by James Thomas Lee, Jr. 12/01/95 Copyrighted 2001 by James Thomas Lee, Jr. Copyright Number: TXu 713-027
Chapter 8 - What All of This Means to Us {2,051 words}
Chapter 8a - Important Christian Principles for Life {3,486 words}
As we close out this examination of the many theological evidences which support Christianity, plus this study of the basic, logical organization of God's Salvation Plan, some final remarks are in order. To begin with, most young people in our country, even in the world, grow up without ever learning about the Lord. We are a nation which has for the most part turned from God. Our moral standards have declined and even now continue to do so. People are confused about the true religion which is only found in the Lord Jesus, and because of that, they dabble in all sorts of false theologies and philosophies. Added to all of these things is the fact that most young people are growing up with poor values and a bad concept of success, education, money, power, and the like. These five problems, which have largely resulted from all of the anti-God training that is to be found within the system around us, have a single solution, a solution which can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, it is important for a person to realize, as we consider God's salvation message to humanity, that much confusion already exists at all levels of religious affairs! In this world, many are religious. But many are non-religious! Many are Christian. Yet, many are also non-Christian. Many Christians know Scriptures and have a clear, mature understanding of God's well documented principles, while many other Christians know very little about either the Bible or God's principles. Much, maybe even most, of that confusion exists because of the slanted, anti-God instruction of the system around us. To understand just how bad that confusion really is and to see why it is so bad, one must again consider the master of that system. Hence, one must remember the devil and be reminded of how he works! As was seen in Chapter Five, in Isaiah 14:12-14 and again in Ezekiel 28:14-18, Satan is described as God's enemy and adversary. As such, this essentially means that he is, by extension, also our enemy and adversary! The two principle devices or weapons in the devil's arsenal, which have also been presented, are deception and distraction, and he uses them to perfection! The simple fact is that he has deceived many in the past, and he is still in the business of deceiving as much and as many of the populace as he possibly can!
Yet, as the above discovery also shows, the devil does not stop with deception. Once again, it is important for everyone to realize that his first objective is to keep others from learning the truth about God. But of course, some people will still drift into churches from time to time, occasionally read a few words from the Bible, or maybe even converse with a few Christians along life's highway. Then, over time, they may actually accumulate a few assorted pieces of different spiritual truthes. When that occurs, the devil does not waste any time! He promptly goes into his second mode of operation and uses a technique which has already been identified as distraction. Again, His motives are clear! He will do whatever he can or whatever it takes to keep an individual offtrack and on the wrong subject, especially when it comes to understanding the truth about spiritual matters. The devil does not want anyone to know the truth! This is his number one objective. But for those who do get close, his number two objective is to keep them distracted so that he can prevent them from getting any closer.
If one pays close attention, then he or she can observe the devil in every aspect and at every level of this existence, as he cleverly uses his two devices to work out his same form of devious, satanic magic over and over again. Because the devil wants to keep all of us from God and because he does work so hard and is so successful, our objective, therefore, must be the opposite of his. We must counter him at every opportunity. To do that, we need to draw closer and closer to the Lord. Then, we must strive to serve Him, not at a level of minimum effectiveness but always at our level of maximum effectiveness. How is that done? How does one sidestep all the traps, all the lies, and all the confusion, and then get to a place of genuine service? There are many different Faiths from which to choose. Yet, one God practically demands that there only be one truth, one Faith! Therefore, the first objective must be to eliminate the false and then to break through and identify that one true Faith. Merely being religious is not good enough! To put up a good fight against the deceiving, distracting forces of the devil, we must have the real thing, the one and only true God! Otherwise, we are wasting our time!
To many, finding the one true Faith perhaps seems impossible, but fortunately, it is not! The devil has a fair amount of power, but he is not all-powerful. Satan can do a lot, but he cannot keep that heart which is hungry for the truth from learning about God. The Lord will allow a person to believe a lie, if that person has the heart to do so. But as is clearly taught in Matthew 7:7-8, He will also reveal the truth to all who want it, and especially to those who are willing to seek after it. The writer of Luke's Gospel even indicated in Luke 19:10 that Jesus literally came to seek and to save those who are lost and hurting. Thus, the teaching in this matter is not that difficult to understand. For those who really want to know the truth about Him, the Lord will always provide a way! His desire is for everyone to know the truth about Him, and even then, it is almost always His desire well before we desire it for ourself!
