The Doctrine of Walking (and Running)

Written and compiled by Gary Kukis

These studies are designed for believers in Jesus Christ only. If you have exercised faith in Christ, then you are in the right place. If you have not, then you need to heed the words of our Lord, Who said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten [or, uniquely-born] Son, so that every [one] believing [or, trusting] in Him shall not perish, but shall be have eternal life! For God did not send His Son into the world so that He should judge the world, but so that the world shall be saved through Him. The one believing [or, trusting] in Him is not judged, but the one not believing has already been judged, because he has not believed in the Name of the only-begotten [or, uniquely-born] Son of God." (John 3:16–18). "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through [or, by means of] Me!" (John 14:6).

Every study of the Word of God ought to be preceded by a naming of your sins to God. This restores you to fellowship with God (1John 1:8–10). If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). If there are people around, you would name these sins silently. If there is no one around, then it does not matter if you name them silently or whether you speak aloud.

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Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines
James Rickard's Doctrine of Walking	Proverbs 4:10–12 (graphic)	James Rickard's Doctrine of Running

Preface:	This doctrine was taken out of Proverbs 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

No need to reinvent the wheel.
James Rickard's Doctrine of Walking
1.	"Walking" has two main usages in scripture. The first is the actual physical action of putting one foot in front of the other to achieve motion. The other is figurative for your spiritual life that can either walk in righteousness or evil. In our passage it means advancement in the spiritual life unto the Lord which will not be hindered by the problems and details of life.

2.	"Walking" is used in the Bible to express the character of a person in John 1:35-36 John...looking at Jesus as He walked...said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" John was pointing out the person of Jesus and His position in God's Plan, not that Jesus was literally walking. Remember that there is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, "Be spiritual," but He says, "Walk (hâlake ( ) [pronounced haw-LAHKe]) before Me ." (Gen 17:1). So from this we get our precedence for the "walking" in the spiritual life.

3.	Spiritual walking is the modus operandi of the Church Age believer in executing the Plan of God which requires spiritual energy. It means you are going forward in the Plan of God by utilizing Divine energy, (i.e., the omnipotence of God by His Word and Spirit), because when you walk you are not standing still but are moving forward.

4.	Walking is used for the perception of Bible doctrine. 3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking (peripateô ( ) [pronounced per-ee-paht-EH-oh]) in the truth (Bible Doctrine)." Eph 5:15 Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.

5.	Walking is also related to the Execution of the Plan of God, Eph 2:10; Col 1:9-10. Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

6.	When we walk in the wisdom of God's Word we have guidance and protection. Prov 2:7 He (the Lord) stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

7.	In the New Testament we are commanded to Walk in the Light. Eph 5:8 For you were formerly darkness (spiritual death), but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.

1)	This command is a reference to Experiential Sanctification, (being filled with the Holy Spirit and applying God's Word on a consistent basis.). Just as walking in the darkness is incompatible with walking in light, so Christian degeneracy is incompatible with the modus operandi of the Plan of

2)	Walking as children of light means executing the Plan of God and is synonymous with the Christian way of life.

3)	The precedence for walking in the light is found in 1John 2:6. 1John 2:6 The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

4)	Our precedence for "walking" is the Lord Jesus Christ during the hypostatic union, and not with the Old Testament believers. All precedence for the Plan of God in the Church Age is derived from our Lord's walk on this earth.

5)	Our Lord walked in the prototype of God's Power System (GPS), the Church Age believer therefore must walk in the operational type GPS if he is going to fulfill God's Plan for his life. Gal 5:16 Walk by means of the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

6)	This is a command to remain in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit. Being in fellowship is the only way we can execute God's plan, Eph 5:18.

8.	"Walking" describes the purpose of living in the operational GPS; to glorify God in the great power experiment of the Church Age, 1Thess. 2:12. 1Thess. 2:12 So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

1)	If we are going to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord after we believe in Christ, then we must be Filled with the Spirit, and expose ourselves to the teaching of the Word of God on a consistent basis. If we do all of this, then we fulfill 1John 1:7. 1John 1:7 If we keep walking in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

9.	The challenge of "walking in the light" is found in Rom 6:4. Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism (of the Holy Spirit) into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

1)	Walking in newness of life means we walk in the light of the Word of God, being in union with Christ and having a regenerated human spirit, making us a new spiritual species, 2Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15

2)	Walking in newness of life means utilization of all of the invisible assets God has provided for us in our Portfolio of Invisible Assets including: the Baptism of the Holy Spirit the availability of Divine power; the indwelling of the Trinity; the assets of predestination and election, our universal priesthood and ambassadorship, Unique Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age, etc.

10.	In addition, the Faith-Rest Drill is a mandate of "walking", that is, having poise and control of the Christian Way of Life, while executing God's Plan for your life. 2Cor. 5:7 For we walk by faith and not by sight. Col 2:6 As you have received Christ Jesus to yourselves, so keep walking by means of Him. We received Christ by faith; so now we walk by faith.

11.	"Walking" also means the utilization of the Problem Solving Devices. Learning and using the Problem Solving Devices moves you along in executing the Plan of God, which is "walking in the light." Eph 5:1-2 Become imitators of God as beloved children, and begin walking in the sphere of virtue-love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Eph. 4:1-2 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.

