Walking In Agreement with God - Knowing God vs. Walking with God

In the vast landscape of modern Christianity, there exists a silent epidemic. It is a condition that afflicts millions of believers who sit in pews every Sunday, listen to worship music, and mentally assent to the truths of the Bible, yet live with a gnawing sense of spiritual hollowness. It is the phenomenon of the "distant God." You know you are saved. You know heaven is your destination. Yet, as Pastor Sam Merigala poignantly articulates in his sermon, "God feels far away most of the time. Your prayers feel like they hit the ceiling. Your Bible reading feels mechanical".

Why is this? Why does a faith that promises "abundant life" often feel so dry?

In his transformative sermon titled "Knowing God Vs. Walking With God," part of the Walking in Agreement with God series, Pastor Sam Merigala performs a spiritual surgery on this very issue. He exposes a critical theological and practical confusion that has left countless believers living in "spiritual poverty". The diagnosis is simple but devastating: we have confused our legal relationship with God with our experiential fellowship with God.

This analysis seeks to unpack the profound truths delivered by Pastor Merigala, offering a roadmap out of spiritual distance and into the dynamic communion your soul craves. Whether you are a lifelong believer feeling stale in your walk, or a skeptic wondering if a personal connection with the Divine is even possible, the principles laid out in this sermon hold the key to a radical transformation.

Part 1: The Diagnosis – Relationship vs. Fellowship

To understand why we feel distant from God, we must first understand the distinction Pastor Merigala draws between "relationship" and "fellowship." This is not merely semantics; it is the difference between "intimacy and distance, between power and powerlessness".

The Permanence of Relationship Pastor Merigala anchors the believer's security in the legal reality of salvation. When a person is "born again," a permanent transaction occurs. Citing John 1:12, the sermon emphasizes that we are given the power to become "sons of God". This status is not a fragile contract; it is a birthright.

The sermon powerfully asserts that this relationship is "permanent, legal, and unbreakable". Utilizing Romans 8:38-39, Pastor Merigala reminds us that absolutely nothing - neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers - can separate us from the love of God. Furthermore, based on Ephesians 1:13-14, the believer is "sealed" with the Holy Spirit, which serves as a guarantee of our inheritance.

For those plagued by the fear of losing their salvation every time they stumble, Pastor Merigala offers a rock-solid assurance: "Relationship is a matter of birth". Just as a child cannot "un-be" the biological offspring of their parents, a believer cannot lose their position as a child of God. You are His. That is settled.

The Fragility of Fellowship However, here lies the crux of the problem. While relationship is static and secure, fellowship is dynamic and conditional. Pastor Merigala argues that "most Christians think they have a relationship with God when all they actually have is occasional fellowship".

Fellowship is the day-to-day experience of that relationship. It is the "walking with God," the "talking with him," and the sensing of His presence. While relationship is established at salvation, fellowship "must be maintained daily and can absolutely be broken".

To illustrate this, Pastor Merigala uses a relatable analogy of a parent and child. If a child rebels, stops speaking to their father, and ignores his instructions, the biological relationship remains 100% intact. They are still the child. However, the fellowship is shattered. There is no intimacy, no communication, and no shared life.

This is the state of the modern church. As the sermon explains, "They have a relationship with God positionally... But they have no fellowship with God experientially". We have the status of sons and daughters, but we live like distant acquaintances.

Part 2: The Conditions of Communion

If relationship is a free gift, fellowship is a cultivated garden. Pastor Merigala directs us to 1 John 1:6-7 to establish the conditions for this intimacy: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie... But if we walk in the light... we have fellowship one with another".

The sermon makes it clear: "Relationship is a matter of birth. Fellowship is a matter of walk".

The Barrier of Sin What breaks this fellowship? It is sin. It is walking in darkness. When we tolerate compromise, harbor unconfessed sin, or live in disobedience, we are not losing our salvation, but we are severing our connection to God's presence.

Pastor Merigala uses a brilliant metaphor of a phone line. "Your relationship with God is like having a phone," he explains. The phone is yours; no one can take it away. But if you let the battery die or ignore the calls, the phone is useless. You have the equipment (relationship), but you have no connection (fellowship). Sin cuts the line. It leaves us "feeling distant from the God who never actually moved".

The Marriage Analogy Expanding on this, the sermon compares our walk with God to a marriage. A marriage certificate creates a permanent legal bond. But does a marriage certificate guarantee a happy, intimate daily life? No. A husband and wife can be legally married yet live as strangers in the same house due to offense, neglect, or silence.

Many believers are "married" to Christ but sleeping in separate rooms. They are "saved but distant, forgiven, but cold". The tragedy, as Pastor Merigala points out, is not that they have lost their salvation, but that they have lost the joy and power of their fellowship.

Part 3: The Cure – Biblical Confession

How do we fix a broken phone line? How do we bridge the gap of silence in a marriage? The sermon provides a definitive answer: Confession.

