Fundamentals: Christian Living

     After obeying the conditions for salvation set down in the New Testament, a person has just begun a life of dedicated service to the Lord.  Obedience does not end with the waters of baptism, it begins there.
     "But the fruit of the Spirit," according to Galatians 5:22-25, "is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
     "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
     Some early Christians apparently had problems understanding how Christians were expected to live.  They felt that, since they were saved by grace, the more they sinned the more grace they could receive.
     Paul deals with this false philosophy starting in Romans chaper six and continuing into the following chapters.
     "What shall we say, then?" he asks in Romans 6:1.  "Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?"
     "May it never be!" is Paul's reply to his own question.  "How shall we who have died to sin still live in it?"
     The apostle then shows that those who have been buried with Christ through immersion have also arisen to live with Him.  It is not possible, Paul points out, for a Christian to be a slave of both God and sin.
     "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God," he points out in verses 22-23, "you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
     "Therefore if any man is in Christ," Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."
     Obviously, a Christian is expected to live a life that is much different from that of the people around him.
     The New Testament talks in various places about the body of a Christian being the temple of God.  One such passage is 2 Corinthians 6:16-17.
     "Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols," Paul asks, "For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord.  And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.'"
     But, more specifically, what kinds of things are we talking about?  There are several lists in the New Testament of things that a Christian must avoid.  One such list is given in Galatians 5:19-21.
     "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident," Paul states, "which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and things like these, of which I forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
     How do we react when we come across lists such as this one?  Are we tempted to be selective about our stance toward different items on the list?  As Christians, what should our position be about drinking, or about the use of any other drug, for that matter?
     "Let us behave properly as in the day," Paul admonishes in Romans 13:13, "not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy."
     "But there is a big difference between drinking and getting drunk," many are quick to point out.  Is there, really?  Do we make this distinction when other drugs are involved?  Is someone a drug abuser only if he uses a lot of drugs, or if he uses even a small amount?
     The law has to set a level of blood alcohol that constitutes being drunk.  But where are we willing to set the level, morally?
     And, judging from what we have already seen, does God want us to see how close to a sin we can come, or how far away we can go?  What if we add Paul's instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, to abstain from every form or every appearance of evil?
     "But Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 to drink a little wine," some note.  This is very true.  And many doctors today prescribe alcohol, as well as other drugs, for medicinal purposes.  Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach and his frequent ailments.
     The question is, what was Timothy doing before Paul gave him this instruction?  Was he drinking even a little wine?  And why did it take a letter from an apostle to get him to drink even a little wine?
     
     What about dancing?  Most religious bodies used to take a stand against dancing.  Today many, if not most, consider it an acceptable activity.
     Although most who participate try to deny it, dancing is sexually oriented.  It's purpose is to touch, hold or watch a member of the opposite sex.  This isn't true?  Try eliminating these aspects and see what is left.  Try getting two boys to dance together and see how far you get.  And see what kind of looks two boys would get if they DID dance together.
     Two of the verses that we have already cited codemn "reveling" or "carousing."  They condemn "sensuality."  How far away is dancing?  How close do we want to get?
     What about our tongues?  Matthew 5:33-37 talks about swearing or taking oaths.  Matthew 12:36 says that, in the day of judgement, men will render account for every idle or careless word that they speak.  James chapter three talks about the critical nature of the tongue.  Can we really say that it doesn't matter what kind of language we use?
     The base of the whole matter is the attitude that we are willing to develop.
     "For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles," Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:3-5, "having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolotries.
     "And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; but they shall give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead."
     Are we to get as close as we can, or as far away?
     James 1:27 says that pure religion involves keeping oneself unstained by the world.  Does that mean we should be like the world, or that we should be different?
     James 4:4 says that friendship with the world makes us enemies of God.  Does that mean we should get as close to the world as possible, or as far away?
     1 John 2:15-17 says we must not love the world nor the things in the world.  Should we get as close as we can, or as far away?
     Romans 12:9 says to abhor what is evil and cleave to that which is good.  Are we to get close, or stay far away?
     Paul wrote in 2 Timothy that Demas had forsaken him because Demas loved the present world.  Did Demas get too close, or did he stay far away from the world?
     A basic rule for Christians to follow would be this: if Jesus were to return right now, would I be glad He found me here?  Would I be glad He found me doing this?  Would I be glad He found me saying this?  Would I be glad He found me thinking this?
     One more question in closing: Why does part of the so-called religious world no longer take a stand on these issues?
     "For the time will come," Paul warns in 2 Timothy 4:3, "when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths."
     Ignore the truth and we will turn to myths and become enslaved to sin.  Know the truth and practice it, and it will make us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."