GALATIANS 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

THEME OF THE DAY. WALKING WITH A PERSONAL CHRIST. Today’s scripture was Martin Luther’s favorite verse. His commentary on the book of Galatians is regarded as a choice treasure in church history. But what was so special to the great reformer in this verse was the word “me”. Luther marveled over the personal nature of his salvation, a personal Christ for a personal Martin Luther. What about us? How personal is Christ to us? Remember, there is a wide gulf between knowing a lot of truth about Christ and knowing Christ. It is one thing to profess belief in Christ and another to walk with Christ. And speaking of walking . . .

All throughout the scripture we find believers characterized as walking with God. The first example we have is Enoch. God’s Word says of him – Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him (Genesis 5:22-24).

We move into the New Testament and the number of references to the Christian life being a walk is significant. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he refers to this truth six times. And he is not the only author to do so. John states the Christian life is a walk with Christ or a walking in truth seven times in his three letters.

So, in establishing the truth that Christianity is a personal walk with a personal Christ, let’s make two spiritual applications around the physical practice of walking.

First, as in physical walking, a spiritual walk with Christ has a clear direction. If we look at someone and say, “I am going for a walk” or “Let’s go for a walk”, it will be planned. We will not just stand on a porch. We will take steps in a specific direction. And so it is in the Christian life. To walk with Christ means to walk in the same direction as Christ which means the Bible, His Word, directs us. Is it? Are we putting into daily practice the commands of God? To walk requires action, and spiritually speaking, action means obeying the Word of God. No obedience, no walk with Christ.

The second spiritual application from the picture of physical walking is that it is natural. Human beings walk unless handicapped in some fashion. We expect infants to naturally go from crawling to walking. Walking is a natural human experience. In the spiritual realm, walking with Christ is to be the natural spiritual experience of every Christian. Not easy, but natural. By virtue of being born again and the Spirit of God dwelling within us, our natural spiritual bent is toward walking as Jesus walked upon the earth. The Apostle John would state this truth – whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:6).

A personal Christ. He loved me. He loved you. He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for you. Are we personally walking with Him – in the same direction and as a normal part of our lives? Think about it.

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for being not only a majestic and glorious God but also a personal God.”

QUOTE: “Christianity is individual – Christ for me – to be lived out with other believers – Christ for them.”