What It Means to Walk With God
- Colin Smith Unlocking the Bible
- Published May 27, 2014
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Genesis 3:8
God is Spirit. He’s invisible. So, how is it that we can “know” him? Right from the beginning of the bible story, God has been reaching out to make himself known. That’s why He made himself visible, “walking” with Adam in the garden.
God’s desire for fellowship
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name ‘Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23
We call each appearance of God in visible form a “theophany.” The Old Testament has many examples of this, but in the New Testament the Son of God becomes a man, so it should not seem strange that he should appear in a visible form here. These appearances show us God’s intense desire to establish fellowship with man.
It is almost as if the Son of God could not wait to come. He burst out of heaven, entering human space and time, so he could walk with the first man and woman in the garden. Adam and Eve heard the crackling of twigs and the rustling of leaves. They walked with the Son of God in Eden as surely as Peter, James, and John would walk with the Son of God in Galilee.
We have access to God
As Adam and Eve walked with God, they asked questions and enjoyed conversation. Can you imagine what this must have been like? God was interested in what Adam had done during the day, and He listened to what was on Eve’s mind. God also spoke with them. The man and the woman were walking in fellowship with God.
When God appears visibly to Adam and Eve, he does for them what he does invisibly for all his people. We cannot see God, but when we come to him in faith, Jesus Christ gives us access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). This is God’s way of creating a relationship with you. His presence is as real as it was when he appeared in visible form to Adam. Think about that next time you pray.
This LifeKey is based on the message (Jan 2, 2000) called: “The Garden – Part 1,” by Pastor Colin S. Smith, from the series, “10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible.”
Colin currently serves as Senior Pastor of the The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is committed to preaching the Bible in a way that nourishes the soul by directing attention to Jesus Christ.
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