how do you live the christian life -...

HOW DO YOU LIVE THECHRISTIANLIFE?

HHow do you “walk in theSpirit”? How do you“let Christ live His life

through you”? How do youbecome strong and mature now that you have become aChristian? These are questionsthat our staff has kept in mindas they put this booklet together.It is our prayer that it will giveyou a better understanding ofwhat the Bible has to say aboutthe greatest privilege in all theworld—the privilege of living the Christian life.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.© 1986,2000,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

No One Said It Would Be Easy . . . . . . . 2

Are You Wasting Your Time? . . . . . . . . . . 3

Who Should Tell You How? . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Peter Plan

God’s Part . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Our Part . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Seven Steps . . . . . . 8

The Results Of The Seven Steps. . . . . . 22

What The Seven Steps Are Not . . . . . . . 23

Be Careful! It’s Dangerous Out There. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

What History Has Taught Us . . . . . . . 26

Troubleshooting The Christian Life . . . . 30

Power For Living . . . . . 31

Caution: One Way. . . . 32

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY

IIgive up! No matter howhard I try, I just can’tlive the Christian life!”

Do these words soundfamiliar? They were spokenin despair by a youngChristian who just didn’tknow what to do.

What about you? As a believer in Christ, are you sometimesoverwhelmed by feelings of failure and frustration? Well,you’re not alone!

A Young Christian:“I give up!”A Mature Christian:“The further I go, the moreaware I become of myrebellious nature.”The Apostle Paul:“What I want to do, I don’tdo; and what I don’t wantto do, that’s what I end updoing.”

The Apostle Peter:“The devil is after us.”The Lord Jesus Christ:“The spirit is willing, butthe flesh is weak.”

The Christian life doesn’tjust happen. A father put itwell when he said to hisdaughter: “Honey, if youwould realize that life ishard, things would be somuch easier for you.”

But what does thatmean? Are we to grit ourteeth, clench our fists, anddig in with our feet in hopesof enduring the Christianlife? Not at all! There is nogreater privilege than toknow Christ, to walk withHim, and to experience His power. There is nogreater privilege than to do whatever is necessary to experience the mostsatisfying and rewarding life in all the world.

That’s why we need toget ready for conquest. Weneed a plan. And we needto work that plan.

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ARE YOUWASTING YOUR TIME?

TThere are a number of approaches to theChristian life that will

not work. For instance:1. Don’t try to live the

Christian life if you haven’tpersonally accepted Christas your Savior and Lord.That’s the first step. If you’renot sure whether you’vedone that, turn to page 32for an explanation.

2. Don’t try to live theChristian life by merelyrelying on your ability tokeep the rules. That’s whythe apostle Paul wrote toone group of “law keepers”and asked if they reallythought they could finish by human effort what theyhad begun by trusting theLord (Gal. 3:1-5).

3. Don’t try to live theChristian life by just makinga weekly pilgrimage tochurch. Meeting with the

people of God is important(Heb. 10:25). But theChristian life is not a once-a-week happening, it is a day-to-day relationship with God.

4. Don’t try to live theChristian life by simply doinggood. That’s too general. Fora person with this approach,there aren’t enough hours inthe day to do everything hewants to do. He picks uphitchhikers, sends money toforeign missions, gives to theMarch Of Dimes, takes hisold clothes to the SalvationArmy, and marches in Right-To-Life parades. All of thesethings are commendable, but they are inadequate.

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The Christian life is not a once-a-week happening, it is a day-to-day

relationship with God.


WHO SHOULDTELL YOU HOW?

IIs there someone whocan tell you how to livethe Christian life?

A person with experience? A person with knowledge? A person with sympathy? A person sent from God? A person of few words? If so, then Peter is the kindof advisor and teacheryou’re looking for. In somany ways he had seen and done it all as aChristian.

• Peter was one ofChrist’s original twelve.

• Peter was a member ofthe “inner circle.”

• Peter had known thethrill of success.

• Peter had known theagony of defeat.

• Peter had walked on water.

• Peter had seen thepower of Christ.

• Peter had seen thecoming of the Spirit.

• Peter had performedmiracles.

• Peter had led many to faith in Christ.

When Peter was about todie for his faith (2 Pet. 1:14),he wrote and circulated aletter that tells us what hehad learned about living theChristian life. In just a fewwords, this veteran disciple,soldier, and friend of Christ(1) described God’s part, (2) told us our part,including seven steps tospiritual maturity, and (3) promised success to allwho would follow the plan.

