Walking the Walk

Hi Everybody!  I'm sorry that I didn't get a post in yesterday.  I am in Virginia, and in case you didn't hear, we had an earthquake yesterday.  It knocked out a lot of the phonelines, probably due to the volume of phonecalls being placed to loved ones.  But I was unable to update.  Also, this weekend, we have Hurricane Irene scheduled for a visit.  This may cause a dely on updates for Friday (as we prepare) as well as Saturday and Sunday (while the storm is here).  It's also possible that if this storm causes as much damage to us as Isabel did a few years ago, we may be out of power for up to a week or so.  I will be as diligent as I can with updates, but please bear with me!

TODAY IS WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY - START WEIGHT: 266 LBS  CURRENT WEIGHT: 257 LBS

So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).   (James 2:17 AMP)

The Lord has spoken to me that my blog is talking about my faith, but my actions and my obedience are not in alignment with my words.  So the faith that I have is destitute of power, inoperative, and dead.  If the obedience of my walk is not in alignment with my faith, then I cannot expect to be free, but will remain a slave to my sin.  I must walk in faith.

If we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit, (if by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward waling in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit). (Galatians 5:25 AMP)

Walking requires action, just as faith requires action.  I cannot keep saying that God will make me free, and then grip my chains tighter, hiding them from my Lord.  He will not make me free unless I move in His direction.  I cannot disobey in the “small” stuff and then claim I love Him and believe He will make me free.  I have to walk to Him.

You see (Abraham’s) faith was cooperating with his works, and (his) faith was completed and reached its supreme expression (when he implemented it) by (good) works.  And (so) the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God’s will in thought and deed), and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith (through works of obedience as well as by what he believes).  (James 2 :22-24 AMP)

I cannot be made righteous before God without being obedient to His commands.  Sometimes this obedience is an action, such as kneeling when I pray (rather than just sitting in a chair) and sometimes it can be inaction, such as not getting a second helping.

But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy, (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge). (Galatians 5:22-23 AMP)

The fruit of the Spirit says it all.  If I walk in the Spirit, I am expected to display the fruit of the Spirit.  Each of these fruit requires an action (or inaction) from me.  I show my Love by helping others.  I show my Joy by praising His name.  I gain peace by giving my cares to God.  I show kindness by helping those who cannot pay me back.  I show goodness by giving to those who don’t deserve my love.   I show faithfulness when I trust God to do what I’ve asked instead of trying to do it for Him.  I show gentleness when I don’t respond to someone trying to argue with me. And I show self-control when I push away my gluttonous desire.

If I act oppositely to the fruit of the Spirit, then I am not walking in the Spirit.  God doesn’t expect me to do this stuff without Him.  I am not strong enough to turn the other cheek when someone wants to argue, or be good to those who don’t deserve it.  It’s hard for me to give my cares to God or be faithful and trust God rather than taking action myself.  And often it’s too difficult to push away my desires when I really want to eat that dessert (even though I’m already full). When I try to perform these fruit on my own, my success is short-lived, and I end up doing the opposite.  Without prayer, and relying on His strength, I fail. 

So God has told me that I can’t talk the talk without walking the walk.  Walk in His strength, and hand Him my chains already!  I am to stop trying to do this on my own, while thinking about my faith, or the faith that I should have.  Faith is an action, it is a work.  I don’t have the strength to do the work that is required of me.  If I don’t walk in the Spirit, than I will not be able to walk at all.  My prayer today is that I learn to walk in His Spirit, and stop trying to do this on my own.

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from (its) works of obedience is also dead. (James 2:26)