In this series walking in God's path and in His way has been discussed. As you have seen, the Old Testament gives us much encouragement and admonishment to keep in the ways of the LORD. In fact, this is His desire for us.
Israel was God's chosen people in the Old Testament. In the book of Genesis, God told Abraham to leave his country to go into another. Abraham obeyed this command. God also promised him that he would have a son and through this son a nation would be born. Thus, we have Israel.
They were not chosen because of mightiness, talent, or any other special reason, except God loved them, and had made a promise that they would be His people. God's desire for them is that they would be a separated, holy people unto Him.
Deuteronomy 7:6-9, For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all the people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.
God loved them and wanted to bless them in giving them a good land. He wanted them to know He would be the One to take care of them in His protection and provision. Did this come with a condition? There are two types of promises in the Bible. Conditional and unconditional. God's promise to Israel was an unconditional promise; nevertheless, because of their continual rebellion the land was taken. Even so, one day the land will be returned to them, because God holds true to His promises because of who He is. For His name's sake, He holds true to what He says and what He will do.
The Old Testament is largely Israel's relationship with the LORD. God loved them and delivered them out of many troubles. Yet, Israel would always turn away from Him and follow their own heart, which was full of pride. This caused them to fall into bondage numerous times. This was a cycle that occurred many times over; nonetheless, God was faithful to deliver them every time they called on Him for help.
God in so many ways throughout the Old Testament, showed his love, mercy, grace, faithfulness, and goodness to His people and the same is true in the New Testament. God's plan from the creation of man was to have a relationship with him. When Adam and Eve were created, they were created in innocence, without sin, but with the ability to sin if they so chose. In chapter 3 of Genesis, we see that they did choose to sin against the LORD. Since then God's desire has been to reconcile man to Himself. Thus the law was given in the Old Testament.
Also, in the Old Testament, there are many prophesies of Christ, the Redeemer, coming one day as the perfect sacrifice made for that reconciliation to happen. We see in the New Testament the fulfillment of this prophesy.
Matthew 1:21 - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His
name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
Luke 2:7 - And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in
swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
From the beginning of time, God has wanted a relationship with man whom He created, but all men are born with sin, which offends God because He is holy. So many people don't want to believe they are sinners. People would rather believe they are inherently good and look at God as the unjust One who sends people to Hell. This is not the message of the Bible. As John 3:16, states God loves the world. He loves us so much that he gave the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. It is people's unbelief in the sacrifice of Jesus that places them in Hell.
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me. There is no other way to heaven except to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins, then rose again by the power of God. Jesus is the path, the road, the way! The only way to have a relationship with God is through His Son.
He not only is the way to be reconciled to God. He is the way to life. In our sins, we are dead. Yet made alive through Jesus. Many times in the Bible, the meaning of life is not dependent on the physical, but rather the spiritual. Jesus gives us life. True life is allowing the Holy Spirit to live in us and through us. This starts with faith in Jesus (salvation). If we walk according to the Spirit, we can overcome the sins of the flesh. This is the way God would want us to walk.
As God desired obedience from Israel, He requires the same of all His children. Obedience brings blessings, and peace. If Israel had obeyed God, they would have had many blessings, the greatest is that God would have taken care of them through anything. They would have known His greatness, His power, His deliverance. It is the same with all who accept Jesus, then choose to walk according to God's Word. We now have the Spirit, who helps us to overcome the desires of the flesh and not live in the lusts of it.
Romans 8:13 - For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Galatians 5: 16, 25 - This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the
lusts of the flesh. If ye live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Ephesians 3:16 - That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory
to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.
Walk -
Greek - to conform to virtue or piety, to walk orderly
virtue - strength of mind or spirit; a particular moral excellence
piety - showing reverence for deity (God) and devotion to divine (God) worship
The only way you can be good and make right decisions is through the Spirit. The only way to receive the Holy Spirit is by accepting Christ's sacrifice for your sins; admit you're a sinner, ask forgiveness, and ask Christ to save you.
Jesus truly is the way.
God Bless, Until Next Time
