We are continuing our study on the Great Bible Doctrines. Last time we looked at the doctrine of the Bible concerning the matter of the Plan of Salvation, so to speak. We first looked at what the Bible has to say in the way of Doctrine regarding God’s Grace and Atonement, and then subsequent to that the following week, we looked at Man’s Part in Salvation.
A natural follow-up to those is what we will discuss tonight: Holy Christian Living. Once we become a Christian, a child of God, then what next? What does the Bible say about Holy Christian Living? Of course as we have said many times in this series, and this is the eighth lesson in this series that we are looking at, this word doctrine is not a “dirty word” as some would want to believe, but rather, it is a good word. It means “instruction,” or “teaching.” So what does the Bible instruct, or teach, about Holy Christian Living?
Once one has been baptized, that is, has been born again, has put on Christ, has become a Christian, there is an obligation that one has to follow God’s Word, and to obey His Will. This obligation is a never-ending obligation. “Never-ending” as long as one is in this life. That obligation ends only at death. So once one becomes a Christian, that is not the end of the journey. It may be the end of one’s journey searching for Christ, but it’s just the beginning of another journey, a life-long journey.
While in this life, we as Christians must continue to appropriate [to take for one’s own use] the grace of God in our lives. The New Testament often speaks of this grace, the grace of God in our lives. For example, on one occasion Paul and Barnabas were talking to a group of Jews and Proselytes about Judaism and urged them, “to continue in the grace of God,” Acts 13, verse 43 [“Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.”]. The Hebrew writer will say on this matter, “It is good that the heart be established in grace,” Hebrews 13, verse 9 [“Do not be carried aboutwith various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.”] And Peter, in his first epistle, describes what he has written as “exhorting and testifying,” and “that this is the true grace of God in which you stand,” 1 Peter 5, verse 12 [“By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.”].
Let’s turn our Bibles to Romans, chapter 5, and look at what Paul has to say on this matter of standing in the grace of God in his epistle to the church of Christ in Rome. In Romans, chapter 5, verses 1 and 2, Paul says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through Whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
We note from what Paul says here in Romans, and from what Peter says there in his first epistle, as well as in other places, that they talk about “standing” in God’s grace—“standing in,” “remaining in,” “continuing in” God’s grace. The “acquiring” of God’s grace is not a one time event; rather, it is a perpetual happening. It is a continuing obligation that we have as Christians—to remain standing, to continue continuing, if you will.
Yes, God’s grace, His “unmerited favor,” is a gift that is freely given! We cannot earn it, we cannot merit it, and we do not deserve it. But we must remain in it. Just as we discussed when we were talking about grace, while it is a free gift, while it is unmerited, while it is undeserved, man still has a part to play in acquiring it, coming into it, and as we have seen and are discussing now, man has an obligation to remain in it, to stay plugged into it, to continue standing in it.
Recognizing, then, that this is an obligation that we have, how is it that we do this? How is it that we continue in God’s grace? Well, we might simply refer to it as holy Christian living! We remain in God’s grace as we live holy lives, as we walk the Christian way. And so in this lesson this evening, we are going to look at seven characteristics or things that we can and must do to remain in God’s grace. All of them revolve around holy Christian living.
First of all, the Christian life begins with a new birth. That is the new birth that Jesus spoke about to Nicodemus in the long ago. In John 3, verse 3, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” And then just a brief time later, Jesus will put it this way. Once again He begins by saying, “Most assuredly,” or your translation may say, “Verily, verily,” emphasizing that what He says is absolutely true, and is absolutely a must and required. “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’” John 3, verse 5.
Now we know and understand that this is an unmistakable reference to water baptism. That’s what Jesus had in mind here. There is no other explanation for it. Paul, too, making reference to baptism, speaks euphemistically [a word or phrase so substituted] of one being “raised from the dead,” Romans, chapter 6 [verse 4, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”]. And this, too, is in effect a new life. Jesus talks about being born again; Paul talks about being raised from the dead. As such, we are to “walk in newness of life,” Romans 6, verse 4. We are “new creatures in Christ,” 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17 [“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”]. We are new creatures who have “put on Christ,” Galatians 3, verses 26 and 27 [“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”]. We have been made spiritually “alive” through the new birth, through that being “raised,” that resurrection from the dead, Colossians 2, verses 12 and 13 [“Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead.And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”]. And this spiritual life is continued by the “Holy Spirit dwelling in us” through God’s Word, Romans 8, verses 6 through 11 [“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.”].