So, to really know and understand the truth about God and about this one true Faith, one must begin by having the proper desires and motives. The Lord will always honor the right kind of heart and attitude. After that, a person needs to recognize his or her position before God. In Romans 3:23, the Bible teaches that everyone is a sinner. Before God, we have all fallen short of His glory and are lacking. Therefore, the first step towards closing the sin gap with God and towards finding the one true Faith is to see yourself as the Lord sees you - sinful and undone! We are all sinners. To deny that is to deny the very truth of God's Word. To accept it, though, is the first step toward really closing the sin gap with Him. Secondly, because all who are born of Adam are sinners, then all who are born of Adam are in a lost state of separation from the Lord. Romans 6:23 says that the penalty for our sins is death, both physical death and spiritual death. When one dies to this life, that person dies and becomes separated from the things of this world. This, as was shared in Chapter Five, is the physical death. But if that same person leaves this world and is not prepared to meet God, that is he or she still has not closed the sin gap between themself and Him, then the second death or the spiritual death, which is discussed in Revelations 21:7-8, becomes their eternal fate. And that is a fate which means separation forever from the One who made us.
According to God's Word, there will not be another opportunity after the first death for an individual to close their sin gap with the Lord. A person's separated condition at that point then becomes an everlasting condition. Therefore, the second step towards closing the sin gap with God and to laying claim to the one and only true Faith is to realize that sin and being a sinner carries a very real, very lasting, and very devastating penalty. Because of that, we need to correct the sin problem in a quick, expedient fashion so that we can avoid this eternal separation from God.
Having confronted our undone condition and seeing the penalty for that condition, the next step towards the truth and towards closing that gap is to see the true identity of Jesus Christ. This information was conveyed in Chapter Six. Thus, to do that, one must recognize Christ's dual role as both sacrifice and Savior. No one would argue that Jesus was a great man. No one would question His work as a great Healer, great Teacher, or great Example. He really was all of these, but fulfilling those tasks was not His true reason for being birthed into this life. As can be seen from John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and many other Bible passages, Jesus came to earth to offer Himself on our behalf so that by His death He could make a way for us back to God. In proclaiming that truth, the Apostle John quoted Jesus by writing that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus, then, told them, as is recorded in John 14:6, that no one would be able to come to the Father except through Him, the Son. Thus, those words express the whole truth as well as anyone can. An individual may try whatever he or she wishes - being a good person, doing good works, being generous, or whatever! But that person will never close the sin gap with God, except through Jesus. Jesus is the Way. He is the only Way!
What must a person do to close the gap which exists with God? What must a person do to overcome the deception and distraction techniques of the devil? Complicated questions perhaps, but questions which still need to be answered. And conveniently, both are satisfied by a single answer, the same which is shared in John 3:16. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that you may have life! The devil works very hard to prevent people from ever seeing that simple truth. He causes the intelligent to scoff at a God Whom they cannot see. He causes the worldly-minded to become overly absorbed by the things of this world. And he even causes the would-be good person to be confused by all of the different religions and denominations of the world. I would agree that one can easily become weary trying to sort through all of the various beliefs and theological issues. But by faith, one faith in God, the same faith in Jesus Christ, His Son and our Savior, each of us can close the sin gap with God, find the one true Faith, and have true and lasting peace forevermore.
Unfortunately, some people do not like the idea of being dependent on Christ. They would rather try to close that gap for themself. Some or many others would simply like to deny that a gap even exists or simply decide to ignor it and hope for the best. But these strategies are not consistent with God's way, and in the long run, they will not work! Once again, Christ is the Answer! He is the only Answer! Through Him, we can be made clean. Through Him, we can be set free. And through Him, we can have eternal life with God. But we must believe, and we must receive! Short of forcing our wills, God has done all that He can. Even more, He has done all that He is going to do. The rest is now up to us. In the course of an individual's life, the devil throws many obstacles before that life. It is often difficult to separate the true from the false and the right from the wrong. But based on all of the evidence which has been presented in this text, it should be clear that Christianity is the only true Faith. It is the only Faith that matters. But even more than that, none of the other faiths of this world offer to their followers what Christians have in Christ.
a. Important Christian Principles for Life
Jesus truly is the Answer! However, after a person has received Him as Savior, the whole spiritual process continues even further. It does not stop with that simple decision. Thus, in my opinion, there is what I have identified as a three-part philosophy for right spiritual living, a philosophy which becomes supremely important to the born again child of God. We start out by receiving the Lord as our Savior to close that sin gap between God and ourself. But after that, we need to be about the business of actually living daily for Him, of actually applying the three spiritual principles for right living to and in our life.