Let’s look now at Peter’splan for spiritual growth.

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“I will make every effort to seethat . . . you willalways be able to remember these things.”

The Apostle Peter


THE PETER PLANGOD’S PART: Power And Promise

In 2 Peter 1:1-4 we learnthat the Lord doesn’t expect us to live by our ownstrength or knowledge. Hehas given us His power, andHe has promised to help us.If He wants us to walk onwater, move a mountain,overcome temptation,forgive someone, show love, or lead a person tosalvation, we can be sureHe has already given us allwe need to do it. He hasgiven us:

• A Savior to rescue us (v.1).

• An ability to trust God (v.1).

• An opportunity to know God (v.2).

• A Lord to lead us (v.2).• A source of undeserved

help and peace (v.2).• A source of knowledge

(v.3).• A source of power (v.3).• An invitation to

excellence (v.3).• A series of invaluable

promises (v.4).• A way to experience

God (v.4).• A rescue from

corruption (v.4).

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God’s Part: Power And Promise1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.


OUR PART: Faith And Diligence

Peter, wise in the ways of heaven and this world,realized that a Christian cannever be successful by justbeing a spectator. He knewthat we can never enter intothe joys of the Christian lifeby simply being admirers ofChrist. For that reason, Peterwent on to give us a plan forliving the Christian lifesuccessfully.

But before we think ourway through the seven stepsof Peter’s plan in verses 5-7,let’s look at two prerequisitesthat are our responsibility inliving the Christian lifesuccessfully:

Faith = trust, full reliance on God

Diligence = effort to do our part

Trust + Effort =Success

Keep in mind: Peter’sseven steps are based onfaith, or reliance on God. Yet that reliance is notenough by itself. It isactivated only whencombined with diligence.And diligence, alsoinadequate in and of itself, needs to be combined with reliance on God.

What this means is that 6

God’s Part: Power And Promise

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Our Part: Faith And Diligence

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.


diligence and faith are twosides of a mystery. We don’tknow how it all works out.But they both have to bepresent if we are going tohave spiritual success.

This combination is oftenoverlooked by those whoemphasize the importance of living the “Christ-life.”Too many Christians sit andwait for the Spirit to movethem. They never doanything great for Godbecause they never take upthe challenge. Yet thatpersonal effort is what Petersaid is our part. In behalf ofGod, he called for diligence,for effort, for zeal, for puttingout and not putting off.

Peter wasn’t the only one with this view. Theapostle Paul called for thesame thing when he said tothose who had alreadytrusted Christ:

Therefore, my beloved, asyou have always obeyed,not as in my presenceonly, but now much more

in my absence, work outyour own salvation withfear and trembling; for it is God who works in youboth to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13).

The issue here is not working for salvation but because of salvation.Because we have beensaved by trusting Christ,how determined and diligent we should be toserve with gratitude the God who saved us!

In that light, then, let’slook at 2 Peter 1:5-7 andmove through the sevensteps that progress fromdiligent faith.

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Faith doesn’t stand around with its hands in its pockets.


THE SEVEN STEPSSTEP l: Diligent FaithNeeds Virtue

Peter wrote, “Giving alldiligence, add to your faithvirtue.” Other translationsand commentaries translate the word virtueas “goodness” or “moralexcellence.” But the contextshows that we need to seethis goodness in a basicform. It has to be a form ofgoodness that precedes thefollowing steps—knowledge,self-control, and others—which Peter went on to add.

Peter reached into hispagan culture for a general,nontechnical, basic word for “goodness” and grabbed

hold of the word virtue. Here in verse 5 it seems to take the form of “good

intentions.” This meaningfits with the rest of Scripture,which shows us that truefaith will result in a desire to do the will of God, toplease Him, and to do whatis right. And isn’t that wheremoral excellence and realgoodness begin? You have to want to do somethingbefore you can do it.

This is the kind of“virtue” or inclinationtoward goodness that every parent, teacher, andemployer looks for. Theylook for a child, a student,an employee who wants to

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do the right thing. Withoutthat willingness of heart,there can be no furtherinstruction, no deepening of relationship, no maturingof trust. Unless a person has a genuine desire to dothe right thing, all progresswill come to a stop.

