Continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG for the spiritual life of the believer we are now looking at Paul and Timothy's prayer for the believer's spiritual growth in Col 1:9-12;

In verse 9 we have "Since the day we heard of you, [we] have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you ” may be filled (pleroo) with the knowledge (epignosis) of His will (thelema) and all spiritual wisdom (sophia) and understanding (sunesis).

The purpose for being filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding is:

Col 1:10; That you might walk "peripateo" (manner of life) worthy of the Lord (on tracks of righteousness), pleasing God in all things, constantly producing (present tense active voice of "karpophoreo" which describes a habit) every good work (divine good" agathos"), constantly receiving spiritual growth [present tense passive voice of, "auxano" for describing another habit) by means of epignosis knowledge (doctrine taught by the Holy Spirit) from the ultimate source of God (revelation from Bible Doctrine);

Paul's prayer for their being filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding was for them be able to walk and preserve in the Christian way of life in their regenerate life as a members of the new spiritual species and the Royal Family of God.

In the New Testament there are different Greek words that are translated as "walk" in the English language.

The word we have in this verse, "peripateo", which means to walk, progress, to regulate one's life, conduct oneself, to be occupied with. It is used to describe the function of the believer's spiritual life weather they are living in the PPOG or not.

Another word that is translated "walk" is "Stoicheo” which means to march in step, in rank, walk in agreement, function in a system. It is used in the New Testament primarily for functioning in the system of the PPOG and advancing in that system to spiritual maturity.

Also translated "walk " is "Poreuomai” which means to walk, pursue on a journey, to follow one so that you become his disciple, to proceed, to travel, to conduct oneself in a certain manner or to depart. 2Tim 4:10;"for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted [poreuomai] me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia."

"Anastrepho”, also translated "walk”, originally meant to upset, overrun, or to associate. Its figurative meaning was to behave or to function in terms of human conduct, the practice of principles, to turn back, to turn oneself about. It is used for the conduct and the modus operandi of the unbeliever. as in Eph 2:3 "Among them we too all formerly walked or lived (anastrepho) in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."

It is also used for motivation for Christian integrity in Heb 13:18 "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct (anastrepho) ourselves honorably in all things."

and it is used for life and conduct in the PPOG in 2Pet 3:11 "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct (anastrepho) and godliness,"

"Orthopedeo" means to walk straight, or accurately and is used in the negative in Gal 2:14; The word translated "straightforward" in this passage is "orthopedeo"

The pattern or template for the believer's spiritual walk was established in the life of TLJC during his time on this earth in the unglorified humanity of the Hypostatic Union.

Precedence for the spiritual life of the church age believer is the spiritual life of TLJC.

This is important to understand because of passages as 1John 2:6 "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk (peripateo) in the same manner as He walked (peripateo)."

The humanity of Christ was impeccable during the thirty-three years of his First Advent. He remained absolutely perfect because He resided inside the PPOG for His life, functioning under the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit and God's perfect happiness.

Through the virgin pregnancy and virgin birth, our Lord's humanity was born without the genetically-formed old sin nature, thereby excluding the imputation of Adam's original sin at birth because he had not inherited an OSN from birth.

This means He was born as Adam was created, perfect, in a state of impeccability. Because of the availability and utilization of divine omnipotence, our Lord's humanity continued in the state of impeccability under maximum testing and pressure.

The Latin words used to describe this are: Non Pose Pocari (impeccability from virgin birth) and Posi non Pocari (impeccability from his spiritual life by his continuous residence inside the PPOG for this life.

The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit inside the PPOG empowered our Lord's humanity to resist every test which was far beyond anything we could imagine.

His state of impeccability was absolutely necessary for our Lord to be qualified to go to the Cross where the justice of God the Father poured out on our Lord Jesus Christ every sin that was and ever will be committed in the human race and judged them.

The First Advent of TLJC was a demonstration of the power of God the Holy Spirit and a demonstration that any believer who advances to maturity, and thereby acquires God's Happiness, can endure anything in life on this planet.

