Lesson for November 12, 2023
The Battle for Your Soul
Lesson 6
Walk in Faith
(Romans 4:12)
The Greek word for walk in this verse is “peripateo,” which is used to express the entirety of a believer’s spiritual life. Walking by faith is the utilization of the Faith-Rest Technique. Faith in its verb form is “to believe” and must have a subject and an object. In salvation, the subject is whoeverand the object is Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) In the Christian life, the subject is believers, and the object is the Word of God. (II Timothy 2:15) Faith is effective in a believer’s life only if faith has the right object. Faith is thinking. The content of what you’re thinking is what determines faith’s effectiveness in your life. There is no limit to the amount of faith that a believer can have, but doctrinal content in the soul is what determines the strength of your faith.
Faith is developed by the study and application of God’s Word under the control of God the Holy Spirit. Faith is developed by means of spiritual growth when a believer consistently uses the Problem-Solving Devices, such as Rebound, Filling of the Holy Spirit and the Faith-Rest Technique. Faith can also be developed through suffering. (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:1-3, 12:2; Galatians 5:22-23; I Peter 1:7-9; I John 5:1-5)
The principle of Faith-Rest is from God, Who is perfect. Therefore, the Faith-Rest Technique is perfect. No human deed can be added to a perfect provision from God. A believer must cease from human good and enter into a rest where they do no work. The Holy Spirit does the work. The requirement, therefore, for believers is faith, not human works. Faith is the absence of any human merit, which means that faith has no value or worth. The value or worth is in the object of our faith. The object of faith for believers should always be God and His Word.
Faith-Rest is knowing, believing, and applying the promises, the principles, and the doctrines of the Word of God. (Isaiah 33:6) There are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. These promises do us no good unless we mix them with faith and apply them to our situation. (Hebrews 4:2) Claiming these promises eliminates mental attitude sins such as fear, worry and anxiety, which cut off Divine Viewpoint Thinking. Faith-Rest will restore Divine Viewpoint Thinking and stabilize a believer in times of pressure and adversity. Faith-Rest results in a relaxed mental attitude. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Walking in Truth
(II John 4-6; III John 3)
The Greek word for walk in these verses is “peripateo,” which is used to express the entirety of a believer’s spiritual life. Walking in truth is advancing in the Christian Way of Life through the application of accurate Bible doctrine. We must be doctrinally oriented to the truth found in the Bible before it can have any effect in our lives. The word “doctrinal” means pertaining to a teaching, a body of principles or a branch of knowledge. “Orientation” means familiarization with a particular person, thing, or field of knowledge.
Doctrinal orientation, therefore, means to familiarize oneself with the teachings and principles of the Word of God. John 4:24 says that God is Spirit and those who worship are to worship in spirit and truth. Bible doctrine is the word of God the Father. (Hebrews 4:12) It is the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16) and the voice of God the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 3:7)
The Word of God is profitable for doctrine (the body of teaching that we believe), for reproof (the Word of God is a mirror into our souls so that we can evaluate ourselves before God), for correction (once we evaluate ourselves and find there needs to be corrective action, the Word of God gives the correct course of action), and for instruction in righteousness (once we discover the right course of action, the Word of God gives us a blueprint of how to accomplish our goal). (John 16:12-13; II Timothy 3:16)
Walk Honestly
(Romans 13:13; I Thessalonians 4:1-12)
The Greek word for walk in these verses is “peripateo,” which is used to express the entirety of a believer’s spiritual life. The Greek word for honestly in the above verses is “eushemonos” and means decently, gracefully, or honorably. Walking honestly with grace refers to our testimony before the world. It is God’s desire and His command that our lifestyle reflect the true nature of our positional relationship with God and follows the pattern set forth by Jesus Christ. It is impossible to live the Christian life without a spiritual life in place and functioning. The Christian life can be lived only under the supernatural power of the God the Holy Spirit.
How you treat others is a reflection of how your spiritual life is progressing. If you have a healthy spiritual life, then God the Holy Spirit is able to produce the character of Jesus Christ in you. This will enable you to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit toward others. God has provided everything that we need to fulfill the Christian Way of Life. We have more spiritual power in this dispensation than in any other in history. So, it is not about getting more of the Holy Spirit, it is about Him getting more of us. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required and expected. (Luke 11:48)
As believers develop their relationship with God, they are developing integrity. Integrity is a state of being complete; an unimpaired state of honesty and purity; a soundness of moral principle; the character of uncorrupted virtue, or uprightness of character. For Christians, integrity is making your experience align with who you are as Royal Family of God. Christian integrity is loyalty to the truth of God’s Word. Therefore, residing in God’s power system (the Divine Dynasphere) results in loyalty to the truth. Living inside God’s power system by means of the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to win the battle for your soul and keep Satan and his world system from influencing you in a negative way.