The Power of a Holy Life (Part 2)
March 4th, 2008
(By John MacArthur)
Holy Living Makes the Gospel Attractive
Paul states his third reason for holy living in Titus 2:10, “That they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” “Adorn” is from the Greek word kosmeō and refers to making something beautiful.
What is our primary message to this world about God? Do we want the world to know that God is omnipotent? Omniscient? Omnipresent? Immutable? Sovereign? Eternal? The Creator and the Sustainer of the universe? Yes, we do. But by far the main attribute of God we want the unsaved to understand is that He is a Savior.
How will we ever make the good news about God as Savior beautiful in every respect if we don’t look like we’ve been saved? When we live in obedience to God, that in itself will be a testimony against wrong. When those around us see us helping rather than exploiting, hear us talking with purity instead of profanity, and observe us speaking truthfully rather than deceitfully, our example will itself be a rebuke of selfishness, unwholesome talk, and falsehood. Simply refusing to participate in a dishonest business or social practice will sometimes be such a strong rebuke that it costs us our job or friendship. Dishonesty is terribly uncomfortable in the presence of honesty, even when there is no verbal or other direct opposition.
Often, of course, open rebuke is necessary. Silent testimony will go only so far. Failure to speak out against and to oppose evil things in practical ways is a failure to obey God. Believers are to expose them in whatever legitimate, biblical ways are necessary.
Unfortunately, many Christians are barely able to keep their own spiritual and moral houses in order. Thus they lack the discernment, inclination, or power to confront evil in the church or in society at large. That’s why it is imperative that we be so mature in biblical truth, and in obedience, holiness, and love, that the natural course of our lives will be to expose, rebuke, and offer remedy for every kind of evil.
Making salvation attractive is a high calling, and we will fail in that endeavor unless we can demonstrate that we have indeed been delivered from sin. Rebuking sin in others without an accompanying lifestyle of righteousness is the greatest hypocrisy. But lives characterized by purity, power, and joy reflect the order, beauty, and power of a saving God. When we make salvation beautiful, we make God attractive.
To convince a man God can save, I need to show him a man He saved. To convince a man that God can give hope, I need to show him a man with hope. To convince a man that God can give peace, joy, and love, I need to show him a man with peace, joy, and love. To convince a man that God can give complete, total, and utter satisfaction, I need to show him a satisfied man. When the world sees people who are holy, righteous, peaceful, joyful, and fulfilled, they see the evidence of God’s transforming power.
At stake is the eternal destiny of unredeemed souls. Christians who are unholy lead unbelievers to slander God; those who are holy lead them to glorify God. The central issue in evangelism is holy living. A powerful church is not built on its strategy, but on the virtue and holiness of its people. What we believe is linked to how we live, and how we live is directly linked to the effectiveness of our gospel proclamation. So, Christian, it’s imperative that you be “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
(These two articles were adapted from John’s book Divine Design.)
“Failure to speak out against and to oppose evil things in practical ways is a failure to obey God.”
The exact reason that people are so hostile to Christians. Paul is talking always to people who are Christ-Followers. In that context what you say is true, because we are of one Spirit and of one Church. For people who do not know Jesus yet this is futile in the first case, because without Christ there is nothing they can do about the “evil” and in the second case it seems as a unloving condemnation.
For one one-another we may point out error as we are led. To the non believer we must show the Love of Christ. In any case Jesus never calls us to jusdge and condemn. Christ followers may hold each other acountable as is agreed to in each individual case. Living a Holy Life has to do with what you do with your life not what you find fault with in other’s life.
Jesus says that if your right hand offends you cut it off. He does not say if your neighbor’s right hand offends you cut their hand off not does he say cut off your right hand. The Law of God through Christ is between an individual and Jesus.
That is unsettling to many church leaders as it puts Jesus between the Christ-follower and the leader, but that is the way it is. The churches of men are not the Authority, Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are the Authority. The churches of men are for Christ-followers to gain teaching and support. It is good to take caution that the only unerring teaching comes from Jesus as we read our bibles in communion with Christ.
Christians who are Holy are those who allow Jesus to use their lives and the Love that he has given them as he leads them to do. Again, it is really pretty simple. Love God, submit your life to him, in His Love, Love your neighbor and yourself, and obey Him as He leads you. That is all prtty simple, but if you truly give your life to God he will lead you where you never dreamed he would and through toils and strife he will perfect your Spirit.