Sounds very basic,doesn’t it? But that’s thepoint Peter wanted us toremember. The first step ofdiligent faith is to want tomove in the direction ofgoodness. And if that’s thecase, how are you doingwith this most basic issue?Are you pursuing virtue witha passion? Are you pressingfor good intentions with all due diligence? Are youtaking seriously the words

of our Lord: “Blessed arethose who hunger and thirstfor righteousness, for theyshall be filled”? (Mt. 5:6).

How about it?• Do you want to

do what is right?• Do you want to

please God?• Do you want to

walk with Christ?• Do you want to be

led by the Spirit?• Do you want to

overcome your habitual sins?

• Do you want to spendmore time in the Bible?

• Do you want to spendmore time in prayer?

Without good intentionslike these, you will never getanywhere in the Christianlife. At the same time,however, we know howincomplete good intentionsare by themselves. If this isall we have, then all wehave is a soft start. That’swhy Peter went on to give us the next step.

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Without a desire to do the right

thing, all growth will stop.


STEP 2: Virtue Needs Knowledge

The second step in Peter’splan for Christian growth isto add knowledge to ourgood intentions. Notice thenatural relationship betweenvirtue and the need forknowledge. It makes sense.Once we have the desire todo the right thing, we need toknow what the right thing is.

Furthermore, just ashaving a desire to do theright thing is a good test of our faith, so pursuingknowledge is a valid test of our good intentions.

Let’s get right to thepoint. Do you really want todo what is right? Then how

much time do you spend in the Scriptures? How

much time do you spendreminding yourself of thewords, thoughts, and desires of God?

Note that Psalm 1 deals with both virtue and knowledge. There theHebrew songwriter wrote:

Blessed is the man whowalks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standsin the path of sinners, norsits in the seat of thescornful [thus indicatingvirtue, the inclinationtoward good]; but hisdelight is in the law of theLord, and in His law hemeditates day and night.

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Remember, the human heart is deceptive. If we don’t want to do what is right, we will foolourselves. We will convinceourselves that we havebetter things to do than to pursue knowledge,understanding, anddiscernment through the Word of God.

Or we might spend our time with debatablequestions and ideas, usingthem to sidestep thoughtfulmeditation on the real issuesof our relationship to bothGod and man. That’s why so many of us are “experts”in such issues as God’ssovereignty, His decrees,prophetic details, andlegalistic tradition, while we remain crude in spiritand proud in heart.

Because of such dangers,let’s make sure we haveknowledge of the essentials.For example:

• Know what God is like(Ex. 34:4-7; Jn. 4:24).

• Know what God loves(Ps. 37:28; 146:8; Jn.14:23; 15:9; 2 Cor. 9:7).

• Know what God hates(Ps. 5:5; Prov. 6:16-19;Isa. 61:8).

• Know who Christ is(Isa. 9:6; Jn. 1:1-14;8:58; Rom. 1:3-4; Heb.1:1-14; Rev. 1:5,17-18).

• Know what Christ didfor you (Isa. 53:1-12;Mt. 20:28; Jn. 10:11;Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 1 Pet. 1:17-21; 1 Jn.2:2; Rev. 1:5-6).

• Know who you are inChrist (Eph. 1:3-14).

• Know your spiritualresources (2 Pet. 1:3-4).

• Know the importance of prayer (Phil. 4:6-7;Jas. 4:2-3; 5:16-18).

• Know the importance offellowship in a church(Heb. 10:24-25).

• Know the importance of telling others aboutChrist (Mt. 28:19; Acts 1:8).

There is no substitute for 11


knowledge andunderstanding. Solomontaught us to pursue it with all of our hearts whenhe wrote, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gainsunderstanding; for her

proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold”(Prov. 3:13-14).

But that raises anotherissue. Solomon’s lifestylereminds us that knowledgeisn’t enough. For eventhough Solomon was thewisest man of his day, hestill ended up ruining his lifeby pursuing and marryinghundreds of women, and by

multiplying his personalwealth in violation of thecommandment of God. Andthat’s why Peter told us totake the next step.

STEP 3: KnowledgeNeeds Self-Control

Next, Peter said that toknowledge we are to addself-control. Note again therelationship between the twoideas. Peter is methodicallyand deliberately buildingone idea on top of another.Here he shows thatknowledge is incompletewithout practice. He alsoshows that knowledge is ameans to right behavior, not an end in itself.

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Paul agreed. In theeighth chapter of his firstletter to the Corinthians, he wrote that knowledge byitself tends to give people abig head. “Knowledge puffsup,” he said (v.1).

