Walking in the Light - Part 2 — Phil Beach Jr.

The Futility of Religious Effort

The power within yourself to accomplish what it is that God is speaking to us this morning. You can try with all the wisdom and religious effort that you can muster up. It will never happen. We are left this morning with one question.

Examining What Light We Follow

This is a question that I'm going to ask you, one that we all must answer before God. What light are you walking in? What light are you walking in this morning? This is a continuation from last week, walking in the light.

1 John 1, that which we have heard from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us.

That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. There is a spirit that is sent from hell, and it is seeking to seduce, to lead astray each and every one of us as members of the body of Christ.

The chief characteristic, the chief work of this spirit that has declared war on the church of God is very simple. Listen carefully. It is seeking to drive you out from the light that radiates from the person of Jesus Christ.

And put you into a posture where you are walking by another light. Verse 5. This then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. Verse 7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light.

Now I want to take a few moments before we go on and emphasize this. And I pray the Holy Spirit will help us to see. The Holy Spirit says, but if we walk in the light as He is in the light. That's a simile.

That's a comparison. In other words, we are to be doing something like another person is doing. Basically that defines how we're to do it, right? If I said run the marathon like Norman runs the marathon.

Then we would do wise to watch Norman run the marathon. Norman is doubtful that he would make it. But see what I'm saying. If I said run like Norman, we would have to observe Norman. And then after observing him, we would then attempt to run like Norman.

Walk in the light as He is in the light. So immediately the scripture is defining the nature of our fellowship with the Father. The pattern, for a lack of better words. We are to walk in the light as He is in the light.

And so before we attempt to have fellowship with God. Before we attempt to commune with God. We have to go and say Lord open up the eyes of my heart through the Holy Spirit. And let me see Lord Jesus the kind of communion and fellowship that you are enjoying with the Father.

Because that's the kind that I'm supposed to be walking in. As He is in the light. Walk in the light as He is in the light. And so as we understand this. Every single religious idea that we have about walking in the light burns up.

And we see as we behold the Son walking in the light of His Father. And we see there the way in which God is asking us to walk in the light. Psalm 36 verse 9. Beginning in verse 5. Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens.

And thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains. Thy judgments are great deep. O Lord thou preserveth man and beast. How excellent is thy loving kindness O God.

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house. And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

Listen. For with thee is the fountain of life. In thy light shall we see light. Walk in the light as He is in the light. Christ is continuously in the light of His Father. And we are called to walk in the light as He is in the light.

Christ as the Believer’s Life and Light

Now you might say at first thought, brother that is impossible. Well, the fact of the matter is it is impossible with man, but with God all things are possible. Because as we understand the fact that we are in Christ.

And therefore it is not a matter of going somewhere to walk in the light. We don't go to Jerusalem. We don't go to this temple. We don't go to this state or this city and find the light. But we are actually in the light by virtue of our union with Christ.

Who is the light of the world. And so therefore walking in the light springs out of, it's born in the believers revelation by God. That Christ is our life. Christ is our life. Jesus is the light. And as Christ is our life.

And as we pursue Christ. And as we walk in the light of Christ. Then we see properly. As the scripture says, for with thee is the fountain of life. In thy light shall we see light. What light are you walking in this morning?

It is only the light that radiates from the face of Jesus Christ. Being communicated by the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Into our lives, into our homes and into our daily communion. That enables us to see properly.

And that transforms us into the image of Christ. Hebrews chapter 4. Verse 12. The effects of walking in the light. The effects of walking in the light. Notice this isn't the effects of trying. Religiously to be something.

Trying to sanctify ourselves. Trying to make ourselves holy. Trying to make ourselves mature. Trying to become something. This isn't the effects of that. This is the effects of the light. The reason why there is such failure in our lives.

And such failure in the church per se. Is because the spotlight of Jesus Christ. Is no longer the place that people want to live in. They don't want to bathe under the radiant glory of the light of Christ.

That's the only place that your life will be changed and transformed. Brothers and sisters. There is no other place under heaven. Whereby the church will come into a meaningful, vibrant, living relationship with Christ the head.

And become the church that God wants us to be. Apart from living under the direct spout of the radiance of Christ. This is the new covenant. The covenant of life. The covenant of grace. But it's a costly call.

It requires that we lose everything. That is contrary to the light. As we'll read in Ephesians chapter 5. The light makes manifest and exposes everything. Nothing can live in the focus of the light. Except broken, contrite hearts.