However, Pastor Merigala corrects a pervasive misunderstanding regarding what confession actually is. Many Christians view confession as a time of groveling, begging, and pleading for God to take them back. The sermon labels this attitude as "unbelief".

True confession, based on 1 John 1:9, is simply "agreeing with God about your sin". It is not an attempt to convince God to forgive you; it is the act of receiving the forgiveness He has already provided. Pastor Merigala states, "Confession is not begging. It's receiving".

The moment we align our perspective with God's - acknowledging that what we did was wrong and turning from it - fellowship is instantaneously restored. "Not because you earned it, but because God promised it". This is a liberating truth! We do not have to serve a penalty period of guilt before we can experience God's presence again. The blood of Jesus provides immediate cleansing and restoration of intimacy.

Part 4: The Art of Abiding

Restoring fellowship through confession is vital, but maintaining fellowship is a lifestyle. Pastor Merigala argues that avoiding sin is only half the equation; we must also actively cultivate intimacy.

The Discipline of Time and Solitude The sermon challenges the busyness of modern life by pointing to the example of Jesus. In Mark 1:35, we see Jesus rising early, going to a solitary place, and praying. Pastor Merigala poses a piercing question: "If Jesus, who was perfect and without sin, needed to cultivate fellowship through prayer and solitude, how much more do you?".

We cannot expect to sense God's presence if we only give Him a "30-second prayer" or a mechanical devotional reading. Fellowship requires time. It requires "lingering in his presence".

Referencing Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God," the sermon identifies "waiting, listening, being still" as the "lost art of the Christian life". We live in a world of noise, but God speaks in the stillness. Pastor Merigala emphasizes that we must prioritize God above everything else that competes for our focus. We must stop "rattling off requests" and start simply being with Him.

The Necessity of Obedience Fellowship is also inextricably linked to obedience. Quoting John 14:23, the sermon highlights that God's "abode" - His manifest dwelling place with us - is conditional on keeping His word.

"Obedience maintains fellowship and disobedience destroys it," Pastor Merigala asserts. This is not about earning love; it is about alignment. You cannot walk with someone if you are moving in opposite directions. To "draw near to God" as James 4:8 commands, we must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Intimacy is the reward of the obedient heart.

Part 5: Practical Steps to a Transformed Life

Pastor Sam Merigala moves beyond theory and offers five concrete pillars for living in unbroken fellowship. These are not religious hoops to jump through, but relational habits to cultivate.

1. Guard Your Heart: Based on Proverbs 4:23, we must be vigilant about what we allow into our inner life. "Fellowship is fragile," the sermon warns. "One unconfessed sin... and the intimacy fades". We must protect our spiritual sensitivity from the pollution of the world.
2. Confess Quickly: Do not let sin fester. The moment the Holy Spirit convicts you, agree with God. "Don't wait. Don't hide. Don't justify". Short accounts keep the fellowship sweet.
3. Prioritize Time with God: Make space for Him not as a duty, but as a relational necessity. Pastor Merigala puts it bluntly: "If you're too busy for God, you're too busy".
4. Obey What He Speaks: When the Word confronts you or the Spirit leads you, respond immediately. Active obedience keeps the channel of communication open.
5. Cultivate Gratitude and Worship: Citing Psalm 100:4, the sermon teaches that thanksgiving is the gateway to His presence. A lifestyle of praise creates an atmosphere where fellowship thrives.

Part 6: The Call to Abundant Life

The ultimate goal of this teaching is not to burden us with more rules, but to lead us into the "abundant life" promised in John 10:10. God does not want to be a "distant deity" to you; He desires to be a "present father".

The difference between a dry, religious existence and a dynamic, powerful walk with God lies entirely in this distinction between relationship and fellowship. Your salvation is secure - you are His child. But your experience of His power, His voice, and His nearness is up to you.

Pastor Merigala challenges us: "Are you walking in intimacy, or are you living in distance?". The choice is ours. We can settle for the legal security of a ticket to heaven, or we can press into the daily delight of walking with the King.

A Look Ahead As profound as this teaching is, Pastor Merigala concludes the sermon with a compelling teaser. He notes that even when we walk in fellowship, there is "something that should be growing in your life as evidence of that fellowship". Many believers walk with God but fail to see this tangible evidence develop.

In his next sermon, Pastor Merigala promises to expose the "missing piece" that hinders the full manifestation of the Spirit's work in our lives. But for now, the invitation is clear: Come back to the place of communion. Restore the fellowship. The Father is waiting, not to condemn you for the distance, but to embrace you in the stillness.

Reflection: Take a moment right now. Put down your device. Silence the noise around you. Ask yourself: Is my phone line connected? Am I walking in the light? If there is distance, do not despair. Simply confess. Agree with God. And step back into the warmth of His presence.