THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
“Christian Living”
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, James Gravelle.
“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” (Gal. 2:20). Welcome to THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Jesus died for each and every one of us. In return, He does not ask us to necessarily die for Him. Rather, He asks us to live for Him. And that is what this lesson is all about—Christian living.
Before one obeys the Gospel, he is a sinner who is under condemnation, as Paul said in Romans 3:9—“We have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.” We are unrighteous, as Romans 3:10 tells us. “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’” We are spiritually sick, according to Mark 2:17. We are lost, as sheep gone astray (1 Pet. 2:25). We are separated from God (Is. 59:2). We are said to be “in darkness” (Col. 1:13). We are called “children of the devil” (Jn. 8:44). We are in spiritual bondage (Rom. 6:16). But, when one accepts and obeys the Gospel of Christ, a great transformation is made in his life. He is now called “a child of God” (Jn. 3:3-5; 2 Cor. 6:17-18). He is called a “Christian” (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:6). He is “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17). He is a citizen of “the kingdom” (Col. 1:13). He is a member of the body (church) of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27; Col. 1:18). He is referred to as “a disciple of Christ” (Acts 6:1). He is called “a saint” (Rom. 1:7). He is said to be “an heir of God” (Rom. 8:17). He is “a servant of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18). He is “a steward of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10). He is one who now exists in marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).
But what makes this amazing, revolutionary transformation possible? It is the salvation, redemption, justification, reconciliation, forgiveness, remission of sins, cleansing, and healing that the love and grace of God bestow on man through the blood shed in the sacrificial offering of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, on Calvary’s tree. And it is made possible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who, expressing the authority of Christ through the New Testament, convicts the sinner of his transgressions and instructs him regarding the plan of salvation. One’s reliance on the saving power of Christ by submitting himself to the primary requirements of the Gospel is by no means the end of his obedience to God, but is instead the beginning. Now that he is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and one who walks in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), he is bound to walk with Christ his days if he wants to please God and receive a heavenly inheritance. One’s submission to the primary requirements of the Gospel, culminating in the act of baptism, puts him into Christ. We see this in Galatians 3:27, where Paul wrote, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Christian living, then, is the state of the Christian being in Christ, and Christ being in the Christian. All truths concerning Christian living are built upon this great foundational fact.
Notice that as Christ guides the Christian, He also strengthens the Christian, protects the Christian, and blesses the Christian. Christ’s life becomes part and parcel of the Christian’s life. Every faithful Christian can forthrightly and truthfully affirm with Paul, “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” (Gal. 2:20). Before the Christian’s conversion, he sought to please himself. But now that he is converted, he seeks to please Christ above all else. His will has been brought into subjection to Christ’s will. He realizes that his life is no longer his to be lived in ways that would please his selfish, carnal nature, but that since he has been purchased (redeemed) by Christ, he now belongs to Jesus. Therefore, he uses his own life in service to Christ’s glory. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul wrote,
“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.”
Notice that Jesus does not necessarily want us to die for Him. Rather, He wants us to be living sacrifices for Him. The Christian has counted the cost of discipleship, and is willing to pay this cost of self-denial and self-sacrifice. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The walk of a Christian involves carrying a cross! The faithful Christian who allows Christ to dwell in him and to sustain and direct his life is aware of the fact that his goal in this present world is to reproduce in his life the life of Christ. He is to imitate the Lord’s thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds. Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” In 1 Peter 2:21 Peter wrote, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” When I read passages such as these regarding following the steps of Jesus, I remember from my childhood the times when I would walk behind my dad in a plowed field. I would try to walk in his footprints. Of course, it was very difficult for me to match his stride when I was so small and he was so large. But today, as we walk through this life, we need to do the same type of thing. We need to try to match footprint for footprint the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christian living is Christ-like living.