If you tell me that God loves me, taht may mean nothing as people believe that Love is what their parents showed them. If parental love was abusive then Love to that person may mean abuse. THe Christian must endure Loving that person until they begin to understand that Love from God is different. The only way to achieve that is for them to see God’s Love in us. Rebuking the evil that lives in them only drives them away. They do not yet understand that they and their behavior are two different things. Even when saved our behavior is often not pleaseing to God, but our Spirit is hwne we yeild and ask for forgiveness.
In Romans Paul counsels strongly on our commission to Love.
In Love,
Roy
In any case Jesus never calls us to judge and condemn.
I don’t know, Roy…
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Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him; But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. - Proverbs 24:24-25
He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. - Proverbs 28:23
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, “Listen to the word of the LORD!” — Ezekiel 13:2
…and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. — Acts 18:27-28
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We are not called to make sinners pure, but we are called to preach the Gospel to them, which can make them pure. And that Gospel doesn’t start with “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” It starts with, “You are utterly sinful and dreadfully provoke a Holy God, kindling His wrath by your unbelief.” We are indeed called to proclaim the standard that God has required of all men, for it is by that standard that sinners see they don’t measure up to that standard and so need a gracious Savior.
Mike, I just want to say Amen! to your post.
Jeff
I must say that I am pointed to living out the gospel in a more urgent manner. Not that I don’t try to live in a manner that is worthy of my calling but being more introvert and contemplative, I give the impression of a lack of joy in my own life. I can even admit that because of contemplation, joy is lost because I am trying to obtain something on my own that I was never meant to obtain apart from Christ . I just want to say thanks John for pointing me to live a life of Joy so that when the world sees me they see the Joy that our Father offers. Thanks for the post.
I know. I can imagine the state of physics if we picked and chose what we anted out of a physics text book.
I suppose I am wasting my time here as most of you seem to have embraced, like most of modern christianity, self correction.
I fail to see how one can think that Paul was advocating that we need to fight evil on our own. Humans need to feel control over their environment, yet we have none. We are not to follow our feelings and needs for control, but to yeild to Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us.
It requires great faith to let go and let God. WE get impatient and feel the need to take control, but when we do we always fail.
I have done what I can. Sin has power over you only as ;ong as you continue to make it your focus. When Christians set benchmarks for “proof” of salvation they become stumbling blocks and advovcates of a theology of death. The proof (if there even is such a thing) of God on ones life is the Love of God that shows in one’s life.
In Love,
Roy
Roy,
I think some might agree with you more than you think. We cannot sanctify ourselves anymore than we can come to Chritst on our own. It is all of God. Yet, God has chosen methods of doing both. Those methods include us. God uses people in preaching the gospel which leads to salvation. We also have a part to play in sanctification even though it is all from God. It appears that your beliefs could be called the hyper-calvinism of sanctification. I say that not to offend that is just the closest way to explain the way I understand your position. A hyper-calvinist says that it up to God to save so I shouldn’t even try to evangelize. You seem to be saying that it is up to God to sanctify so why try to be good?
Different Mikes, btw. I’m the first one.
What I am saying is that, like Paul says “to put on”…Therefore, I am not advocating and would not try to sanctify myself apart from the holy spirit. That is the frustration of posting something and trying to communicate in words what is already hard to communicate. What I am trying to say is that I am selfish and have a tendency to keep my eyes solely on myself and because of my sin, I am hindering my witness as a Christian. This post has encouraged me to look outside of myself. There is a part of spiritual growth that like Paul says where we must put off and put on. My pastor a couple weeks ago said, “We have to do the trying and God will do the doing.” It is just like in proverbs where is says, “A man plans his course but God orders his steps.” It is the realization that you need change after the word of God convicts you, it is His kindness that leads to repentance. I am aware of my part in it. That is all I am saying. Believe me I am all about making much of God. I hope this explains what I was trying to say better. I am not the best communicator so let me know.
Winston’
No I am not saying anything but what Paul much more eloquently says in Romans. We make the “choice” to yeild to God. I might tend toward an idea that says we are led to that choice, but we can refuse. Once we yeild, that is exactly what what it is yeilding. It means that we put ourselves in God’s hands and trust in him. The idea that means we just set around at our pleasure and do what we want is false. I am confused where this idea comes from.
When you ask God to work in your life you need to fasten your seat belt and get ready for Him to challenge you, strengthen you, and perfect you with the refining fire. There is no setting around wantonly sinning.
