Just "as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him [as Lord!]" (cf. Col. 2:6). We are to walk in fellowship and in the truth, as "the truth is in Jesus" (cf. Eph. 4:11). The whole concept of our ethics in Christ is to follow Christ in discipleship, taking up our cross we bear, deny ourselves, and follow on to know Him as Lord and Savior. We are to follow the example of pious believers and teachers and consider the outcome of their faith. The faith is not so much imitation as inhabitation! We turn over a relinquished life at salvation, live an exchanged life, and enjoy a substituted life while we surrender constantly to His will, and walk in fellowship. The Christian life is not knowing a creed, but a person.
We don't need to get educated or enlightened but transformed by the Word's power to change lives. We shall know the truth that shall set us free, by growing in Christ and believing God, not just believing in God. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto righteousness! Lots of believers think some saints have a surplus of the Spirit or a monopoly on His grace, but all Christians are anointed and have the fullness of the Spirit. It's not how much of the Spirit we have, but how much of us the Spirit has. No one has cornered the market on the gifts of the Spirit and doesn't need the body to complete the ministry and mission of the church.
Two believers can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue! It is important to look for commonalities, instead of division and areas of dispute. No one can follow Christ solo or as a spiritual Lone Ranger or lone wolf! All Christians are under authority through the body of Christ and no one has the right to throw his weight around or lord it over the flock. The body is in it together and must learn to interact and grow as a body corporately, as well as individually.
Do good deeds in the Spirit (we are a people "zealous of good deeds" per Titus 1:16), and not because you're a do-gooder or trying to gain the approbation of God by good behavior. The whole summation and goal of discipleship is to follow Christ--to know Him and make Him known in a relationship of love. The Christian walk is a matter of faith, but anyone can say he has faith, but faith isn't something you have as much as you see in action: Paul would say I'll show you my works by faith, and James would say I'll show you faith by works. Paul said to the Galatians that the only thing that counts is "faith expressing itself through love" (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV).
The only test of faith is obedience per Heb. 3:18-19! Oswald Chambers said that the value of spiritual life isn't measured by ecstasies, but by obedience; Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." They are correlated and go hand in hand, not to be divorced. Faith without works is a guise and not the real thing, but a dead faith that cannot save; the Reformers taught the formula: "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."
We must validate our faith by a Christian testimony and life of good works (we are saved unto good works, not because of them). We are not saved by works, but not without them either--our faith is manifest only in obedience, for Christ said that, if you love Him, you will obey Him (cf. John 14:21).
Soli Deo Gloria!
No comments:
Post a Comment