WALKING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied (Acts 9:31).

 “Walking in the fear of the Lord” is what is required of us. Galatians 5:16 declares emphatically, ”Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The flesh and the spirit, we are told in Galatians 5:17, are “contrary to one another. . . . “ As a new creation, you and I must yield to the Spirit of God who then produces His fruit in us; we must not yield to the flesh and continue in fleshly ways. What is evidence that we are continuing in fleshly ways? Galatians 5:19-21 explicitly describes, “. . .Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. . . .” Some of the works of the flesh we might tend to categorize as “really bad” while others we might tend to wink at, thinking that given the right situation, such a response might be “understandable,” or “justifiable,” but we must not be deceived. They are all heinous works of the flesh; they show no evidence that the Spirit of God is ruling in our lives. And living in these conditions comes at such a cost. Lives mired in these works are bereft of peace. They are not edified, and they do not have the “comfort of the Holy Spirit.” If you find yourself struggling with one of the works of the flesh, the wonderful news is that our Redeemer can make you completely free. The walk of faith that He requires of you may not be easy, but it will be marked by His peace, His edification, and His comfort.

As a church, the Lord is calling us to separate ourselves from walking in the flesh. He is calling us to a holiness, a separating of ourselves unto Him. I have invited you to join me in a special season of seeking the Lord, a time of concentrated prayer and fasting. We are in need of the Lord to manifest Himself in our midst. We must decide to be radically different. It is no longer enough that we are saved, blessed, and on our way to heaven. Now is the time to examine ourselves and to pray like the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting ” (Psalm 139:23-24).