Sit, Walk, Stand

IMarshall got his first shoes, but he is not quite ready for walking yet!

 

I hate prep work!  Whether it’s painting a room, trying out a new recipe, or getting ready for a conference in a new state, I would rather just get to the meat of things. Sometimes I get the cart before the horse and I wonder why things didn’t work out. 

We can do this in our Christian walk as well.  We rush in to “help” someone or offer advice or try to stand against evil but we haven’t done the prep work.  We get things out of order.  I know I do!  I would rather get to the battle then to sit and listen to the Commander and learn His ways.

Watchman Nee, a Chinese theologian, has a book out about Ephesians called Sit, Walk, Stand.  It is an excellent resource that teaches us that we must sit at the Savior’s feet through prayer and Bible reading if we are to be successful at walking each day in His way.  Then we must walk consistently in purity and holiness if we want to be victorious in the battles of life.

Sit: “But God, being rich in mercy…raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…”Ephesians 2:4-6  This is our position as born again believers saved through the blood of Jesus.  It is not only our inheritance and forever promise, but it can be a reality of today.  We can come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).  Here, at Jesus’ feet and in the presence of God we can have our minds transformed (Romans 12:2) and our spirits strengthened.  I like to visualize myself dancing before God’s throne or worshipping with uplifted hands before Him or walking with Jesus in a garden. This helps me to sit with my Savior and Lord and prepares my heart to read and hear from Him. I enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving and then I sit with Him in prayer.  Sitting allows us to know the mind of Christ.  It empowers us to be able to walk.

Walk: “Therefore I…implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1).  Once we have sat at the feet of Jesus learning His ways, then we are empowered to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) and to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).  If you are not able to resist temptation, then go sit some more.  If your walk is up and down then go and sit some more.  If your works are not producing fruit, make sure that they are in line with God’s will and not your own. God is gracious and compassionate and picks us up when we fall (Psalm 37::23-24), but as we mature in our faith through Bible study and prayer, we should be walking without the faltering steps of a toddler. 

Stand: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). If you want to be able to fight against Satan, then make sure your armor is in place.  Have you spent hours sitting with Jesus?  Are you believing His word and His will by faith?  Are you standing on the truth?  Are you girded about with His righteousness?  When we have sat and practiced walking, then we are able to stand firm. God is calling us to spiritual warfare.  He is expecting that His children are ready for the battle.  Our sword is the Word of God.  Is your sword sharp?

For victorious Christian living we must sit, then walk , then stand.  Are you ready for battle?

hate prep work!  Whether it’s painting a room, trying out a new recipe, or getting ready for a conference in a new state, I would rather just get to the meat of things. Sometimes I get the cart before the horse and I wonder why things didn’t work out. 

We can do this in our Christian walk as well.  We rush in to “help” someone or offer advice or try to stand against evil but we haven’t done the prep work.  We get things out of order.  I know I do!  I would rather get to the battle then to sit and listen to the Commander and learn His ways.

Watchman Nee, a Chinese theologian, has a book out about Ephesians called Sit, Walk, Stand.  It is an excellent resource that teaches us that we must sit at the Savior’s feet through prayer and Bible reading if we are to be successful at walking each day in His way.  Then we must walk consistently in purity and holiness if we want to be victorious in the battles of life.

Sit: “But God, being rich in mercy…raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…”Ephesians 2:4-6  This is our position as born again believers saved through the blood of Jesus.  It is not only our inheritance and forever promise, but it can be a reality of today.  We can come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).  Here, at Jesus’ feet and in the presence of God we can have our minds transformed (Romans 12:2) and our spirits strengthened.  I like to visualize myself dancing before God’s throne or worshipping with uplifted hands before Him or walking with Jesus in a garden. This helps me to sit with my Savior and Lord and prepares my heart to read and hear from Him. I enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving and then I sit with Him in prayer.  Sitting allows us to know the mind of Christ.  It empowers us to be able to walk.

Walk: “Therefore I…implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1).  Once we have sat at the feet of Jesus learning His ways, then we are empowered to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) and to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).  If you are not able to resist temptation, then go sit some more.  If your walk is up and down then go and sit some more.  If your works are not producing fruit, make sure that they are in line with God’s will and not your own. God is gracious and compassionate and picks us up when we fall (Psalm 37::23-24), but as we mature in our faith through Bible study and prayer, we should be walking without the faltering steps of a toddler. 

Stand: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). If you want to be able to fight against Satan, then make sure your armor is in place.  Have you spent hours sitting with Jesus?  Are you believing His word and His will by faith?  Are you standing on the truth?  Are you girded about with His righteousness?  When we have sat and practiced walking, then we are able to stand firm. God is calling us to spiritual warfare.  He is expecting that His children are ready for the battle.  Our sword is the Word of God.  Is your sword sharp?

For victorious Christian living we must sit, then walk , then stand.  Are you ready for battle?