Pages 40 to 42 from “A New Creation” A Guide for Young Christians, written by Dennis L. Allen

YOUR DAILY WALK

“When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.”
J. H. Sammis

     Possibly you are thinking, “This is truly a wonderful life that is set before us as Christians, but I shall never be able to live up to it. It is too much for me.” And you are right, for indeed it is. The Lord Jesus does not expect you to live the new life in your own strength. The battle is His. He has plainly told us: “Apart from me ye can do nothing.” In your own strength you will make a miserable failure of the Christian life.

However, in recognizing your own weakness you should guard against two things.

(1) Do not become discouraged.

(2) Do not become careless.

Christians do not stumble and sin just because they are weak. If that were true, then it would not be their fault. All of our failures come from lack of faith. We did not lay hold of the power of God; hence we fell. The only way Peter could walk on the water was by keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus. Otherwise, it was impossible. The more we are conscious of our weakness the stronger we become when we lay hold of the power of God. Thus Paul could say: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9.)

In ordering your daily walk you need to see, first of all, what God wants you to be. “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Pet. 2: 21.) The goal set before every Christian is to be like Christ (Luke 6:40; Phil. 2:5; 1 John 2:6 & 4: 17). You cannot know what it is to be like Christ unless you earnestly study and meditate on the character of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. As He walked, so are His disciples to walk.

The second need is a firm trust that this new life is possible for you – that it is really possible for you to bear the image of the Lord even in this life. Just as the Lord was able to lift us out of our sins, forgive and cleanse us, so is He able to take our lives and mold them into the likeness of Himself. We need to have the same assurance as Paul, who was “confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6.) You have the same relation to God as did the Lord Jesus when He was here
upon the earth. You have the same Spirit within you and access to the same power, but you must live from day to day, even from hour to hour, in dependence upon Him (1 Cor. 10:13).

In this daily walk with God your greatest danger is to go back to trying to serve God in your own strength. Only by abiding in Him and looking to Him can you keep the assurance and the joy which God intended that His children have. But if you do fail and sin, what then?  The Lord Jesus has made provision for that, too. “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” “If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 2: 1 & 1 :9.) The road of repentance is the only way to get back to right relationship with the Father and to find again the joy of your salvation. The attitude of a truly penitent heart is expressed by David in Psalm 51. How thankful we should be that the Lord has made this provision for us! It is the way not only to forgiveness and cleansing but also to victory over sin.

 

 

                   Editor’s Note:   We have a small supply of these booklets that are wonderful for new Christians. 

                   Contact Sandra Naugle at sknaugle@gmail.com.