Thus, Christian living involves first of all Bible study. In Matthew 17:5 we find a place where Peter was sticking his foot into his mouth. Jesus had appeared with Moses and Elijah, and Peter (quite taken aback by all of this!) had said, “Let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." It was while Peter was saying this that Matthew 17:5 tells us, “Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” Question: How can anyone possibly become like Christ who does not know what Christ is like? It takes a love of the truth in order to become a child of God. It takes the same love of the truth to become like Christ, Who was the living embodiment of truth. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is only one avenue to God and to Heaven, and that is through Christ. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” It is God’s intention to fulfill this promise to all those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. God will see to it that such people are filled. Many have a false concept of “the bread of life.” But we see clearly that it is the Word of God. As Satan came to Jesus to tempt Him, we see one of the ways that Jesus overcame Satan. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Those among God’s children who genuinely love the truth, and who hunger and thirst after its righteous precepts, will diligently apply themselves to the study of God’s Holy Word. Those whose love for Christ and His Word has grown cold will neglect Bible study. This is a certain indication that Christ no longer dwells in them. Christian living is essentially a process of spiritual growth. The text of 2 Peter 3:18 helps us to understand that we must “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” One can no more grow and live spiritually without partaking of spiritual food than he can grow and live physically without partaking of physical food. If you see a person who attends church services perhaps twice a year on major religious holidays, or a person who attends sporadically (such as once a week), when that person is in worship it is the only spiritual food he or she has for that whole week. Question: Does such a person eat regular meals more often than once a week? Of course! The person probably eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner in most cases. At the very least a person would eat twice a day. Imagine, then, if such a person were to go as long without a physical meal as he was to go without a spiritual meal. What would happen? The person would starve to death. And that is the point I am trying to make here. Spiritual food must be consumed much more often than what it sometimes is. Faithful Christians in whom Christ dwells are Bible-studying and Bible-knowing Christians.
Second, Christian living involves worship. One of the marked characteristics of the earthly life of Jesus was His devout worship of God. This was the human portion of Him offering obedience and reference to the Divine. When the devil suggested that Christ fall down and worship him, the Lord emphatically expressed the fact that His worship belonged to God and to God alone. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” It was through worship that Jesus and His Father were close, enabling Jesus to withstand the persecutions and temptations that He had to endure. It is in worship that we, too, come close to the Father so that we can be strengthened in our efforts to withstand the fiery darts of the devil. The basic principle of acceptable worship is set forth in John 4:24 where Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” “Worship in spirit” means that we must worship in a spiritually motivated manner rather than in a carnally motivated way. A correct attitude (in regard to our hearts and minds) is required. A spirit of reference, adoration, and love in approaching the throne of grace also must be present. No matter how strict one may be in worshiping God according to the divinely ordained form, his worship will be vain and of no value if his attitude is incorrect. “Worship in truth” means that we must worship according to the divinely ordained form, and that the acts of worship must be those that are designated within God’s Word, since “the Word” and “truth” are synonymous. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” Both public and private worship are indispensable in the life of a faithful Christian. Neither can be a substitute for the other. The Christian needs edification through quiet moments as found in the worship of God in the seclusion of the Christian’s inner chamber. But he also must be mindful of the necessity of public worship in faithful Christian living. The faithful Christian who supports all of the worthy efforts of the local congregation to which he belongs strives to attend every service of that congregation. To him, it is a glorious privilege to come together with Christians in sweet fellowship in order to approach the loving presence of Deity during worship. In Acts 2:42 we find the first example of this happening when we read, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” There are five avenues of worship: prayer, partaking of the Lord’s Supper; giving of our means; singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; and teaching (either by doing the teaching or by receiving it). Two of these—the Lord’s Supper and giving—can be done only on Sunday.