That desire nothing but the light of God to be their light. The righteousness of Christ to be their righteousness. The heart of a servant to be their heart. Hebrews 4. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And the joints and marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God, we have made the word of God a book of theology. We've made the word of God interesting stories to read.

When the Bible says that the word of God, that word being Christ Himself. And the written word when it is quickened. And made alive by the energizing of the Holy Spirit. It is more than a book. It is more than theology.

It is more than good stories. And if you haven't known the word of God in this capacity yet. I pray that you will ask God to reveal His word to you in this way. Listen, the word of God doesn't let you walk in darkness.

It's not a matter of law. It's not a matter of legalism. It's a matter of the nature of light. You can't walk in darkness and be in the light. It's impossible. Watch this. Verse 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight.

Walking in the light as He is in the light. But all things are naked. There's that word naked. The first use of that word, which we mentioned a few weeks ago, goes way back in Genesis. When the Bible says that the man and his wife were naked and unashamed in the garden.

And so the effects of the light of God in our lives results in everything becoming naked and exposed before God. Why does God want to do that? And open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. The reason why God wants everything to be exposed and everything to be naked in front of His eyes is so that we will no longer attempt to offer to Him or bring to Him or to try to be something, anything other than what He Himself has already provided at Calvary.

He must become our all in all. He doesn't want anything in our lives other than the work of His grace, the cleansing of His power, and the beauty of His own character and nature being revealed. Psalm 43, 3.

Psalm 43, 3. Oh, send out Thy light and Thy truth and let them lead me. The light that comes from God leads us. The light that comes from God is truth. What light are you walking by this morning? If it is not the light that's coming from His countenance, it will not lead you in the right way.

Psalm 44, 3. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hast a favor unto them.

There you see again. It is the light of His countenance that led them. It is the light of His countenance that enables us to see. It is the light of His countenance that causes us to be naked before Him, exposed.

It is the light of His countenance. The Lord, through the Holy Spirit, is calling the church in this late hour to the place where they are laid bare before God through coming into the radiant glory of His light.

Humbling ourselves in the presence of God. Read Ephesians. Turn your Bible to Ephesians, please. Beginning in verse 1. Ephesians 5. Beginning in verse 1. What light are you walking in this morning? Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given Himself for us in offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.

For this you know, that no whoremonger, no unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Be ye therefore not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, listen carefully now, but now ye are light in the Lord. The very spiritual nature that we are now called as being children of God is light in the Lord.

Everything about our inner life should be light, light, light, light. We should love the light. We should desire the light. We should long for the light. We should feel comfortable in the light. We should have communion with the light.

We should praise the light because Christ is the light. Everything about us should reflect parts and pieces and aspects of the great light Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ye were sometimes darkness, the Bible says, ye were sometimes involved in these works of filthiness and covetousness and uncleanness and fornication and backbiting and foolish talking.

Ye were sometimes in the past, but now ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. This is not a call to try and attempt by our own human power to obey God's Word, but to walk as children of the light is inseparable with walk in the light.

As you walk in the light, you walk as children of the light. Your energy source becomes Christ who is the light. Christ who is our life. Christ who is the power of God. Christ who is my righteousness.

Christ who is my wisdom. Christ becomes my all and all. It is at the cross that I ended that all that I am in darkness has come to an end. And now I'm a new creation in Christ. Brothers and sisters, everything about your home, everything about your speech, everything about your lives should emanate and reflect the qualities of the light.

Everything. How do I do this? Walk in His light. Repent ye therefore, and be converted. Turn from your sin. Cry out to Him. He is merciful. He is gracious. He is kind to all that call upon His name. He's not calling you to try and produce a works life.

By your works, you're justified before God. That's the old covenant. That's the law. We're not under the law. As children of God, we are under a new covenant. It's the covenant of grace. It's the covenant of transforming power by the entrance of the Word.

Another Scripture says, the entrance of Thy Word giveth light. Away with the gospel of works. Away with the gospel of law. Away with the attempt to try and offer something to God as the basis of His pleasure.

Away with it. Jesus Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believeth. Jesus Christ is the end of trying to serve God through the law. Christ has fulfilled the law. And then you and I who receive Christ are enabled by His life to fulfill the requirements of the law.

Because what is the whole law summed up in? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, strength, and soul. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. All the law and the prophets hang upon those commandments.

Love as the Fulfillment of the Law

And Paul said in Galatians, trying to combat this wicked spirit that seduced the Galatians into thinking that they were somehow going to be perfected through law, through self-effort, through religious adherence.