James agreed. He wrote in his letter that faithwithout works is dead(2:17,20,26). He noted thatanyone who has knowledgewithout practice deceiveshimself.

Christ agreed. Hetaught that the wise mandoesn’t merely hear, hehears and does what Godtells him to do (Mt. 7:24-27).

This means that we need to show all diligence in following through on whatwe know. Knowledge is notan end in itself. Like faith,diligence, and virtue,knowledge is a critical andstrategic means to an end. It is one more step in theladder of faith.

What is more patheticthan a Christian who knows

all the answers, but whoselife is all messed up! Yet ithappens. People who knowtheir doctrine and Biblehistory thoroughly are oftenovercome by pride, anger,lust, bitterness, envy,unfaithfulness, deception,gluttony, alcoholism, greed,or procrastination. Why?

Because self-control is not merely a matter ofpersonal effort. Self-controlis a product of the Spirit(Gal. 5:23). And only when a person is buildingon faith, goodness, and rightknowledge can he expect tohave his body and soulunder control.

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Self-control is notmerely a matter

of personal effort,it’s a product of the Spirit.


Solomon, who let his lifebe dominated by his sexualappetites, should haveknown better. In fact, he did,for at one point he wrote,“He who is slow to anger isbetter than the mighty, andhe who rules his spirit than

he who takes a city” (Prov.16:32). But knowing whatGod wants us to do is notenough. Even thinking andmeditating on it is notenough. We must do it.

Then again, doing a good thing is not the wholematter either. Most of ushave heard the fable aboutthe tortoise and the hare:

The rabbit started fast,The tortoise hurried slow;

But when the race was past,Endurance won the show.Endurance is the real

test. So Peter added anotherstep on the ladder of faith.

STEP 4: Self-ControlNeeds Endurance

After talking about a diligentfaith that progresses throughvirtue, knowledge, and self-control, Peter told his Christian readers to add endurance to their self-control. Whyendurance?

• It enables us to finishwhat we’ve started(Phil. 3:13-14).

• It enables us to followChrist (Heb. 12:2).

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• It enables us to love (1 Cor. 13:7).

• It enables us to proveour faith (Jas. 1:3).

• It develops character(Rom. 5:4).

• It results in maturity(Jas. 1:4).

• It results in God’spromise (Heb. 10:36).

• It results in happiness(Jas. 5:11).

• It results in God’sapproval (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

At this point, let’s stop to remind ourselves of theprogression Peter set up.Endurance is not more of anisolated virtue than any ofthe others. It is possible onlywhere there is first a self-control that is the result ofright thinking, that is theresult of a desire to do theright thing, that is the resultof trusting Christ. They standor fall together in a tightbond of diligence.

But once again, whyendurance? Because we willhave trouble in this world.

Jesus promised it (Jn. 16:33).We’ll have trouble becauseof the weakness of ourbodies, which are destinedfor death. We’ll have troublebecause of the mistakes ofothers. We’ll have troublebecause people will hate our faith. We’ll have troublebecause God will test anddevelop our relationshipwith Him.

But let’s not feel sorry forourselves. What successful,productive person in anydiscipline of life can make itwithout endurance?

• What athlete?• What educator?• What musician?• What executive?• What marriage partner?All of us will go through

trouble to obtain and holdon to the things we value.Who should be more willingto endure than the personwho has his eyes set onGod? And that’s why it’s so fitting that Peter went on to give us the next step.

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STEP 5: EnduranceNeeds Godliness

The Christian doesn’t enduretrouble with a view towardmaterial accomplishment.He does it “with a viewtoward God, and with aneye on the development ofgodliness.”

That is our goal. We’renot here merely to tough itout through life becausethat’s a good thing to do. Nor are we called toperseverance just to save face, to avoidembarrassment, or to escape ridicule. We arecalled to endurance so thatwe can follow God, showtrust in God, draw near to

God, imitate God, pleaseGod, and reflect God to

others. The Christian is bydefinition one who is calledto a relationship with God;one who is called to beconformed to the characterof God; one who is called towalk with God as Christ did;one who is called to live bythe power of God.

Everything we do should grow out of a God-ward view. We shouldacknowledge the Lord in allthings (Prov. 3:5-7). Weshould seek to please theLord in all things (Col. 1:10).We should train ourselveswith diligence so that wemay develop the stamina

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necessary to become godly (1 Tim. 4:7).