The first of these three philosophical principles concerns having the right attitude toward God. As a Christian, I live and have lived by a very simple philosophy. I do not wish to live my fifty, sixty, seventy, or however many years on this earth, only to die and learn that I did not do with my life exactly as the Lord had wanted. So, in a very human way, I try to live each day for Him, and I am constantly trying to be sure that I am where He wants me, doing what He wants me to be doing. Therefore, toward the end of the 1980s, I prayed and asked the Lord to show me whatever it was that was most important to Him. When I prayed that prayer, I literally wanted to know that thing or those things which were most important to Him and also those things which He really wanted me to know. Since I was earnest and sincere with Him in my request, He gave me an answer which I do not for a single moment question. For one thing, His answer once again reminded me of His basic, general simplicity.
After having spent more than twenty years of my Christian life wrapped up in the complex web of various Christian issues, I really wanted something from the Lord which would be very straightforward, easy to understand, and something which no one could ever possibly dispute. Because of my genuine sincerity, He provided me with just the right answer! The Bible gives each of us a very clear, easy to understand, straightforward, and positive command relative to what the Lord truly wants from each of us. In fact, my opinion is that this is the most important teaching in the Bible! Hence, if a person can only get one thing right in this life, then this is the one!
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" [1].
Concerning this matter of right spiritual living, let me share an important truth. The Lord is very simple, but the devil tries to complicate! Through the years, I have watched many good people argue over a number of silly Christian issues. But when I asked the Lord, after having spent almost twenty years of my own life arguing some of those same issues, the above verses gave me His answer. It was then that I really saw God's absolute, unchangeable simplicity. It was then that I also saw the devil's never ending attempts to confuse and complicate that which is so simple. The Lord always provides simple, straightforward instructions. Yet people, because they are so easily deceived and distracted by the evil one, have always quickly gotten off track. Of course, these things should not be, but most of us know that they are. So, the question must be asked. What does God really want from each of us?
Does He require that we be real good so that we can singlehandedly close the sin gap with Him? No. Does He require us to be brilliant enough to see through the deception and all the trappings of the world system in which we live? No. Does He require us to understand all the ins and outs concerning the validity of the Faith? No. In as simple terms as humanly possible, my conclusion is that He actually only wants one thing from any one of us. He wants our love! He wants us to love Him first and above all. Then, He wants us to love one another as we love ourself. Unfortunately, most of us do not do these things! Even among Christians, most of us do not.
Part of the problem is our never ending captivation with self. Most people are naturally selfish. Hence, they care about themself much too much to really care about either God or others. In our world today, people are actually encouraged to have a self-centered approach toward this life. We are taught from an early age to seek our own good and to establish our own life, rather than to focus our attention on the good of others. Almost from birth, each of us is told that getting a good education and job are supremely important. We are surrounded by things and taught that maximum happiness is somehow tied to quantity and substance, instead of quality. But to please God, one cannot fall for this deception and those distractions. To really please Him, an individual must be driven by a completely different priority scheme, one which puts God and others before oneself. While education and jobs do have their places in this life, those worldly pursuits in God's eyes are not most important or even among the things to be most preferred.
The second philosophical principle for right living addresses having the right attitude or right focus toward the important matters of this life. Great emphasis in this society is placed on worldly success. Yet, for an individual who lives only for a short while on this earth, how important really is such success? The answer, in my mind, is not very. A much smarter way to approach this life is for an individual to strive to live equally well on both sides of the grave, and even though these words do not exclude or look down on being successful or even well off, they also do not endorse that lifestyle, either. This idea about right living or about living equally well on both sides of the grave addresses how one should treat various events in life. It also deals with the level of effort with which one should approach those events. The main thinking behind this simple principle is that an individual should strive to pay the right amount of attention to each of life's predicaments. Paying too much attention, on the one hand, can cause undue stress and anxiety, while paying too little can cause one to fall short of his or her hopes, dreams, and expectations. Consequently, in all instances, one would be more prudent to consider life from both sides of the grave.
