Articles
Once, But Not Now (2)
Last week, we looked at the changes that should take place in the life of one who is truly converted — one who is now a disciple of Jesus Christ [a Christian]. If you noticed, all the changes addressed in last week's article dealt with God's part in our changes; it was God who made us spiritually alive though we were once dead in our sins, it was God who granted mercy to us who were once disobedient, and it was God who reconciled us to Him though we were once estranged.
Some would like to stop right there and point out that everything is done by God in the conversion of any individual; some will further argue that man cannot make any changes without God's help. I would agree to a point, but I do not agree that man does nothing in the conversion process. I believe the Bible is, in fact, very plain on its instruction to all men that they must change, and that is a change brought about by the individual, and not God's direct and 'irresistible' work.
I believe it is important, before we discuss the changes on the part of man, to understand that if salvation is completely and fully God's work, then the Bible is nothing but a deceitful sham, full of commands that are meaningless. I say that because there are simply too many passages that reveal God's commands and requirements of men to say man has to do nothing. If man truly has to do nothing [or can do nothing, as some argue], then why did Christ die? Why did God give any command [commands requiring obedience]? Why does God seek people to worship Him? Why does God care if we love Him? We could go on, but the point is made: Man does have a part in salvation, and that part is willing obedience, based on faith in God and Christ.
Now, what are some of the changes we must make when we are converted?
Once Fleshly-Minded, Now Spiritually-Minded. As we noted last week, Paul reminded the brethren of Ephesus that they were quite different when they were outside of Christ (Eph. 2:1, 2), and he went on to say that, in that state, “we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:3). In a similar statement to the brethren of Rome, Paul pointed out that “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh” (Rom. 8:5), and clearly stated “those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). The contrast between them should be clear!
The need for this change is clear, noted in the fact Paul also said to them, “the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7), and, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). If we want to be pleasing to God, we can no longer be fleshly-minded people; let us note now that this is something each of us must do, and we can't wait around for God to direct us by some irresistible force to change, whether we want to or not. By the fact Paul commanded the Colossian brethren to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2), we know that is our responsibility — not God's; we can also know this by the very words of Jesus, who said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21); He is speaking of where our minds are set! We must make a change of focus, from setting our minds on earthly, material, and fleshly things to setting them on the heavenly and spiritual things.
Once Serving Self, Now Serving Our Lord. It should naturally follow that if we change from being fleshly-minded to being spiritually-minded, our actions will demonstrate that change of mindset. In other words, one who once focused on fleshly things and who was “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (cf. Eph. 2:3) should now be focused on the spiritual things and “not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Rom. 6:12), and, “not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). In other words, we are not living to fulfill selfish fleshly pleasures any longer, but to do righteous things for God's purposes.
Paul similarly pointed out to those in Corinth “that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). Simply put, as Christians, we don't live for ourselves anymore, but for Christ. Paul would put it in terms we all should emulate when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). It would be rather difficult to live for self and seek out fleshly pleasures as long as we had this attitude, but it is one we must have as followers of Jesus Christ! Our lives should be ones that demonstrate we serve the Lord and not self by the fact we use our bodies for righteousness, and not to satisfy our selfish, fleshly pleasures.
Once Driven By Selfish Motives, Now With the Proper Motives. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the hypocrite who sounded trumpets in the synagogue and in the streets when he did a charitable deed, who prayed standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, and who, when fasting, disfigured his face so others would recognize he was fasting, and they did all of this “that they may have glory from men” and that they might “be seen by men” (Matt. 6:1-5, 16). In whatever they did, they were called “hypocrites” by Jesus because they weren't doing it for the right reasons; their motives were wrong!
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must change here, too. We cannot be ones who do good deeds, but only to be praised by men; we cannot be ones who pray, but only so others can see how 'religious' we are; and we can't fast only if others know how much we are 'suffering' as we make such a noble effort.
The apostle Paul spoke of proper motivations when he wrote, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3). Love has to be the motivation — not the possibility of receiving the praise of men. But even our love must have the right motives, for Peter commanded that brethren “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22); love with ulterior motives really isn't love!
Our service to God must be driven by pure motives, too. Jesus said God is seeking the kind of worshipers who will “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23, 24), for He has no desire for insincere, superficial worship (cf. Matt. 15:8, 9). Lip service is nothing but hypocrisy.
Motivation is the responsibility of the individual, for God's word tells us that when the Lord comes to judge all men, He “will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts” (1 Cor. 4:5, NASB). Now, friends and brethren, if our motives will be judged as part of the judgment all men will face (2 Cor. 5:10), that means each individual is responsible. This is not an option; motivation may not have mattered before, but now we must see it does. —— Steven Harper