• Since God is merciful,we should be merciful(Lk. 6:36).

• Since God is loving, we should be loving (1 Jn. 4:7-11).

• Since God is holy, we should be holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16).

• Since God is true, we should be true (Jn. 8:26; l Jn. 3:18).

• Since God is good, we should be good (Ps. 34:8,14).

• Since God is patient,we should be patient(Rom. 15:5; 1 Tim.6:11).

• Since God is self-controlled, we shouldbe self-controlled (Ex.32:9-14; 1 Cor. 9:25).

But that raises somequestions. Why did Petermake godliness the fifthstep? Why wasn’t it the first?Or, more important, whydidn’t he make this theseventh and last step of theChristian ladder?

The answer is found inthe very nature of the Godwe’ve just described. Hereaches out to us in love. Ina similar way, we too are toreach out to others by livinga godly life. Godly living isnot an end in itself. That’swhy Peter was inspired tomake godliness the fifthstep. This in turn leads us to the next one.

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Christians are called to

endurance so thatwe can follow God,show trust in God,draw near to God,imitate God, please

God, and reflectGod to others.


STEP 6: Godliness NeedsBrotherly Kindness

In other words, Peter wassaying that the godly personisn’t a stuffed shirt, a tinman without a heart, or aholy cleric with his head inthe clouds. The truly godlyamong us are those whocare about their brothersand sisters. Those whoreally love the Father arethose who learn to love the Father’s children with a family kind of love.

A popular song repeatsover and over, “We arefammm-i-leeee.” Years agowhen the Pittsburgh Piratesbaseball team took it as

their theme song, many of us felt a warmth in ourhearts. Something is very

positive about a spirit offamily love and brotherlykindness. And nowhere doesit have more meaning thanamong the multi-ethnic,international family of God. Paul wrote:

Let love be withouthypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindlyaffectionate to one another with brotherlylove, in honor givingpreference to one another,not lagging in diligence,fervent in spirit, servingthe Lord; rejoicing in

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hope, patient intribulation, continuingsteadfastly in prayer;distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality (Rom. 12:9-13).It’s all there. Paul too

realized that goodness,knowledge, self-control,patience, and godliness are part of a life andrelationship with God that produces brotherlykindness.

“So why,” someone asks, “isn’t there more of this kind of awarenessamong Christians today?Why all the envy, pride,disputing, and fighting?”

Well, admit it. Therehave always been troubledfamilies. There have alwaysbeen families that havefailed to realize how muchthey need one another.There have always beenbrothers and sisters whofight like cats and dogs—acting more like animals

than like those who weremade in the image of God.

We need to be realistic.In light of what we have saidso far, brotherly love will bethe rule only where there are godly persons. And theybecame godly only becausethey were willing to endureless than ideal relationshipsand circumstances in orderto walk with God. Brotherlykindness will occur onlywhere there are men andwomen of self-control, where there are those whoare knowledgeable in theWord of God, where thereare those who desire to dowhat is right in order todemonstrate their faithin God.

If we lack brotherlykindness, it is because weare not working Peter’s plan.We aren’t following God’sanswer for what it takes tolive the Christian life.

Now we are ready toconsider the last and finalstep of Christian living.

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STEP 7: BrotherlyKindness Needs Love

This is the last strategic stepthat Peter gave us. Oncemore, please note that hewas not talking about justany kind of love. Rather, he was talking about a lovethat depends on the sixsteps that precede it. It isthe kind of love the Biblecalls for. It is the kind oflove that Christ asked ofHis disciples when He said:

A new commandment Igive to you, that you loveone another; as I haveloved you, that you alsolove one another. By thisall will know that you areMy disciples, if you have

love for one another (Jn. 13:34-35).

Christ raised the standard of love above thelevel of brotherly kindness.No longer can we think oflove as just caring for thosewho care for us. Christ loved not only His friendsand brothers but also Hisenemies. He sacrificed Hisown well-being to go to therescue of those who werehostile to Him (Rom. 5:8).That’s why He could say:

Love your enemies, dogood to those who hateyou, bless those who curseyou, and pray for thosewho spitefully use you. Tohim who strikes you on

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the one cheek, offer theother also. And from himwho takes away yourcloak do not withholdyour tunic either. Give toeveryone who asks of you.And from him who takesaway your goods do notask them back. And justas you want men to do toyou, you also do to themlikewise.