With the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit and the Happiness of God, TLJC was able to endure the Cross. Heb 12:2;

The challenge for believers is that they continue to possess the old sin nature after salvation and consequently continue to sin. However, the pattern of the believer's sinfulness or carnality depends upon the amount of time they spend in the cosmic system instead of in the PPOG, or put in another way, where they do most of their walking.

Being in fellowship with God is the only way that believers can execute God's plan. Walking describes the purpose of living in the PPOG to glorify God in the great power experiment of "Christ in you" in the Church Age. John 14; 23; NET note 55

Therefore, believers are to walk in a worthy manner Col 1:10; 1Thes 2:12; This is a general reference to the believer functioning inside of and executing the PPOG for their lives.

If believers are going to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord after salvation, then they must reside inside the PPOG, operate in integrity, be filled with the Spirit, and expose themselves to the teaching of the Word of God which results in being filled with the knowledge of his will and having wisdom and spiritual understanding. Col 1:9;

The execution of the faith-rest drill is one of the functions of that walk, 2Cor 5:7. It is source of the poise of the Christian life which results in the believer having control of their own life under God's unique plan for their life.

This is the believer having confidence in God which is deployed as courage toward circumstances and people in their walk.

John Spoke of this in his 3rd Epistle:

3John 4; "I was very pleased discovered that some of you children keep walking (second person present active indicative of peripateo) by means of doctrine even as we have received a mandate from the Father."

This is a mandate to keep walking, to keep learning doctrine, to keep advancing spiritually in the Christian way of life.

There are also passages which describe believers walking improperly:

Psychotic believers living in Satan's kosmic system are described as walking: Phil 3:18-19; "For many [believers] keep walking (third person present active indicative of peripateo), concerning whom I have often told you, even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ. Whose termination is destruction [the sin unto death], whose God is their emotion, whose fame comes by means of dishonor, who keep on thinking about earthly things."

The same concept is also found in 1John 1:6;

Believers are warned about walking or residing in the cosmic system. John 8:12;

Life in the cosmic system is called walking in darkness, John 11:9-10 "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? if anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

We are to walk by means of the things prepared by God for us in eternity past, such as the problem solving devices. Eph 2:10;

Just as TLJC walked in the prototype PPOG for this life; we are to walk in the operational type PPOG.

In Gal 6:16 we are told "And those who will walk [stoicheo, march] by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

Notice that there are rules to walk by which must be learned and understood, believers cannot just walk any way that they want to and their sincerity is not an issue.

There are NOT all kinds of ways to walk, there is only one way to walk,

The unique way is described by the Greek word "stoicheo". which is marching according to the Word of God.

This means to march in step, march in rank, walk in agreement with, function in a system, and to follow a leader from the ranks.

This actually connotes the unity that should exist within the body of Christ. There is no union stronger than spiritual fellowship in Christ GAL 5:25 "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [stoicheo] by the Spirit."

So this word for "walk" tells us that we are to march in step with the Spirit. To march in rank with the Spirit, in agreement with the Spirit, to function in a system with the Spirit and to follow our leader by the Spirit.

Stoicheo is also used for salvation by faith in Christ, (referring to walking by faith in ROM 4:12. (The word translated follow is the Greek word stoicheo) The NET describes it as walking in Abraham’s "footsteps.

There is only one way to walk in someone's footprints and is to step exactly where they did.

This points to the fact that there is only one accurate way to salvation. Salvation is only by grace through faith alone in TLJC alone.

Stoicheo is also used for the rules of the new spiritual species in GAL 6:16 and Phil 3:16; In both cases the word translated "walk" or "live" is the Greek word stoicheo.

In the analogy that Paul is using, in literal walking, one moves forward. In spiritual walking, the believer is advancing in the PPOG.

In literal walking, one uses physical energy. In spiritual walking, believers are using divine energy... the Omnipotence of God that is available inside the PPOG.

The word "stoicheo" means to march under a command with others marching along with you. To perform maneuvers under command. The emphasis here is on discipline and persevering. No one ever advances apart from the discipline of Bible teaching so believers must "keep on plugging" in their spiritual walk.

Next time we will discuss the "plugger"