Presented, November 28, 2004 am
A CHRISTIAN AT ALL TIMES
There is an attitude that we have to guard against as Christians. It is the perception that as long as we are a member of the true church of Christ that it doesn’t matter what we do in our lives. In other words, some base their salvation not on the way they live their lives, but the church they are a part of. While the church is important and in times past we have established that, the truth is that it is only a PART of the life of a Christian. Today we want to examine the New Testament and notice that Christianity is a part of every aspect of our lives.
To be a Christian means more than simply subscribing to a system of beliefs or simply believing (but it certainly requires these things). It involves submission, obedience and conforming to the will of God in all that we do. 1 Peter 1:13-16 says that we are to be holy in “all your conduct”. Colossians 1:10 calls upon us to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Philippians 1:27 Paul encourage the brethren to have conduct “worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
It has been said that there are five relationships in the life of a Christian – The home, business, society, government and the church. The Bible has much to say about each of these areas of responsibilities as well as other things AND that will be the focus of our study this morning.
Each of them has a unique set of responsibilities, but together they constitute the life of a Christian as a whole. Sometimes these roles intersect, but at other times they are clearly distinguished one from each other as we will notice. But before we begin let it be clearly understood that in the Christian life [WHEN it is as it ought to be] these roles complement one another and they NEVER contradict.
We have to be a Christian in:
I. Our Homes
a.
Godly families in general –
We have extensively studied the home in previous lessons. In the past two years
more than twenty lessons have been preached on this very important subject. The
Bible is clear about many aspects where the home is concerned.
God intends for the home to be a pleasant and loving environment. Proverbs
24:3-4, “Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is
established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant
riches.”
He has set standards for each role within the home – AND they are standards that
if followed will not only provide for a stable and healthy home, but also make
society a better place. Why? Because the home is the basic unit of society.
The value that a society places on the home will have a direct bearing on what
that society will become. All you have to do is look around to see the fruit
of a society that does not cherish the godly home as it ought to.
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who
build it,…”
b.
The basic roles – God has given instruction for
husbands, wives, parents and children.
Colossians 3:18-21 mentions all four of these relationships within the home.
I find it interesting that as you study these passages, what was dealt with was
those aspects that have the potential for damaging the home AND they are the
same aspects that we are struggling with today – who should rule the home, how
should we treat each other (husbands loving and honoring their wives, wives
submitting to their husbands, etc.)
c. If our homes are to be pleasing to God we have to respect His pattern regardless of what society thinks or whether we agree with it.
II. Our Business Affairs
a.
God has given us the responsibility to make a
living.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 - If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
1 Timothy 5:8 – the man is given the responsibility to provide for his house.
b. There are also principles that govern employers and employees. While many of these are not directly addressed, principles can be found in passages that regulate the master/servant relationship. For example – Ephesians 6:6-9, consider the responsibilities of the servant in light of one who is an employee. Note also verse 9 which says the employer is to act the same way, NOT taking advantage of his workers (cf. Colossians 4:1). James 5:4 speaks of the rich who cheated those who worked for them.
c.
Other aspects in business that apply to EVERY
aspect of life.
Honesty – “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal
truthfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22)
Just weights – “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just
weight is His delight” (Proverbs 11:1), etc.
Credit – Romans 13:8 – “Owe no one anything…”
III. Our Community
a. Christians ought to be good citizens within their community.
b.
Conduct honorable among the Gentiles – 1 Peter 2:12
Colossians 4:5 – Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside
Romans 15:2 – “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to
edification”
c.
Charity – Christians are expected to be
benevolent. Passages like Matthew 25:31-46 tell us we will be judged by our
generosity.
Note also James 2:14-18 – faith without works is dead
1 Timothy 6:18 – Speaking of the rich - let them do good, be willing to share
Galatians 6:10 – As we have opportunity, let us do good to all…
IV. Our Government
a.
As Christians we are expected to obey the laws of
the land. Whether we like them or not we have to submit to Government – Romans
13:1-5.
The ONLY exception is when the laws of man conflict with divine law – the God
must come first – Acts 5:29
b.
Pay your taxes – Romans 13:6-7, Matthew 22:21 – “Is
it lawful to pay taxes?”
Jesus answered not only is it lawful, it is required.
V. The Church
a. The church is certainly to be a part of our lives. When we became Christians we were added to the body of Christ – Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:47
b. Like Paul, we ought to be part of a local church – Acts 9:26. As with the home, we have extensively studied the importance of the church in our lives. Most of Paul’s letters were written to churches (or preachers in churches) giving instructions concerning proper conduct.
c. We need the church to properly worship God – eg. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
d. Ephesians 4:16 – we need to do our share so that the local church will grow.
e. To assemble – we cannot abandon our brethren – Hebrews 10:24,25
f. Giving – 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – let each one of you lay something aside as the church.
Thus we can see the five relationships in the life of a Christian. But in a different way there is a 6th relationship that we need to consider – and that is our relationship…
VI. Within Ourselves
a. A sixth relationship sometimes not on the chart, because it is in a category all its own. It is the foundation of each of these relationships. What I am speaking of the character within you.
b. We have to live with ourselves and be at peace – our true character is demonstrated NOT when others are around, but whey they are NOT around.
c. A case for motives – you can fulfill any of the above actions for the wrong reason. You can become a Christian for the wrong reason, but you can’t hide from God. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Is our heart far from God? Matthew 15:8-9
Conclusion: In this lesson I have tried to briefly establish the fact that living the Christian life encompasses everything that we do. Every relationship we are involved in must be “in the name of the Lord” Colossians 3:17. As already mentioned, there are times our actions overlap from one relationship to another – for instance we ought to be honest in every area of our lives. And in all that we do, we should never act in a manner unbecoming of any other part of our lives – for example, you might not be acting as the church in something you are doing, but you should never be doing that which would bring discredit to the church. There might be business activities that are not wrong legally, but they are sinful (such as drinking parties, etc.). Do your business activities cause you to neglect your family obligations? Is Christ a part of everything in your life?