Anticipated Results When People Walk With God
by Ralph Sutera
Part 2
What happens when people walk with God?
There is a shifting of alignment of leaders in the church! Often a change of faces begins to occur a the level of church leaders as a congregation judges by spiritual qualifications based on Scriptural priorities and on the example set by the Godly life-style of men. People will now look for those who take God's priorities for the church very seriously in their own lives, rather than decide on a basis of human ability, personality, or social prestige. Don't' be surprised when this happens. Remember, God is more concerned about His work than He is in our having our ego or prestige enhanced in the church!
You can become uncomfortable with your old friends in the church! Those who refuse to come to grips with the truth of walking in the Spirit may sense themselves uniquely estranged from some with whom they previously were very close and who are now committed to living a different life. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3. Can you expect the same kind of rapport with those God has delivered from self-centeredness and materialism unless you a re walking the same way yourself? Your social security in the church may be shaken! When you sense this, remember who it is that moved into God's strength and who it is that has not allowed God's truth to penetrate his life-style! Those who walk with God have the deep longing of the Beloved John: "… that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." Notice that true spiritual fellowship necessitates personal cleansing from sin. Read I John 3-8.
There are problems of life or problems of death in the church! Every church has one or the other problem. Many congregations are tainted by sin, self-centeredness, complacency, apathy, and deadness with so few involved in the spiritual ministry of the church. This is the problem of death. When God visits a congregation they have a new problem.. that of life – or that of harnessing the energy God has created. There are no problems in the cemetery – and no life either.
What are some manifestations of the problem of life? Some people will seemingly have more zeal than intelligence, speaking out of turn at times and saying some things that will make the others uncomfortable. Avoid the tendency to judge them as spiritually proud if some previously reticent folk are now vocal and so alive in Christ. Give God time to harness the energy and the release in their spirits. If you are spiritual, you will ask God for grace to love, forbear, and minister to them.
You can expect blunders in judgments and decisions as previously – even from those who met God. No one is perfect – even after responding publicly. He is simply forgiven and now knows how to deal with sin daily and claim God's fullness for victory. Expect blunders and remember that God weighs the motives!
God chose not to call many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble … but foolish things of the world to confound the wise;… weak things … to confound the things which are mighty … base things … and things which are despised … and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are: that no flesh should glory in His presence. I Corinthians 1:26-29. It is God's choice – not ours.
God chooses empty vessels and takes the rest of their lifetime purging and conforming them into the image of His Son. Romans 8:29.
What about you? Have you allowed Him the same right in your life?
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. II Corinthians 4:7
Be the first to react on this!