In this life, people feel a lot of stress, anxiety, and pressure. The reason is because they do not have the peace of God in and on their life. They have probably paid too much attention to the concerns which are on this side of the grave, and in so doing, they have probably also completely ignored the much more important matters of right spiritual living. The real key to having the right approach to this life and also to living equally well on both sides of the grave is to totally submit oneself, as Jesus did on the cross at Calvary, to the will of the Heavenly Father. While such a solution might sound terribly basic or even trivial, it is one which works!
Unfortunately, the devil does not sit idly by and let a person pursue a well-balanced, spiritually right lifestyle. He will always try to discourage any action which seeks to bring that person closer to the Lord. In many cases, his technique is fear. By still using his same devices of deception and distraction, he can cause an individual to literally worry or fear about the physical needs of this life. That is why so many people have put such a high value on worldly things, like education, nice jobs, good careers, and money. We, as individuals, have been and are being tricked into thinking that the physical needs of today are somehow more important than the spiritual needs both of today and the future. But this is another lie of Satan! He wants us to live only for today! He also wants us to only concern ourself with matters on this side of the grave. That is his goal, to do whatever he can or whatever it takes to keep us from the Lord. To combat him and all of his devices, we must do as the basic theme of this second principle has prescribed. We must strive to live equally well on both sides of the grave!
To follow through on such a simple approach to life, one must be able to trust the Lord in all things. The devil, as was just stated, will try to cause a person to stumble by causing that person to fear for the physical needs of this life. But we can oppose him and rise above that fear by trusting the truth of God's Word. The Apostle Matthew, in quoting Jesus, gave us the information we need, as he wrote:
So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own [2].
Those who would pledge their all to follow Christ have a real challenge as they must thwart off the never ending attacks of Satan. The devil really is an awesome enemy! He is very good in this warfare against God. However, we have the encouragement, hope, and promise of many important Bible passages, including the one above, where Jesus told His followers that God could and would take care of them. The only requirement for those early followers, as well as for us today, is that we seek Him first. After that, we become the blessed recipients of His marvelous provision.
Like I just shared, I believe that the passage recorded in Matthew 22:37-39 is the most important in the Bible. It gives a positive command which anyone can understand, a command which tells us to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul and to love our neighbor as ourself. In this present world with all of the complexities of various religions, we need the simplicity of that easily understood instruction. But I believe that the above passage from Matthew, Chapter Six, is the second most important. We live in a system where the stress and pressures of simple life are enormous. Plus, they are real! Just trying to make a living during these present times can be tough, and trying to keep perspective about what is truly important can be nearly impossible. But if we will just strive to live equally well on both sides of the grave by daily practicing the lessons of both passages, then we will have two very important spiritual principles to get us through. While on earth, Jesus emphasized and demonstrated both of these truthes. He taught us to love our Heavenly Father above all and to love our neighbor as ourself. In addition, He taught us to seek God first and then to trust Him for all of our needs. As I pursue each day on this side of the grave, my intents and goals are to do exactly as Jesus has taught concerning both of these life-giving principles.
The third and final principle for right spiritual living deals with having the right attitude concerning matters of stewardship. One might have thought from reading the first principle that life is meant to be sitting around expressing words of love towards God and others. Similarly, one might have concluded from reading the second principle that life is just sitting around waiting for God to give us everything we need. As the third principle is considered, however, the message should be that neither of those thoughts or conclusions about the first two principles is correct. Nowhere in Scriptures or anywhere else do I find teachings which imply that we, as Christians, should just sit around. The third principle just by the nature of its connotation suggests otherwise. Hence, this third principle for right living, in my opinion, concerns stewardship or that of being a caregiver!
According to the Bible, God requires each of us to be a good steward in this life, with our life, for all our life, as the following words by the Apostle Paul indicate:
You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. [3].
The significance of being a good steward was backed up by Christ as He taught others about the importance of being trustworthy. In Matthew 25:14-30 and again in Luke 19:11-27, He shared the same parable about three servants who had been entrusted with another man's money. Each was expected to put that money to work and then to have some kind of gain to present upon the man's return. The servants were not given the same amount. They also were not expected to bring back the same return! But each was expected to do something, and each was expected to return something. The same is true for each of us. While God has not given exactly the same measure to all, He has given something to everyone, and He does expect a reasonable return on His investment.
