Definición de competencias 37 

Friends walk together and console themselves with one another. The godly make known their requests to God--and he makes known his love

to them. There is a sweet fellowship between God and his people: "Our fellowship (koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).

3. Walking above the earth. A godly man is elevated above all sublunary objects. The person who walks with God must ascend very high. A dwarf cannot walk among the stars, nor can a dwarfish, earthly soul walk with God.

4. Visible piety. Walking is a visible posture. Grace must be conspicuous to the onlookers. He who reveals something of God in his behavior, walks with God. He shines forth in biblical conduct.

5. Continued progress in grace. It is not only a step--but a walk.

There is a going on towards maturity. A godly man does not sit down in the middle of the way--but goes on until he comes to the "end of his faith"

(1 Pet. 1:9). Though a good man may be out of the path, he is not out of the way. He may through infirmity step aside (as Peter did)—but he recovers by repentance and goes on in progressive holiness: "The righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger" (Job 17:9).

Use 1: See from this how improper it is to describe as godly, those who do not walk with God. They want to have Noah's crown—but they do not love Noah's walk. Most are found in the devil's black walk! "Many walk, of whom I tell you weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).

1. Some will commend walking with God, and say it is the rarest life in the world—but will not set one foot on the way. All who commend wine, do not pay the price. Many a father commends virtue to his child--but does not set him a pattern.

2. Others walk a few steps in the good old ways—but they retreat back again (Jer. 6:16). If the ways of God were not good, why did they enter them? If they were good, why did they forsake them? "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment" (2

Pet. 2:21).

3. Others slander walking with God as a melancholy walk. God accounts this as blasphemy: "the way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (2 Pet. 2:2). In the Greek it is "it shall be blasphemed."

4. Others deride walking with God as if it were a way of foolish scrupulosity. "What! Do you want to join the "holy tribe"? Do you want to be wiser than others?" There are some people who, if it were in their power, would jeer holiness out of the world. The chair of the scornful, stands at the mouth of hell (Proverbs 19:29).

5. Others, instead of walking with God, walk according to the flesh (2 Pet. 2:10).

(1) They walk by fleshly opinions.

(2) They walk according to fleshly lusts.

(1) They walk by fleshly OPINIONS. There are six of these:

(a) That it is best "to do what most do, to steer after the course of the world—and to be in the world's mode." They think it best--not to get a new heart—but to get into a new fashion.

(b) That reason is the highest judge and umpire in matters of piety. "We must believe no further than we can see!" For a man to become a fool that he may be wise, to be saved purely by the righteousness of another, to keep all by losing all—this the natural man will by no means put in his creed.

(c) That a little religion will serve the turn. "The lifeless form may in be kept up—but zeal is madness!" The world thinks that piety to be best which, like leaf-gold, is spread very thin.

(d) That the way which is exposed to affliction is not good. A stick, though it is straight, seems crooked under water. So piety, if it is under affliction, appears crooked to a carnal eye.

(e) That all a man's concern should be for the present world. As that profane cardinal said, he "would leave his part in paradise to keep his cardinalship in Paris."

(f) That sinning is better than suffering. It is greater concern to keep the skin whole--than the conscience pure.

These are such rules as the crooked serpent has found out—and whoever walks by them, shall neither know God, nor peace."

(2) They walk according to fleshly LUSTS. "For those who are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5. "For if you live after the flesh--you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body--you shall live." Romans 8:13. They make provision (turn caterers) for the flesh (Romans 13:14). Such a person was the Emperor Heliogabalus. He so indulged the flesh that he never sat except among sweet flowers, mixed with amber and musk. He attired himself in purple, set with precious stones. He did not burn oil in his lamps—but a costly balsam brought from Arabia, very odoriferous. He bathed himself in perfumed water; he put his body to no other use—but to be a strainer for fine food and drink to run through.

The ungodly walk according to the flesh. If a drunken or unclean lust calls--they gratify it! They brand as cowards, all who dare not sin at the same rate as they do. These, instead of walking with God, walk contrary to him. Lust is the compass they sail by! Satan is their pilot--and hell the port they are bound for.

Use 2: Let us test whether we have this characteristic of the godly: Do we