Practical Christianity: Essential Motives
Colossians 1:10-12
Introduction:
Believe it not, I used to run as a member of my high school’s cross-country team. Those days are long gone now, because of knee injuries. But I still remember the daily routine of running five miles, including wind sprints at the end of practice. For most of my running career, I did not do well. I had a motive to run, which was to play basketball, but I lacked a runner’s motives. It was not until the end of my high school career that I began to understand something about running, and I suddenly improved. In the same way some people can have a motive to be a Christian (to avoid eternal punishment), but they seem to lack a Christian’s motives. We know that the starting point of practical Christianity is a real and living relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. We must have a change of mind and commit ourselves to God through Christ. Now we want to see that people in such a relationship with the Lord have new motives that flow from their repentance and faith in Christ.
Exposition: Practical Christianity develops from deep motives.
I. One motive is to live a life worthy of the Lord.
A. A life worthy of the Lord demonstrates the worthiness of God; that is, his significance and value. What does that mean in everyday living?
1. Our aim is to imitate the holiness of life that the Lord Jesus lived (1 Pt 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6; 3:3). The calling of every believer is to develop a progressing conformity to Christ’s way of living (Rm 14:7-8; Eph 4:1,17,20; Ph 1:21,27; Col 2:6-7).
Point: To follow Christ means that he is out in front of you and you are pursuing him and what he wants you to do.
2. This demands that we avoid all substitutes.
a. Settling for the moral pattern of the local religious group (someone called this “regional ethics” or “pulpit ethics”)
b. Excusing oneself on the basis of one’s supposed capabilities (“this is the best I can do” or “that’s just the way I am”) – By grace you can do far more! Most followers of Christ have scarcely tapped into the Lord’s almighty power.
Point: True Christianity demands supernatural, spiritual power (Rm 8:13; Gal 5:22-23).
B. The true purpose of spiritual wisdom and understanding is to transform the way we live; this is more literally, they way we “walk”.
Illustration: People walk to achieve goals: to care for bodily needs (like walking to the table for supper), to get work done, to relax, and to exercise. Walking is a very practical activity! So then, let us apply this to the way we live as Christians.
1. We must make choices that demonstrate the Lord’s greatness. If we rejoice in his worthiness, this will come out in our priorities, which will affect our schedules in matters like worship, witness, and fellowship.
2. We must make choices that demonstrate the Lord’s love (Jn 13:34-35; Eph 5:2). We must choose to love one another. Sometimes that can be very tough.
II. Another motive is to live a life that pleases the Lord in every way
A. Every Christian who wants to claim to follow Christ has to get a question firmly settled in his or her heart. It is this. Who am I going to please?
Illustration: Part of the marriage relationship is pleasing one’s spouse (1 Cor 7:33-34). When you agree to marry someone, you enter into an agreement to try to please your mate. Sometimes this is easy; for example, “okay, I won’t cook liver and onions,” or “sure honey, no more orange socks.” Other times it’s very difficult, right? “Yes, I will enjoy time alone with you, instead of….” (You can fill in the blank!”
1. In the same way, when you become a follower of Jesus Christ, you agree to conform to the Lord’s likes and dislikes. This is part of what is involved in having a change of mind. In many areas of life the Lord allows us to choose freely. In these areas, he wants us to choose wisely, but beyond that, we are free to do whatever we want.
2. But in matters of belief, worship and morals, the Lord expects us to make his choices our choices. For example, we are not free to choose to be kind or unkind, to be patient or impatient, or to give or to steal. There is no negotiation table. You and I must please the Lord. 2 Cor 5:9; Rm 12:1; 1 Jn 3:22; 1 Tm 2:3; 1 Th 4:1
Point: The basic outlook of a true Christian is to be focused on God and his will.
3. If we are to please the Lord, we must strive to please him in every way. This means that we may not say, “There are certain areas of my life that I reserve to myself.” In other words, this is the true significance of the old phrase, “Christ must be Lord of all, or he is not Lord at all.”
Example: Peter’s struggle about accepting Gentiles – “Surely not, Lord” (Ac 10:14).
B. Life principles that please the Lord
1. Bearing fruit (you do this to fulfill God’s purpose for you)
a. God desires that our lives are spiritually productive. The path to glory with God forever is not traveled in a rocking chair! Every Christian is to present fruit to God: praise, doing good works, and telling the good news.
b. God has equipped us to produce fruit by giving us the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts to build up the church (Rm 12:3-8; 1 Pt 4:7-11).
2. Growing in the knowledge of God (you were made to know the Lord)
a. This involves knowing facts and knowing various skills, such as prayer, Bible reading and study, memorization and meditation. To borrow from Rick Warren, “If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate!”
b. This requires us to have personal experiences of God’s greatness. As a husband and wife know each other by communicating and investing time with each other, so we must approach our personal relationship with God. Time and communication are essential!
3. Being strengthened for perseverance (you’re in for the long haul)
a. Again we emphasize that Christian living is a supernatural activity. The pull to sin is too strong apart from the Lord’s almighty power (Eph 6:10). The Lord gives us this power as we rely on him in faith to do what he calls us to do.
b. We need his power to endure through difficulties and to wait calmly for him to act and for others to demonstrate love.
4. Giving thanks joyfully (you’re forever grateful)
a. This is the joy that flows from being justified in Christ and adopted into the Father’s family.
b. Our lives should demonstrate the joy of the Lord. Rm 14:17-18
Song:
“Let there be joy, let there be peace, let there be power, let there be praise, let there be joy—joy in the Holy Ghost. It was freedom that we were set free. Let every mountain be cast to the sea. Let there be joy—joy in the Holy Ghost.
“We will declare it to the heavens: the righteousness of God in which we stand. We will proclaim it to the nations. Every eye shall see. Every ear shall hear. Every heart will understand.” -Bruce Napier
[New Covenant Theology]
David
Frampton has served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Newtown Square since August of 1995. He is a graduate of Grand Rapids Baptist College (presently Cornerstone College) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Brother Frampton has addressed Bible Conferences in the United States, the Carribean and has ministered in Africa. As a friend of Sound of Grace and the Earth Stove Society Dave has contributed much towards the development of theology of the New Covenant.