I am not smart enough to know what is right for other people. I can only say where I have been led and how it has saved me. I can only say what I see as large stumblig blocks scattered in the way of the lost the judgement and condemnation of well meaning Christ Followers and few not so well meaning.
Mike A,
Be very careful using the Old Testament for much guideance in your walk with Jesus. The Jews of the Old Testament did not have Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Imagine how hard it would be to live a Holy Life without Jesus. The Old Testament was to them what the New Testament is to us - rather much a user handbook. The cautions placed in the Old Testament are not entended for us except for knowledge of the History of Man’s relationship with God.
God will use and edify all our study of the Bible, be careful. Clearly when GOd works through us we are the ones who physically perform His Will, but we are the in His Plan - a plan that only he knows.
But then what do I know? For me it is so.
In Love,
Roy
Roy,
I really appreciate your insight and wisdom. That is helpful.
First of all Roy,
No one is advocating self-correction. I’m advocating the preaching of the Gospel to a wicked and perverse generation, just because the Bible tells me to.
Your comment about picking and choosing is just out of place. If I can quote passages in the Bible that say something clearly, do I have to have a quorum or a plurality of Scripture to make it true? Does that mean after I do that other Scripture is false because there was more Scripture to contradict it? That’s blasphemy! Obviously if there are passages that teach that we are to rebuke others for their sin, we should do it. If the Bible also teaches that we are to trust Christ and live in the Spirit for our sanctification — which it does — then we should do that too. And we shouldn’t conclude, because of our own shortsightedness, that the two are contradictory. What we should do is understand that if both are taught they’re not contradictory and seek to understand how both work.
Now, you’re saying that the OT saints didn’t have Jesus or the Holy Spirit is just patently untrue. Let us not deceive ourselves with the notion that God dealt with Israel based on a system of works and with the Church based on a system of faith. Salvation has always been by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It’s true that the Holy Spirit hadn’t been poured out in the hearts of believers until Pentecost, but to say that the OT saints didn’t have the Spirit of God is to demonstrate ignorance of the entire old Testament.
And it’s true that Jesus hadn’t come in the flesh, but He is the One in whom all things hold together. That’s true in OT and NT times and forever. He was part of the “Us” when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” Isaiah prophesied because He saw Jesus’ glory.
As for the Spirit, below are some of the instances where He shows up in the OT. Hopefully you won’t see this as picking and choosing.
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. — Gen 1:2
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh.” Gen 6:3
I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, — Ex 31:3, 35:21
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again. — Numbers 11:25
So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.” — Numbers 27:18
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. — Judges 6:34
When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. — 1 Sam 10:10
You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,And You gave them water for their thirst. — Nehemiah 9:20
The Spirit of God has made me,And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. — Job 33:4
Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. — Psalm 51:11
The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself up in your house. — Ezekiel 3:24
On the other hand I am filled with power–With the Spirit of the LORD–And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act,Even to Israel his sin. — Micah 3:8
Now, you’re saying that the OT saints didn’t have Jesus or the Holy Spirit is just patently untrue.
Jews beleived that when they died there was no judgement day for them. They believed and I guess they still do that they were dead until risen from the grave in the last days. They were dependant upon the Prophets and Priest who they believed were led by a holy spirit.
They had the hope of the Messiah but never recognised Jesus as that. So they did not have Jesus at all becasue they did not believe they had Him.
Personally, I beleive that God is unchanging and what changes is mans view of God and the creation. The same God that created Adam, made a covenant with Abraham, and tolerated David, is the same God that Christians worship today.
In the OT the wages of sin was physical death as breaking the law of the church could get you stoned on the spot.
Finding a bunch of verses that talk about the Spirit of God proves little, except that you can pull together a bunch of scriptures. Clearly the Spirit of God was active in the OT. But it moved and worked as I said above on a collective basis among the priest and prophets. Jesus tell us that each of indiviually have the Holy Spirit working through us.
Is it not clear that God moving men to do things in the Old Testament is uniquely different than in the New Testament?
Reasonable people can agree to disagree. Reading your post helps me to understand why people are unable to accept the freedom that Christ gave us.
It is all rather like having the latest revised edition of a something and insisting on going back to the unrevised versions to prove a point that has been changed by the revised version.
Or that is how it is for me, what do I know,
In LOve,
Roy
Roy,
First, let me say that the closing “In love” doesn’t automatically make it OK to speak entirely without love. A disclaimer at the end doesn’t make something true.