This is just a part of what occurs at the time one experiences this new birth, the time one becomes a Christian, the time one is baptized into Christ. Yet, all of this notwithstanding, at the point of our conversion, at the point when we became a Christian by being obedient in baptism, at this point in our Christian life, we are but “babes” in Christ, 1 Peter 2, verse 2 [“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.”]. So our Christian life has a beginning. It is a new birth and there are many things that transpire and take place, but we are but “babes” in Christ at that point.
Second, our Christian life is then a continual day-by-day relationship with Jesus. In order not to stay where we begin [at baptism], we must begin to do something. We must begin our spiritual journey. A part of that spiritual journey is that day-by-day relationship with Jesus. This is spoken of and characterized by Paul as he wrote to the churches of Christ in the region of Galatia. He talks about being “in Christ” or “Christ being in us,” Galatians 2, verse 20. In fact, Paul gives that very beautiful, lovely, very eloquent testimony when he says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” [“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”].
In John, chapter 15, Jesus also spoke of this life-giving, this life-sustaining relationship that must begin [at baptism] and must continue. He uses a metaphor of the vine and the branches, the vine being Himself and the branches representing us as His followers. Let’s turn over to John, chapter 15, beginning with verse 1. Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
This is a very clear message that Jesus presents here. The message is this: As Christians, we must remain connected to the source of life. That source of life is Jesus Christ! We must have a continual day-by-day relationship with Jesus. It’s not something that comes and goes. It’s not something that we put off and then put back on again. It is something that must be sustained, must be done all the time. In order to remain standing in God’s grace, we must have that relationship.
You know, I thought about some dead branches that I cleaned up out of my yard the other day. We had a big wind storm a week or two ago. We’ve got nice trees in our yard. They’re evergreen trees; they don’t bother anybody. If they’ve got something to drop or shed, they just drop it right there. But the people behind us have bad trees that hang over our fence! Every fall I clean up leaves and sticks and things you just wouldn’t believe. In fact, it’s about May or June before I actually get it all cleaned up from November and December, because every time the wind blows, there is more to come. You know how that goes! But anyway, with that big wind storm we had the other day, first of all, I thought my roof had blown away, and I found out it was my neighbor’s roof. Not only does their tree stuff come in my yard, but now the shingles from his house come in my yard! But there were large-sized branches that had been broken off in that storm. It took me a couple of days to get it cleaned up, but it was amazing how quickly those branches had completely died. The life was gone out of them. The leaves were brown and brittle and the branches themselves were brittle and easily broken.
As I was cleaning up those branches, I thought about this metaphor that Jesus uses here in John, the 15th chapter. If you break a branch off a tree, what’s going to happen to it? It’s going to die! If Christians are unconnected to the source of life and light and vitality, namely God and His Son, we will die, too!
Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, we are impressed with the necessity of maintaining a close relationship. This metaphor has to do with a close walk with the Lord, John 6, verses 27 through 57 [Jesus, the Bread of Life—How are we taught? How do we listen? How do we learn? Verses 45 and 57: Jesus said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me…As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”] As with any close relationship, we must work on our relationship with the Lord. It must be cultivated. It must be sustained. How is it that we do that? Well, there are several ways, but on the top of the list ought to be regular worship, regular Bible study, and regular prayer, both corporate [shared, or joint, as in assembling together], as we are this evening, as well as private.
Third, the Christian life is a life of faith. We cited a moment ago Galatians chapter 2, verse 20 and looked at the first part of that verse. But let’s notice now the entire verse. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” And he goes on to say, “And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Once again, this is Paul’s personal testimony. He was living a life of faith. That testimony ought to be the testimony every one of us can and should make. The Christian life is a life that begins in faith. “For by grace you have been saved,” Paul says, “through faith,” Ephesians 2, verse 8 [“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”].
Yes, one must believe, that is, have faith. That is the first step along the way to becoming a Christian, to receiving forgiveness of sins, and to having the hope of eternal life. As Jesus Himself said, “He Who believes and is baptized will be saved.” [Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”] Belief—faith—is necessary!
Yes, the Christian life begins in faith, and the Christian life continues in faith, Colossians 1, verse 23 [Colossians 1:21-23: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”]. And indeed, the Christian life is to end in faith, as well. It begins in faith, continues in faith, and it ends in faith, as Peter says, “receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls,” 1 Peter 1, verse 9.
There are a number of incentives that we could cite to remain faithful, but none is more powerful than this: Jesus said, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life,” Revelation 2, verse 10 [“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”].
