day 9

1 John 2:3-6

How a Christian should live and what the Christian life should look like are two aspects of the very hotly debated topic of, “Who is a real Christian”. Remembering that St. John is approaching the end of his earthly life and that this letter is designed to impart to the Christian Church, who will now have to carry own without the help and guidance of Jesus’ apostles, wisdom and the general principles of the faith.

Since this is one of the last letters of the New Testament then I feel that is should be given more weight than what is sometimes has. The wisdom in this letter is very necessary for the believers of the 21^st Century, What should the focus of our daily life be? Recently I met a really wonderful young Christian. He is passionate about the Lord and wants to live righteously before Him. He feels that there are so many Christians that are less serious or even false that he has now decided to leave the seminary and find a place where he can be around other real Christians. He is tired of the constant struggle and seeks refuge from the world.

His story amazes and intrigues me. It has forced me to look at my life and actions and ask a very difficult question, “Do you really love God so much that you are willing to obey him even if everyone else around you chooses not to”?

St. John says that the way that I know that I have come to know God is by looking at my obedience. What is my real attitude to God’s will? How is God’s will affecting my attitudes, my actions and my thoughts?

John 8:28-29

²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰ Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

John 14:41-42, 9-12

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. ¹² I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.

In the gospel of St. John, Jesus says that he always acts in harmony with the Father. He never acts of his own accord. There is a direct communication between them. So Jesus imitates and repeats what he sees the Father do and what he hears the Father say. Now if Jesus says that he cannot do anything on his own then what should my response be as a believer?

Jesus says that the result of putting faith in him will result in that person imitating Jesus in their own life. I may still struggle with sin but that does not have to mean that I live unholy and in unrighteousness. It is all about obedience. The Harper’s Bible Dictionary says that obedience means submitting to the will of an authority. We are to submit to God’s will because this is what Jesus did.

If I know God then I will obey him. Lack of obedience can then be explained as a lack of truly knowing God. I think that this is a very true thing. I mean let’s just take the case of fornication, sex outside of marriage. God is holy, to be set apart from the ordinary or profane, and says that we should also be holy. He is righteous, the state of being right and just, and therefore we are to be righteous. As king of the universe he determines what is right and what is wrong.

The Bible clearly teaches that fornication is wrong and against God’s will. According to Harper’s Bible Dictionary (HBD) this would include such practices as seduction, rape, sodomy, bestiality, certain forms of incest, prostitution (male or female), and homosexual relation, Lev. 18; 19:20-22, 29; 20:10-21; 1 Cor. 6:9; 2 Cor. 12:21; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 13:4; Jude 7. Nevertheless this is one area that really plagues the modern church. There is a large amount of time and resources devoted to debates, conferences, newspaper and magazine articles, books and sermons devoted to the area of sexual immorality and what it is.

If God is true and just and holy and righteous and the Bible is the word of God, then what is all the debate about? If we honestly want to live our lives in harmony with God’s word then we our lives should be marked and influenced by obedience to this truth. This would mean that even in surrounding culture, that one finds himself living in, approves of sinful behavior, the response of the Christian should be in align with God’s word. This does not mean that we should in any way go around and, just because it is correct, be judgmental or self-righteous about those who are in sin. Yes we should help them to understand what God’s word says, but real change is motivated by God and never by a Christian telling someone that they should first change their lifestyle.

Jesus’ method was, because of a love generated concern for that person, to approach people in sin and show mercy and engage them. The majority of people will respond favorably to love and kindness. We are to love people and dare to live as Christian in front of them. This is the real challenge. It is not telling them how sinful they are and how they need to live differently. This is actually the easy way out. The challenge for the citizen of the kingdom of God is to continue to follow God in spite of the person who is before them. We are the living witness of what God’s kingdom can mean for a person who is currently outside.

Living a life of consistent obedience brings the kingdom of God right up to this person’s face. (My thought behind this is that the kingdom of God is the place where God’s will is obeyed. If we are followers of Christ, and are thus temples of the Holy Spirit, then as we move about in our culture so moves the kingdom of God). They are able to scrutinize, investigate and even ask questions about this kingdom. As God works on their hearts (wow just imagine that I don’t have to be clever or quick. I can just be open to what God is doing in the person’s life and respond to that) then they will be motivated to ask spiritual questions and the over time (this can vary from 2 minutes to several years) you might be able to present the Gospel to them.

Now for many Christians this can seem like a very slow process and many times it is. But it does take the focus off of us and instead places more focus on God. God is more concerned about reaching unbelievers that any of us. He wants people to get saved. Many times we are so impatient that we tend to spring ahead of where God is in that person’s life.

We need a revival in the Church. We need to have leaders who will encourage God’s people to live in obedience to instead of worrying about being popular or well-liked. We need to equip our families to teach the truths of God’s word in the home, so that from a young age children are brought up in the fear and admonition (this is a very old way of saying respect and a piece of advice that is also a warning to someone about their behavior) of the Lord. We need to confront society with love and the truth. This will generate changes in our society that are beneficial for everyone, even if they do not want to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

peace