He said the whole law, it's not fulfilled in trying to obey the law, trying to obey the letter. It's fulfilled when the love of Jesus Christ bursts and explodes in your heart. And you are moved by love to serve your brother.

Moved by love to lay your life down for your brother. The whole law is fulfilled then. Because there's no law against love. There's nothing that the love of God would move you to do that the law forbids.

And the breaking of every commandment stems and is rooted in a loveless heart. Would you steal if you really loved? No! I wouldn't take something that's not mine if I really loved and respected the person who owned it.

Would we commit adultery? Would the sin of fornication and adultery be running so wild today? If the love of God was being perfected in our lives, I say no. You wouldn't lay your hand upon another man's wife or another woman's husband.

You wouldn't lay your hand upon them. Why? Because the law of love would forbid it. The law of love. Would you slander your brother or sister? Would you gossip? Would you talk down on your sister or brother?

Would you? What causes us to talk down on one another? Little love. Little love. Little love. So see, our whole failure doesn't have to do with trying to obey. Our whole failure comes from not laying hold of the truth by faith we have received of His fullness.

And that through intimate communion with Him and through allowing the Holy Spirit to have unquestioned control in our life, the love of God is poured out in our life. You know what our need is right now?

A baptism into the very Person of Christ into which we will know the love of God. Love fulfills the law. You can't separate love from light as you find in 1 John. He talks about love, He talks about light, and He talks about fellowship.

You can't substitute this with religion. Verse 9, chapter 5. Verse 9,. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Why not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness? Because we're children of light. We love light. We want to seek light. We want to know light. Brothers and sisters, be careful of the light that you're walking in if it's not the light from His countenance.

False Light and the Testing of Spiritual Movements

In a few minutes, we'll just go over some of the light that we have believed to be the light of God when now it found out to be nothing but darkness. Some of the light that people are trusting and supposing it's God and it's not, it's darkness.

Listen to this. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Brothers and sisters, anyone who claims to be under the power of the Holy Spirit or in the midst of a move of God anywhere, if it does not possess the quality of making manifest, of revealing that which is dark, that which is contrary to the Lord's heart, that which is contrary to the nature of God, it is not the light of the Holy Spirit.

It is a false light. There is a lot of religious excitement going on today in relation to the move of God. But one quality that is grossly lacking and it causes a great warning light to shine, there is not the exposing of darkness.

There is not the making manifest of all things that are hidden. There is not a sense of coming before the Lord in brokenness and weeping and crying out to Him and seeing ourselves for what we are. Like it says, when Jacob saw God, he named it Peniel.

Because I saw God face to face. When you see God face to face, you see yourself face to face. That is a quality that is grossly lacking. There is a lot of activity. There is a lot of singing. There is a lot of excitement.

There is a lot of experiences that people have. But the Spirit of God is saying, don't seek an experience, but seek God. Seek Christ. Don't be carried about by all the doctrines and the winds of doctrines that are floating about.

But be content in seeking God. If you truly have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, listen carefully. The Word of God says, but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

The outstanding quality in your life, if you really have invited the Holy Spirit in and you are being filled daily with Him, is that you will have unquestionably the light of His countenance continuously shining in your life.

Bringing into check every motive. Bringing into check every word. Bringing into check every action. Bringing into check every motive and every intent of your heart. Exposing. See, light exposes. And it doesn't accept anything other than what God is doing in us through the Holy Spirit.

What light are you walking in?

The Light of Human Understanding

Proverbs 3. Here is a light that many people are walking in that will prove to be a false light. That will prove to be darkness and will bring despair to many hearts. Hear what the Spirit is saying. Proverbs 3.

Beginning in verse 1, My son, forget not My law, but let thine heart keep My commandments. For length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck.

Write them about the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of the Lord and of man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

That word lean means to rest on. To support oneself upon. Lean not unto thine own understanding. There is a light that is shining brightly within the church of Jesus Christ today. It is called the light of human understanding and it is in fact darkness.

But many are walking in the light of their own understanding. They're making decisions out of the light of their own understanding. They're trusting in their own understanding. They're supporting their life and their decisions on their own understanding.

And it is not light. It is darkness. There is a clarion clear call from the heart of God this morning to each and every one of us. And He's saying, do not walk in the light of your own understanding. Don't take things into your own hands.

But seek the Lord. Wait upon God. Let His light shine into your life. And then by thy light shall we see. You say, well, God doesn't come quick enough. I need to know. I need to know yesterday. Sounds like what Saul said, doesn't it, brother?