So the Christian life is a life of faith. It begins in faith, continues in faith, and ends in faith. But it is not a faith that is just a blind faith. Rather, it is a faith that is based on evidence, evidence that comes from God’s creation, evidence that comes from the Word of God itself, Hebrews 11, verses 1 through 6 [“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”]. Take note that, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God,” Hebrews 11, verse 6.
As Christians then, and as an important facet of holy Christian living, we live by faith and not by site. But we put our trust in Christ. We do His Will, even when we may not understand, and even when we cannot see the end.
Fourth, the Christian life is a life that is reflective of the life of Christ and the Christian is one who has the mind of Christ. As Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2, verse 5. Our mind is to be transformed as it is renewed spiritually day by day. Back again to Romans, chapter 12, this time beginning in verse 1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.” That word “transformed” comes from the same Greek word from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” It’s actually two words: “meta,” which means “across,” and “morphe,” which means “form.” So it literally means “to change across from one from to another.” Biologically speaking, that is what a number of species of animals do, like the caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. It goes through a process that is called metamorphosis. It makes a change. Well, as we consider this transformed mind, we are to develop the purity of Jesus with proper thoughts. As Paul will say in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” [“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”] Speaking of purity, Jesus will say, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” Matthew 5, verse 8.
Again, how do we do that? Well, the surest way is to fill our minds with the “right stuff”! Think about Philippians 4, verse 8. Paul writes, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
And we could cite many other Scriptures that speak of being transformed to be like Christ, to have the mind of Christ: We are to be “humble,” Philippians 2, verses 7 and 8 [“But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”]. We are to put the Lord and His Kingdom first in all that we do, Matthew 6, verse 33. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” [“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”]. That is all part of that transformed mind, that mind of Christ.
Fifth, the Christian life is a life of faithful obedience to Christ and to His commands. James teaches that, “Faith without works is dead,” James 2, verse 14 and following [see verse 17, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”]. Also, we will be saved by what we do, not by what we say. Jesus couldn’t have said it any plainer when He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of My Father in heaven,” Matthew 7, verse 21. Our works will be the basis of our judgment when we stand before God on that final day. There are some whose toes would absolutely curl up at that statement! They will say, “What do you mean that you’ll be judged by your works—I thought we were going to be saved by grace?!” Well, we are! But you see, part of the works is what we talked about at the beginning of the lesson, that is, continuing to stand in God’s grace, continuing to continue in God’s grace. Look in Revelation, chapter 20, beginning in verse 11. The judgment scene is depicted here. We read, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him Who sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they werejudged, each one according to his works.”
Well, we better think about the fact that as Christians, our life needs to be a life that is characterized by obedience to Christ and His commands. It involves work!
Sixth, as we live the Christian life, we are to grow to spiritual maturity, or perfection, in Christ. Let’s take a look at Hebrews, chapter 6, verse 1. We’re thinking about growing to spiritual maturity. We mentioned the fact that all of those things that transpire at the time of our conversion, the time of our baptism, we are yet babes in Christ, and we begin by having that continual day-by-day relationship with Jesus. We work and we grow and we develop. The goal is to reach spiritual maturity!
Look what the Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 6, beginning in verse 1. He says, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection…” (We stumble over that word “perfection,” sometimes thinking, “Well, no one can be perfect!” But that word means “complete.”) “…let us go on to completion, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” Then turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 1. Paul says here, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Yes, our goal in this life is to become full grown as Christians. Paul speaks for the need of us as Christians to do this “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect” (or “complete”) “man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” Ephesians 4, verse 13. This maturity is a goal we are to press on toward in our Christian life, Philippians 3, verses 12 through 15 [“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.”].
How do we become more and more like Jesus? What is our guide? Well, it’s God’s Word, isn’t it! We’re all familiar with 2 Timothy 3, verse 16 and 17, telling us that the Scriptures furnish us completely unto “every good work.” [“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”]
Seventh, in our Christian life, we are to have fellowship and community with those of like faith and like mind. Go back and refresh your memory about what the first church of Christ in the City of Jerusalem did right after the Day of Pentecost and those days following. Read Acts, chapter 2, verses 43 through 47 [“Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”]. They were together. They had all things in common. They shared meals together. They worshipped together. They prayed together. They were together!
The church is a community, or family, in which we as Christians worship and work together regularly to carry out the work of the church. We are to be a community that shares a common faith, shares a common hope, shares a common mission, and, yes, shares a common love.