But if you love thosewho love you, what creditis that to you? For evensinners love those wholove them. And if you dogood to those who dogood to you, what credit is that to you? For evensinners do the same. Andif you lend to those fromwhom you hope to receiveback, what credit is that toyou? For even sinners lendto sinners to receive asmuch back. But love yourenemies, do good, andlend, hoping for nothingin return; and your rewardwill be great, and you will

be sons of the Most High. For He is kind tothe unthankful and evil(Lk. 6:27-35).It is also important for

us to realize that this laststep is not on the level of an extra-credit assignmentfor the person who hasalready earned his “A” forthe course. Paul made itclear in 1 Corinthians 13:1-2that no matter how manygood qualities we may have, if we do not have love, the total is still zero. A mathematical formula of these verses might looklike this:

(Eloquence of the highestkind) + (knowledge of allmysteries) + (enough faith

to move mountains) +(selling all you have to giveto the poor) + (giving yourlife as a martyr) – LOVE =

no personal profit (1 Cor. 13:1-2).

Noble Christian deedshave value to the individualonly when love is added.

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THE RESULTS OF THE SEVENSTEPS

AAccording to Peter, if we increasingly follow

these seven steps,we will have much to lookforward to (2 Pet. 1:8-11).

• We will not beunproductive in our knowledge of and relationship toChrist (v.8).

• We will not beshortsighted and blind, to the point of losing sight of how much God hasdone for us (v.9).

• By our diligence andaction, we will proveour faith and carry it to maturity (v.10).

• We will not stumbleand fall along the way, as far as ourspiritual progress and journey areconcerned (v.10).

• We can look forwardto a triumphantentrance into theeternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (v.11).

As far as Peter wasconcerned, these resultswere worth living and dying for. They were thethings he wanted to keepbefore those who hadstarted the Christian life but had become distractedalong the way.

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When Christians

cease to grow,

they begin to decay.


WHAT THESEVEN STEPSARE NOT

1. The steps are nota time-line. Workingthrough the seven stepsdoes not imply that you canwork on only one at a time.It’s not a matter of virtuein January, knowledge inFebruary, and self-control inMarch. All of them are tooclosely interdependent to beseparated like that. Whatthe seven steps do is this:They show us the logic andprogression of real faith.They show us that God isnot just looking for love orfaith or knowledge. He’slooking for all thesecharacteristics as theycombine to provide acomplete, balanced,progressive Christianexperience.

2. The steps are notexhaustive. They don’tspell out everything. Yetthey are comprehensive.

The rest of the biblicalprinciples can be arrangedunder these seven steps. Forexample, the need for prayeris a point of “knowledge.”

3. The steps are nota shortcut to spiritualgrowth. There’s no easyway to breeze through anyof the levels. That’s whyPeter emphasized theimportance of giving alldiligence. The Christian liferequires as much effort asany other worthwhilepursuit.

4. The steps are notto be kept to yourself.Just as Peter received thisinsight from the Lord andpassed it along to others, so it is important for us to be able to “teach othersalso” (2 Tim. 2:1-2). In that light, we hope that theillustration and explanationof these pages will help youto help others understandwhat it takes to live theChristian life.

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BE CAREFUL!IT’S DANGEROUSOUT THERE

NNow that we haveworked through“The Peter Plan”

for living the Christian life,we need to look at some of the reasons this plan isdifficult to follow. Accordingto the Bible, the Christianhas three enemies. They are(1) the world, (2) the flesh,and (3) the devil. We needto understand what they are so that we can defendourselves against them.

THE WORLD: THEENEMY AROUND USWhen the apostle John toldChristians not to love theworld (1 Jn. 2:15-17), heidentified a real, thoughimpersonal, enemy. Whenhe used the term the world,he had in mind everythingaround us that competeswith the Father in heaven.The world, in this sense,

represents all material,physical, and social factorsthat compete with God forour attention and affection.

THE FLESH: THEENEMY WITHIN USThe New Testament writerswarn us about a secondenemy, the flesh (Rom.7:18,25; 8:1; 13:14; Gal.5:17-24; 6:8; Col. 2:23).

In many passages, the termthe flesh refers to the self-centered, self-gratifyingdesires of our physicalbodies. But there seems to be more to it than that.

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Christians must live in the world,but they must

not let the world live in them.