I’m flabbergasted at how my saying that the OT saints (not unbelieving Israel, but believing Israel) were saved by faith and experienced the Spirit, automatically makes me not accepting the freedom that Christ gave us.
That’s a strawman and an agenda of your own.
It is as it is.
I do not use the word Love to validate or lightly. What I say is my own experience and my own belief. I believe it to be true. Why would I say something that I did not believe to be true?
I never said that by “saying that the OT saints (not unbelieving Israel, but believing Israel) were saved by faith and experienced the Spirit automatically makes me not accepting the freedom that Christ gave us.” I said that your position or belief gave me insight that made me understand better why people hold so dearly to the Law when we are freed from it.(why people are unable to accept the freedom that Christ gave us) That is quite a different thing.
What do think that agenda is. A straw man is a cover or front for a questionable enterprise. What do you think my questionable enterprise could be.
Because you espouse ideas that I do not believe are supported by the scripture, I do not say that you have a hidden agenda. First, if you did it is of no concern to me. Second if you did I would have faith that I would not be swayed by it.
When I close with “In Love” it is a benediction as well as true Love for all who believe as I do or who do not. We do not have to agree to be in the body of Christ and in God’s Love.
My concern is that I live in the real world where most people I know think that Christians are narrow-minded judgmental hypocrites. I understand why they think that. I know that is not true but I am always amazed even in my own study group how quick people are to worry about other peoples sins rather than their own. I suppose that is human.
Paul spends a huge part of his ministry promoting Love. All of his admonitions about calling out sin is directed toward Christ Followers. I do not beleive Paul ever says that Christ followers should go out and tell non-Christ Followers how wicked they are.
We all sin and Christ Followers keeping each other in check is something that must be done with tact and toward people who welcome that. We are not to be the judge of what is right for another. That is God’s job, and I leave that to Him.
This Blog undertakes the task of discussion of opinions of what we believe to be the Truth of the Word. I just can’t deal with all the different Dogmas and Doctrines. Baptists dunk, Methodists sprinkle. Church “A” says if people in Church “B” do not show a certain fruit of the Spirit they are not saved. What I have tried to do is find the core Truth upon which all other things are subject. Jesus gave us that and three of the four gospels recount that.
If others want to try to live by some other law, that is between them and God. If that Law requires judging other people, that concerns me, but not overly so. God is in charge and no matter how bad we mess things up in the end His will, will be done.
In Love,
Roy
What ideas do I espouse that are not supported by Scripture?
Mike, I did not say that you espouse ideas that are not supported by Scripture. I said that you espouse ideas that I do not believe are supported by Scripture.
That is kind of the whole point. All of us come to Jesus from different backgrounds at different points in our lives. As Jesus takes us as we are, the path to perfection in the Spirit is different for each of us.
What you espouse that I do not believe is that we are commanded to give unsolicited correction to others about their behavior.
The best quote I can think of is “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” St. Francis Assisi. When we let the Love given us by God through Jesus show in our lives people will notice. They might not ask but they notice. In that interaction open a chance to witness with words, but it i sour lives that pave the way. When you tell a person what they are doing wrong they become defensive and close off communication.
I grew up in the church. I knew my Bible by the time I was 19. It was at 19 when God reached in and changed my life. When he did I was confused because he did not change the one thing that caused me the greatest conflict in my Faith.
I now know that there was a reason why he left that behind. God left my great sin behind so that I might learn what it means to be put apart and cast out.
All I can do is to live my faith and tell people when invited what I believe to be true. What you believe to be true is between you and God. I would hope that in just this discussion one can see how easily a person can become defensive - even in Christ.
In Love,
Roy
Roy,
I find it interesting that you base your belief that I espouse things not in Scripture on a quote not from the Bible. St. Francis was a great guy, but that understanding of the gospel is seriously flawed. To preach the gospel is to use words, indeed “the very words of God” (1 Peter 4). The message is preached. In Acts, 16 different English verbs and 19 different Greek verbs describe the proclamation of the Gospel, and they all refer to speech. Romans 10 tells us that faith comes by hearing, and not seeing or watching. 1 Peter tells us we were born again by the word. Paul tells Timothy, “Follow the pattern of sound words.”
I’m not saying that we should be entirely inconsistent in our actions; or if we just say the right things it doesn’t matter how we live. No, our life is a great testimony to our message. But it’s the message preached that saves, not our lives lived according to the message. God was pleased “by the foolishness of preaching…” not the foolishness of good examples. We are called to proclaim truth.