Third, Christian living also includes everyday righteousness. One who becomes a child of God, a Christian, is sanctified. He is set apart for the service of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 Paul wrote, “And such were some of you.” Remember that in the previous verses Paul had given quite a list of sinful activities. But Paul said, “Such were [past tense] some of you.” What happened? Paul continued by saying, “You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” These people had been sanctified—set apart for God’s service. They were now a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2)—one that was to be kept clean, pure, and upright. According to the Levitical system of the Old Testament, a sacrifice had to be of very high quality. In 1 Corinthians 6:20 Paul said, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Notice how Paul said that these people had been bought at a price so that their bodies and spirits no longer belonged to them, but to God. The perfect example of everyday righteousness is Jesus Christ—the Sinless One. To live righteously, then, is to follow the pattern of His perfect life. We must diligently strive to imitate His spotless character. In 1 Peter 1:15-16 Peter said, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” Righteous living involves not only a correct attitude toward the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, but also toward one’s fellow man. In 1 John 4:7-8, John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” In 1 John 4:20-22 John wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.” John is known as “the apostle of love.” Yet here he plainly says that the person who says, “I love God,” yet hates his fellow man, is a liar. John continued by saying, “For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” One’s love for his fellow man must include within its scope not only family, friends, and Christian brethren, but also (and this is a tough one!) his enemies. In Matthew 5:43 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ That, of course, would not be too difficult to do. But Jesus changes this by saying, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (vs. 44). Christ, as our Perfect Example, did not limit our love merely to those people who are our friends, but instead extended that love to people who are our enemies. Imagine, as Jesus hung on the cross, how, at the foot of the cross, there were Roman soldiers who were casting lots for His clothes. But in Luke 23:34 we read, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” In Hebrews 2: 9 we read, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” In following Christ’s example, we must obey Paul’s injunction of Ephesians 5:2—“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Christ-like love can never be selfish since “love seeks not its own” (1 Cor. 13:5). Paul advised us in 1 Corinthians 10:24, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” How much better a world it would be if everyone followed those words! A true Christian’s entire dedicated, happy life becomes a recommendation to others of the Christ-like way of life. In Matthew 5:13-14 we read, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” We must be seen by others.
A person’s way of thinking also is of great importance. The condition of his heart and mind must be controlled. In Proverbs 4:23 the writer said, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” In Proverbs 23:7 we read, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” If a Christian would live a Christ-like life, then he must be like Christ in his thinking. Since evil doing is the result of evil thinking, he who would live the righteous life must strive to maintain purity of mind. In Matthew 5:8 we read, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” One must be active in Christian service. All people are included within the scope of those who are objects of a Christian’s service, even as all people are to be the objects of our love. In Galatians 6:10 Paul instructed us, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” In our daily contacts with people, many different situations may arise that demand our attention—even situations about which no detailed information is given within the New Testament. But the guiding principles of the New Testament cover all situations that may arise between the Christian and his fellow man. The basic rule, of course, is found in Matthew 7:12—“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” If the Christian will faithfully and intelligently follow this rule in all of his dealings with people, he will do them good and never harm. Along with Christian service, of course, go things like helping the weak, the sick, and the needy. It also includes forgiving others as we would have them to forgive us. It also includes leading others to Christ. In 2 Peter 1:5-8 Peter wrote,
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In 2 Peter 1:10 we read, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” Are you a member of the kingdom of Christ, the church of Christ? Remember Paul’s words in that great chapter on final things: “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor. 15:24). It will be at this time when the kingdom (the church of Christ) is delivered back to God. Those outside the body of Christ will miss out on that eternity with God. Make sure that your calling and election are sure. Join us again next time as we continue to preach the Gospel of Christ.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. According to Galatians 2:20, who lives within each Christian?
2. If, as Paul said in Romans 3:9, “both Jews and Greeks are under sin,” what group of accountable human beings would that leave out as being righteous?
3. To what did Peter compare sinful humans in 1 Peter 2:25?
4. According to Isaiah 59:1-2, what has our sin done for us?
5. According to Acts 11:26, what is a person called who has heard and obeyed the will of Christ?
6. How does 2 Corinthians 5:17 depict those who have become Christians?
7. According to Paul’s comments in Romans 6:18, Christians are slaves of something. What is that “something”?
8. According to Paul’s statement in Romans 12:1, how are Christians to present themselves on a daily basis?
9. In Matthew 16:24, what did Jesus say to His disciples regarding their daily lives?
10. According to Paul’s statement in Philippians 2:5, what “mind” are Christians supposed to possess?
11. According to 1 Peter 2:21, who is to be the Christian’s primary example in life?
12. Who did the apostle John say was “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6)?
13. What promise is made in Matthew 5:6 to those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness”?
14. According to 2 Peter 3:18, Christians are instructed to grow in something. What is that “something”?
15. In Matthew 4:10, who did Jesus say was worthy of worship?
16. What, according to John 17:17, is “truth”?
17. What reason is provided in 1 Peter 1:15-16 for Christians to be holy?
18. What reason is given in 1 John 4:7-8 for Christians to love?
19. What “hard command” did Jesus give His disciples in Matthew 5:44?
20. In 1 Corinthians 10:24, what did Paul command Christians to do?
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