Other verses identify it as a hostile-to-God inclinationwithin us, the “law of sin”(Rom. 7:23). It opposes thenoble desires that comefrom the Holy Spirit and the new life He has placedwithin us through the newbirth.

THE DEVIL: THEENEMY ABOVE USThe third enemy, the devil,is a determined opponent of all spiritual growth.According to Peter, he goesaround as “a roaring lion,seeking whom he maydevour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He isthe father of lies (Jn. 8:44),and he has a great army ofco-workers arrayed againstus (Eph. 6:12). However,Satan cannot break our trust in God and love forHim unless we give him the opportunity (Jas. 4:7).Although he is a formidablefoe, we do not have to besent reeling in spiritualdefeat by him. We have

this promise: “He [the HolySpirit] who is in you isgreater than he [Satan] whois in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4).

As we yield to the HolySpirit, we can experiencespiritual victory through His power. “Resist thedevil,” James said, “and hewill flee from you” (4:7).

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The devil doesn’t

mind yourcommitments—

as long as you don’t put them

into practice.


WHAT HISTORYHAS TAUGHT US

SSimeon Stylites was aman people looked up to. For the last 36

years of his life he lived on a 3-foot-wide platform ontop of a pillar. In his effortsto demonstrate his denial ofself and devotion to God,Simeon Stylites (390-459)had tried several methods.He spent a few monthsburied up to his neck, hetried living in an enclosedcell for about 10 years, and he spent time indifferent monasteries. Butnothing satisfied his desireto show devotion to God.Then Simeon came up witha new idea—he climbed onthe top of a 9-foot-high pillarand called it home. Afterseveral additions, the pillareventually grew to 60 feet.Although some peoplescoffed at him, Simeondidn’t care. He was trying his best to live

a devoted Christian life.Throughout history,

Christians have tried tounderstand and achieve the Christlikeness the Biblecalls for. Here are some ofthe ways people in the pasthave chosen to live theChristian life.

Lonely Living. In theearly days of Christianity,many people thought thebest way to achievecommunion with God was to get away from otherpeople. Simeon Stylites was one example. A groupknown as the Bosci lived in

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Throughout history,Christians have

tried to understandand achieve theChristlikeness the

Bible calls for.


fields and ate grass likecattle. One hermit had areputation (especiallydownwind) because henever bathed or changed his clothes. Still anotherman wandered naked in the desert near Mount Sinai for 50 years.

Some who chose toisolate themselves from the world decided theycould best escape itstemptations by living withothers who shared theirideas. Monasteries wereestablished and became animportant source of teachingand missionary activity.

Legal Living. Therehave always been peoplewho felt that true spiritualityis found in rituals and rules.In New Testament times, for example, some believerstaught that Christians wererequired to follow thedemands of the OldTestament law (see Acts 15, Galatians,Colossians). Legalism

extols external appearanceand religious activity to theneglect of the inner qualitiesof the Christian life. Many inour world today think theyare right with God becauseof what they do or do notdo, not because of theirpersonal relationship toJesus Christ.

Lawless Living. Whenbelievers overemphasizeGod’s grace and neglect His holiness, they fall intothe trap of lawless living.Christians in the past havesaid that since Christsatisfied the demands ofGod’s law, we no longerhave to worry aboutmeasuring up to God’s holy standards. “We can sin as much as we want,”they said. The apostle Paul anticipated this kind of behavior in his letter to the Christians inRome (Rom. 6).

Perfect Living.Pelagius (c.400) taught that man’s basic nature was

27


uncorrupted by the fall. Onthat basis he said that weare able to live free from sinwhen assisted by the graceof God. One present-dayreligious system emphasizesthat as a person is baptizedfor the removal of originalsin, and then receivesadditional grace through the other sacraments of the church, he then has the ability to act in perfectobedience to the laws ofGod.

John Wesley (1703-1791)took quite a differentapproach to perfect living.He spoke of a second workof God’s grace (aftersalvation) in which thesinful root in man isremoved and the motive and will are made perfect.

Hardworking Living.Augustine (354-430) taughtthat perfection eludes eventhe best of human effortsaided by God’s grace. Hissolution was that God worksto produce in us all that He

requires from us (“God giveswhat God commands”). TheProtestant Reformers builtupon Augustine’s rootprinciples, and present-dayteachers in the Lutheran and Reformed traditionscontinue this emphasis.