12.	All of these mandates to "keep walking" are commands to keep learning Bible doctrine, and to keep advancing spiritually in the Christian way of life.
From http://gracedoctrine.org/proverbs-chapter-4/ accessed February 27, 2015.
Chapter Outline	Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines

Vv. 11–12 read: I have taught you in the way of wisdom; [and] I have led you in paths of integrity. When walking, your step will not be restricted and if you run, you will not stumble. Once a person has put his faith in the Revealed God, the Creator God, the God of Israel; the next step would be to learn what God has said, and God's interaction with man, which is revealed in His Word. David's teaching of Solomon would guide him through much of his life (except, of course, during the period of time when Solomon rejected his excellent training).

Vv. 10–12 read: Listen, my son, and take my words [of doctrine]; and your years of life will be increased to you. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; [and] I have led you in paths of integrity. When walking, your step will not be restricted and if you run, you will not stumble. We are back to Solomon's notes which he took from King David's Bible class. The was ongoing; David had already taught Solomon the way of wisdom, which was to first trust in the God of Israel and then to learn His Word.

Proverbs 4:10–12 (graphic); from Pinimg.com; accessed March 8, 2015.

The was also a pretty small window here. David began teaching Solomon near the end of David's life. Solomon would have been quite young and David would have been quite old. David only had a few years. He was at the end of his life, the end of his reign; and Solomon was a young son. We have the political training that David subjected Solomon to in the final few chapters of 1Chronicles; and we have the spiritual and moral training throughout the book of Proverbs.

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We do not find this doctrine in very many places (Rickard may have been the only person to do this doctrine).
Rickard: Just as every member of the human race born into this world has to learn [to crawl then] to walk and then run, so does the born again believer in the spiritual life. We did not learn these things in one day, we learned them by experience and practice, trial and error[, and primarily by the application of Bible doctrine to our daily lives].
James Rickard's Doctrine of Running
1.	Just as with walking, "running" also has two usages in the Bible. The first is the literal act of running, that is fast motion of your feet, (Mat 27:48 Mark 5:6 15:36, Luke 15:20 24:12 John 20:4), and the other is in regard to the spiritual life, either advancement or degeneracy, Prov 1:16; 6:18. Advancement in the spiritual life is the topic of this Doctrine. The Hebrew Verb is rûts ( ) [pronounced roots], and means to run or to hurry. It is used numerously in the Old Testament, but only four times in Proverbs, Prov 1:16 4:12 6:18 18:10. Prov 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." "Run" or "Running" is also used in the New Testament where we get our main application for the Church Age believer. It is the Greek Verb trechô ( ) [pronounced TREHK-oh] for all you Star Trek fans out there. As noted above it has two primary meanings and we will discuss the second meaning below.

2.	Ultimately "running" is the believer's advance to spiritual adulthood, (Spiritual Self Esteem, Autonomy and Maturity). While walking connotes the modus operandi of the Christian life, running connotes the advance to maturity in the Spiritual Life, Heb 12:1. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the easily entangling sin, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

3.	Running is related to the dissemination of Doctrinal teaching. Gal 2:2 I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. Phil 2:16 Holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

1)	You stop running when you forsake the assembling of yourselves together, Heb 10:25, and neglect the teaching of God's Word, which also results in loss of rewards, 1Cor. 3:10-15.

4.	Running is contrasted with reversionism in Gal 5:7. Gal 5:7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth, (Bible doctrine)?

5.	Running is related to the blessings of maturity, 1Cor. 9:24– 27. The believer has to keep studying doctrine so that he does not lose his spiritual growth and therefore his rewards. 1Cor. 9:24–27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

6.	Running is related to the victor's rewards at the BEMA Seat of Jesus Christ. 2Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course (dromos ( ) [pronounced DROM-oss] - run the race), I have kept the faith; 8in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Additional Remarks from Rickard:

In Gal 5:16-26, we are commanded to "walk by means of the Holy Spirit." In these passages, to "walk" or even "run" in the spiritual life is not dependent on your attempts to walk or run, but on the obligation you have to maintain an attitude of confidence and expectation in God's Power System, which obligation will make the Spirit's promotion of your walk or run a blessed reality.

As Proverbs has told us time and time again, we are to be led in the path of God's Word and to be empowered by the Spirit to do every good work. Therefore, to walk or run is not of our own human resources and power, but is dependence and reliance upon the power of God in you!

That means that walking or running in the Spirit is not a mere conformity to some rigid standards, rules or code of conduct. In contrast, it means dependence upon God the Holy Spirit to lead you in each and every step of your life.

Remember that every literal physical step you take is an incipient (beginning or early stage of a) fall. That is, in every step you take your body is thrown forward and out of balance without physical support, and is dependent upon the foot forward to recover your balance and support you once again.

Likewise, to walk or run in the Spirit is not only a constant series of commitments to take a step, but a constant casting of yourself upon the Spirit with the confidence and anticipation that all the support you will need will be realized by Him.

And by the way, when you do, He will always be there to catch you before you fall.

Psa 91:11-12 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. 12They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone."

That is another reason why Prov 4:12 tells us your step will not be impeded", and "you will not stumble."
From http://gracedoctrine.org/proverbs-chapter-4/ accessed February 27, 2015.
Chapter Outline	Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines

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The Abbreviated Doctrine of
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Bibliography

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Kukis Homepage	Doctrines