In ordering my own life, I have begun by trying to apply each of the above three principles for right living. In the process, I have made numerous individual choices which have been based entirely on the three. For instance, I have determined, first of all, to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul and to love my neighbor as myself, as best as I am able. I have made this objective my number one priority. Secondly, because I do love God and do desire to put Him first with everything, I have also chosen to trust Him completely to take care of me and to meet my needs. I face each day with the realization that He is my Lord and that I must look to Him for those things which I require. However, my Christian walk does not stop there! To satisfy the important requirement of stewardship or of caregiver, I have also tried to apply my own rules for good stewardship so that I might more fully glorify the Lord in all aspects of my life. If there are things or areas in my life which require attention, then I definitely want to be diligent and responsive to each.
For that reason, I have attempted with the Lord's help to define for my own understanding what stewardship really means to me. As I have already implied, I do not want to live my whole life doing one thing or even a series of things, only to die and learn from the Lord after it is too late that He actually wanted me somewhere else, doing something else. My intent, therefore, is to get it right the first time and to not be caught off guard or out of position! In accordance with such a lofty objective, as well as to enhance my own understanding, I have subdivided stewardship into four different categories, and my goal is to be a faithful caregiver to and over each. These four categories are care for self, care for family, care for others, and care for possessions. My opinion is that the Lord has given most of us these same four areas around which we can and should organize our life.
To me, stewardship includes many areas of one's life, and even though it is not always easy, I try to hold myself accountable for each. Yet, as I study Scriptures, I am convinced that trying to be a good steward does not have any impact on my standing with God or on my position in Christ. In other words, I do not tend to any of these different areas of stewardship in my personal life so that I can keep what I have already obtained in the Lord. I also do not do any of the other things which have been mentioned in this section just because I am trying to protect or enhance what I already have in Him. Instead of being a good steward so that I might obtain, I try to be a good steward because I have already obtained! For me, the conclusion of this whole matter is not very difficult. As good stewards, we should learn to work hard, be diligent, be content, and then, to let the love of Christ dwell in us richly.
From a thorough examination of God's adversary, the devil, and his devices and also from a careful consideration of each of the above three philosophical concepts for right living, one should be able to learn much about the right approach to this life. My opinion is that these three very straightforward, totally Bible-based concepts can and should be the bases or driving forces in each individual's life. To please God, one does not need to be brilliant, have or make a lot of money, possess a great job, or even pursue any of a number of other worthwhile, earthly pursuits. While those are nice to have and maybe even nice acheivements to make, such outward signs of success are all well down the line from those pursuits which are most important. In fact, none of the worldly gains which most people seek or would seek are necessarily what the Lord requires or even desires from or for most of us. At the same time, though, one can cover both sides of that issue by saying that being destitute and miserable is not His way, either. Nowhere in Scriptures does He call any of us to a lifestyle of nonstop church, no fun, no possessions, poverty, and misery. The real truth and proper conclusion for all to reach, then, is that what God wants for each of us as individuals is "always" a perfect match to what is best for us.
In conclusion, then, to summarize what much of the second part of this book has been about, one should be able to see that many have been neglectful when it comes to really addressing the important spiritual issues of life. They have let themselves be deceived about spiritual matters by a very clever adversary, by the very subtle workings of the world system around us. Because of the ungodly influences of that system, many people have let themselves be distracted from God by the cares of this world, even to the point of not having or taking time to study about the Lord as they should. They have let themselves become overwhelmed, which is really just another form of distraction, by the complexities of trying to answer all of the difficult spiritual questions, and they have let themselves be lazy, even to the point of never really getting started. If indeed, as many believe, ignorance is bliss, then the actual validity of that statement only lasts for a short while. In other words, ignorance in the long term is not bliss! If anything, the opposite is true! Concerning eternal spiritual matters, even concerning matters of living this life rightly, knowledge is much more valuable than a lack of the same. This book has been dedicated to providing just this kind of knowledge, first by sharing the many evidences for the Christian Faith, second by presenting the undeniable logic in God's Salvation Plan, and third by showing how a person can have the right kind of relationship with their Creator and God.
ENDNOTES
1. Matthew 22:34-40.
2. Matthew 6:31-34.
3. Romans 14:10-13.
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