When Samuel commanded him to go to a certain city and there wait for him and then he, Samuel, would offer the sacrifices. And Saul went to the city and seven days went by. And the Bible says, and Samuel didn't show up.

And so Saul thought to himself. Saul began to trust in his human understanding. And he said, the people are pressuring me. They're going to leave. Samuel's not here. Seems reasonable to do this. What's the problem?

And that was the beginning of the end for Saul. Because he dared to forsake the light and walk in his own understanding. Beware of trusting in your own understanding. But pray that God will give you a heart to understand His light.

A heart to understand that it is a fool who trusts in his own heart. A fool who trusts in his own understanding. But the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord and to trust in Him. Secondly, Ephesians.

The World’s Course and the Spirit of Disobedience

Only the light that comes from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit is able to enable us to understand these things. Ephesians 2, beginning in verse 1,. And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world.

That's the second light that people are walking in that is really darkness. The course of this world. The age of this world. Let me tell you, brothers and sisters, don't walk in the light of this world.

Don't be pressed into the mold of what this world is telling you is important and isn't important. Don't be pressed into the mold of what this age is telling you. You should be spending your time doing.

Because if you do, you're going to end up forsaking God, forsaking your family, forsaking the church, and you're going to follow after the own dreams of your own heart. Paul said by the Holy Spirit that in times past, we walked according to the course of this world.

The course of this world is darkness, not light. And if you make your decisions and let your life be governed by what the world is doing, by what you see people doing, you're going to slowly but surely choke the fruitfulness of God's intention right out of your life.

Secondly, thirdly, first, the light of our own understanding. Secondly, the light of the course of this world. And thirdly, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

Not only is the course of this world, the customs and the ways of this world leading God's people astray, but the very spirit of the devil is behind it. And we will find ourselves energized and driven by the very spirit of the devil.

And when that becomes our light, how dark we are. Verse 3, among whom also we all had our way of life in times past. Number three, in the lusts of our flesh, brothers and sisters, again I pray that the Holy Spirit alone can shine the light, but I must say that there is much in the church today that is simply the lusts of flesh.

People are walking in the light of the desires of their flesh. The desires of our flesh are manifold. They are mentioned several times in several different places in Galatians. They're mentioned in Ephesians.

They're mentioned in Colossians. But there's very few children of God who through walking in the light are able to see the distinction between the movements of God walking in their heart and the desires of their own flesh.

And therefore many are trusting in the desires of the flesh. Of course, there might be a response in here like this, what am I going to do? My God, where does this leave me? How am I going to know? I pray that you will be so overwhelmed with a sense of despair.

Why? Because only in despair as we go before the Lord and His light shines. You see, there's nothing you can do. As someone said this morning, I can't remember who, we are so blind. We can't see. You and I can't see how entrenched we are in trusting in our own human understanding.

You and I can't see how entrenched we are in trusting in the course of this world. We have no idea how much our lives are the product of being intimidated by the world and conforming our lives into its image.

We're so intimidated. We're so concerned about what people think of us, aren't we? We're so concerned. How do I know? God is light. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, there's only one way to know.

Oh God, shine light from Thy countenance. I challenge in the name of the Lord and through the Holy Spirit, every single person here this morning, I challenge you by the love of God to make it a point sometime today to get together with your mate and your family.

And if you don't have a mate and family, then get together in your prayer closet and pray with utmost sincerity of heart, God, invade my life by the light that shines from Your countenance. Come into every area of my life.

Lord, don't let any stone be uncovered. Or don't let any stone remain uncovered. I challenge you by the love of God to make this a passion of your heart. It says in Ephesians 2 .3, the lusts of our flesh, the desires of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

That mind there means thoughts. Thoughts, reasoning, intellectual power. Brothers and sisters, this dovetails with trusting in our own understanding. How many people are walking in the light of their own thoughts, their own understanding?

And oh, what darkness that is. Because it's our own understanding that tells us, as did Eve, when we see something and it's pleasant to the taste and it can make one wise. It's our own understanding that says reach for it.

When God says, don't do it.

Christ’s Zeal in Cleansing the Temple

Okay, turn to John 2. We're going to close. As I said, this particular account that I'm about to read is found four times in the Gospels. It refers to the incident where Jesus cleansed the temple. John 2, beginning with verse 13.

And the Jews' Passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting. And when He had made a scourge, that word scourge is a word that was used to describe a whip that was used to punish someone publicly.