Now, in no way does that mean that I think we’re to poke our heads into people’s lives and say, “Nope, doin that wrong. Unh-uh.. doin that wrong too. Oh man! What’s goin on there?! That’s gotta go!” What I am saying is that we have a commission to take this message to all people all over the world, and that message is: “You’re sinful. You await the righteous judgment of God because of your sin. But look upon Jesus as the Son of God, Messiah, and Savior of the world who is given that we may have life. Who offered Himself as a sacrifice to stand in the place of all sinners who repent and believe in Him.”
That’s the message. The message is not: “Hey, see how different I am? Don’t you wish you could be different too? Yeah… Jesus made me this way. You don’t know Jesus, you say? Well, let me tell you about Him.” That’s what a lot of people believe the message is, but with no misgivings, they’re wrong.
One more thing. This doesn’t mean that I’m not living in the freedom of Christ. I’m not sitting here trying to labor to get saved or sanctified. I know the sweetness of the sufficiency of Christ’s death. I know that I have the victory over the penalty and the power of sin in Him. I know He gives me that victory freely and I don’t have to work for it. I know that to fight sin is the negative way to say, positively, “to see Christ.” I know that only by looking into His face, seeing His glory manifested in all His attributes (not only His love, mercy, and grace, but also even in His sovereignty, His justice, and His wrath), and enjoying Him that I will come to love Him and find satisfaction in Him more than all my sins. I hear you trying to affirm that, and I’m glad that you’re trying because not enough people are. There are too many people focused on fighting the sin and not seeing the Christ.
But we can’t leave our commission behind for the sake of this. We can’t think that the two are opposed to each other. We have to know that our message is founded upon the very Word of God, and we have a command to speak those words, which are perfect, and not to broadcast our lives, which are broken, imperfect, and laden with sin, no matter how sanctified we get in this life. No, our lives will never save anyone because we groan while in this tent that will pass away. But oh! the sufficiency of God’s own revelation that He has commanded us to take to the world! His Words do something that our lives could never live out in our sin-cursed flesh. They go out and convict sin, they regenerate, they give life, they open the eyes, they restore and comfort the soul (Ps 19:7-10).
Let us not devalue the sufficiency of God’s Word to save by elevating our own lives and putting them in It’s place.
The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” — Jeremiah 23:28-29
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. — Isaiah 55:10-11
“I find it interesting that you base your belief that I espouse things not in Scripture on a quote not from the Bible.”
I do not base my beleif on a quote not from the Bible. I seems that over the several weeks that I have posted here that it would be clear to readers of dicernement that my beleif or faith, not matter whether they agree or disagree, is based upon the scriptures to which I have refered.
It is all very simple. God Loves us. He wants us to Love him enought to let Him work through us so we may be fulfilled. He sent Jesus as a model and teacher. Jesus died so that we may live. Jesus taught us that the greatest thing we can do is Love. Jesus taught that there are but two Commandments, to Love God totally and Love your neigbor as ourselves. We are taught not to judge others and to take of our sins before we trifle over others sins.
Pretty simple stuff. Easy to understand if understanding is the goal. We could go on forever and still not know the “number of angel that can dance on the head of a pin.” Man has made complex what Jesus hanging on the cross made simple.
I understand that you beleive we must point out evil and tell people of their erring ways. Reasonable people can agree to disagree.
In Love,
Roy
PS Thanks to all the people who have visited my little blog.
Great discourse.
At the age of twelve, having been raised a Catholic, I took note of a believer’s life. I was attracted to a friend’s manner of living.
And yet, I found Jesus only when my friend invited me to his church and I got to hear the Gospel for the first time. It was a fire and brimstone moment. The Gospel is an offense to many but to us who believe, it is the power of God unto salvation. The message of the Gospel was magnified by my friend’s holy life and love for God.
I recall a great quote: “Truth without Love is cruelty but Love without Truth is hypocrisy”. Love must be balanced with Truth. It seems this point is being discussed in the thread.
All I would like to say is that if it wasn’t for someone telling me I was a sinner, lost on my well to hell and in need of the Saviour, I would still be lost and dead in my sins. My friend’s holy living surely made the Gospel attractive. I thank God someone loved me enough to share the truth.
All I would like to say is that if it wasn’t for someone telling me I was a sinner, lost on my well to hell and in need of the Saviour, I would still be lost and dead in my sins.
Thanks for sharing that, Julio. That’s actually the truth for every Christian who ever lived. It’s wonderfully expressed there. Thanks again.