
in [peripateo] darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in [peripateo] the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin.
We have been given holy spirit which puts us
into God's category because God is Holy and God is Spirit. Now,
we can fellowship (share fully) with God. When we walk according
to the course of this world, we are walking in darkness. But,
when we walk in light as God is light we have fellowship with Him and
with one another.
3 John 1:4
I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in [peripateo] truth.
The greatest joy to a believer in the body of
Christ is to hear that those to whom he has taught the Word are walking
in truth. This is even more true of God. God has no greater
joy than to hear that His children are walking according to the truth
of His Word.
Walk
in the works ordained by God
Walk
in newness of life
Walk in the spirit
Walk
by believing
Walk circumspectly
Walk in wisdom
Walk
in love
Walk in light
Walk in truth
Michael
& Christine Cortright's Fellowship Homepage
URL
http://www.cortright.org/walkin.htm
© Copyright November 2004 Michael Cortright