Publicly. Now let me just say in passing, many of us have not come to know this Jesus. This aspect of the heart of Jesus. But you can be sure, based on the Word of God, as we approach closer to that day of His appearing, we're going to come to see this part of our Savior working in His church.

And many will be offended. Because they don't want a Savior who scourges with a whip. They want a forgiving God. They want a God that loves them no matter what. They want a God who will provide all their needs in spite of their sins.

And we've got one. We've got one. But when Jesus comes with a scourging whip and cleanses His temple and demands, we say, Lord, that's far enough. That's why we need much humility. Because when the Lord begins to work this way in your life, you may be found resisting the Lord.

You may be found resenting those whom God is using to bring this light into your life. It's funny, we can love one another so easily.

Until we're confronted. And then all of a sudden, that honeymoon,.

That love relationship, oh, you're so sweet, suddenly something gets bitter. And we find ourself avoiding and our heart getting cold. Why? Many times it's because there's something in our life that that person's touching.

And we're basically saying, get out of my face. You don't have any right to touch.

Now, is God going to forsake you? No. But you won't see the full intention of God.

He wants a people who out of love will fall down before Him. So that's what this was. A whip that was used to publicly chasten and punish someone. Now, didn't Jesus say, come and learn of Me, I am meek and lowly.

Oh, I'm just a sweet Savior that's so gentle. Now, is that true? Yes. But I tell you what, brothers and sisters, what I'm reading here doesn't describe a lowly, milquetoast, jelly-spine Savior, does it?

What did He do? He took the scourge and He started what? Swinging it in the temple. And then what did He do with the money changer's tables? He overthrew them. Just imagine, we're closing in a minute now, just hold on.

Just imagine this whole front here set up with tables. And on the tables there were thousands of pieces of gold and silver. And imagine someone walking into this auditorium with a whip and start going like this, chasing us out, running up front here, taking these tables and throwing them over.

The money going all over the place. He's running. I don't think so. And the money going everywhere, throwing all over. And all of a sudden, He's standing up and saying, take these things hence. Get them out of here.

Make not My Father's house a house of merchandise. Have you heard the Lord speak into your life like that yet? And His disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of thine house.

Hath eaten me up. I'm closing.

A Call to Prayer, Purging, and Desperate Seeking

God is going to bring a fresh zeal into His house that will reflect His own heart. And it will be a zeal born of the Holy Spirit that will cause you and I who partake of it to let Him thoroughly purge and scourge us and get rid of all the junk in our life.

And His Father's house will indeed become a house of prayer. And that doesn't mean simply a place of prayer when we gather together. That means your life will become a place of prayer. Your home will become a place of prayer.

You will pray without ceasing. You will learn to pray, pray, pray. You will not spend your time doing foolish things. Listen, I'm closing. But I have to be mindful to the Lord. Beware of the spirit of entertainment that is coming into the church of Jesus Christ.

Beware of it. This is not law. I'm not preaching law. I'm not preaching rules. Most of you know, been long enough at this, we don't preach law. We don't preach rules. We don't preach taste not, touch not.

This is far more greater than rules. This has to do with the zeal of the Lord. All things are lawful. You're right. We're not under the law. All things are lawful. But not all things are profitable. And so what is to govern the Christian?

The fact that we're free to do anything because we're not under the law? No. What governs us is this. My, this is lawful. And this is lawful. But it's not profitable. And so therefore, I'm not going to do it.

Beware of the spirit of entertainment. It is robbing the hearts of God's people from time when they ought to be on their knees weeping and seeking God and praying for their families, praying for their brothers and sisters, and praying for revival.

We've been praying for revival for a long time. But what God said He's going to do hasn't come yet. Part of the reason is because we don't want it with all of our heart, mind, strength, and soul. We don't want it bad enough to be desperate day and night.

Let's not get radical, Phil. Let's not get radical. That's why. What do we do? Fall before Him. Walk in His light. Beware of entertainment. Beware. Let's fall before the Lord. Let's let the light from His countenance shine into our hearts, into our homes.

And then let's govern our life according to the light that shines. Let's humble ourselves. Don't defend anything that His light exposes in your life. Don't defend it. Say, You're right, Lord. We're going to see the glory of God come to a people.

We're going to see multitudes turn to the Lord. But it's going to be born out of a desperation for God. May God perform His Word this morning.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

I do want to say before we leave, we do have a picnic. It does look like the Lord has withheld the rain thus far. So it's reasonable to continue with our plans. Right after church, we're meeting at Schooley's Mountain Park.