Hardworking holinessemphasizes that eventhough victory over sin canbe expected along the way,we are always at war withSatan. The Christian life isto be a walk in which thebeliever totally and humblydepends on the Holy Spiritwhile actively pursuing the

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From the errors of others,

a wise man corrects his own.


goal of Christlikenessthrough spiritual disciplineand activity.

Restful Living. For the past century, a grouphas said that the secret toChristian living is to “let goand let God.” Through theinfluence of the KeswickConvention held annually in Great Britain since 1875,this teaching gained a widefollowing. The Keswickgroups maintain thatthrough a conscious reliance on the Holy Spirit,and through calling on Hispower in every temptation,the believer can rise abovesin and overcome the sinfulnature. Christians areencouraged to cease fromstriving to be holy and totrust Jesus to give themvictory over sin. In effect,they promise victory over all known sin if the believerwill consider himself dead tosin and alive to God (Rom.6:11), and if he will rest on Jesus and the Spirit.

These historicalapproaches to living theChristian life reflect thestruggle man has always had with sin. Some peopletoday have given up thebattle; others pretend that it no longer exists. Our prayer is that thisbooklet has helped you find the true answer fromthe Word of God.

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“There are a thousand

hacking at thebranches of evil

to one who is striking at the root.”

Henry David Thoreau


TROUBLESHOOTINGTHE CHRISTIANLIFE

HHow are you doing inyour personal walkwith God? Are you

making good progress? Orhave you stopped movingahead? Here are somequestions that will help you troubleshoot your own spiritual life.

❏ Do I constantly relyon God?

❏ Am I working hard at pleasing God?

❏ Do I really want toobey Christ?

❏ Am l learning from the Bible?

❏ Do I put into practicewhat I learn?

❏ Have I given up insome areas?

❏ Am I building aspectsof God’s character intomy life?

❏ Do I have love for myfellow believers?

❏ Am I willing to lovemy enemies?

❏ Am I combating the flesh? The world-system?

❏ Am I resisting Satan in the Spirit’s power?

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God wants us to be victors, not victims;

to soar, not sink;

to overcome, not be

overwhelmed.


POWER FORLIVING

EEvery Christian is togrow spiritually. Thefollowing POWER

acrostic will help you toremember the essentialelements to spiritualprogress.

Pray. The Christian who wants to grow,

communicates with Godthrough prayer. Heexpresses his gratitude toHim, confesses his sins, and comes to Him with hisrequests for himself and forothers. God promises to be near to all who come to Him in prayer (Ps. 145:18).

Obey. In John 14, Jesus said that our

obedience to His commandsis an indicator of our lovefor Him (vv.15,21,23). We can’t do it in our ownstrength, however. That’sone of the reasons He gaveus the Holy Spirit (vv.16-17).

As we yield to Him, theSpirit provides the power to walk in obedience (Gal. 5:16-25).

Worship. AChristian’s devotion

to God is to be continuous.Privately, he should worshipGod in his thoughts andprayers (Ps. 34:1). Publicly,he should unite with fellowbelievers in a local assemblyto bring praise to God (Ps.111:1; Heb. 10:24-25).

Evangelize. The goodnews of the gospel is to

be shared. As we tell otherswhat Christ has done for us, we will find ourselvesgrowing by spiritual leapsand bounds (Mt. 28:19-20).

Read. The most directsource of a Christian’s

spiritual growth is the Bible.It must be read regularlybecause it is his milk andstrong meat (1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:12-14). It tells ushow to live (Ps. 119:105). It is God’s word to us today.

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CAUTION:ONE WAY

KKeep in mind thatPeter’s seven steps do not make a

person a Christian. All they can do is show howsomeone who is already aChristian can grow in hisrelationship to Christ.

If we miss that fact, we’ll make the mistake ofthose Paul wrote about inRomans 10:1-3. Althoughthey had a zeal for God,they thought they could work their way to Him.

In this light, remember

that according to the NewTestament we can becomeChristians only by relyingentirely on what Christ didfor us. He died for our sinson the cross, and then Herose from the dead to prove that His sacrifice wasenough. Now in heaven, Heoffers to bring to His Fatherall those who trust in Him.

Don’t try to live theChristian life until you have personally acceptedChrist as your Savior and Lord. Consider thefollowing verses:

Now then, we areambassadors for Christ,as though God werepleading through us: we implore you onChrist’s behalf, bereconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that wemight become therighteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:20-21).

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We can becomeChristians only

by relying entirelyon what Christ

did for us.


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