Life style 

My intention with these posts is to encourage & perhaps challenge us as we pursue Spiritual growth. I hope you know it is not my intention to be critical or arrogant. Please remember that as we examine the lifestyle stream of the Christian life, that a “Virtuous Lifestyle” can be a little subjective.

We are the people of the way of Jesus. Our lives are to be unified in & through Christ. Our goal should be to model Christ’s life in all aspects. It is also the template for the church. A lot of people are looking for a perfect church community. Many are disappointed with their experience, some with good reason. How can we know we are in the place we need to be?

Holy living seems so intimidating to some folks. Yet we are called to grow in Holiness, Faithfulness, & Righteousness. A God honoring lifestyle is more than just a bunch of do's & don’ts. Lifestyle is generally the outcome of what’s inside us. Sometimes we can make lifestyle changes as an act of love & obedience. But real change comes from transformation or renewal of our minds.

Behavior is language, so how we live speaks to others. Does your lifestyle speak God honoring ways?  Do you think that for the most part others would say that your lifestyle is consistent with what you say you believe?

Some lifestyle choices are hindrances to our Spiritual growth, & they have kept many from experiencing the relationship with Christ that He desires. Take some time and just think about how you live as a believer. Which areas are being revealed to you for possible changes?

For a lot of people, busyness results in less time to “be still” before Him. Most relationships benefit by more time together, not forced but desired time. Stewardship of time is one of the things we are called to do as believers. Finding the balance between living quiet lives & also being productive and purposeful is a challenge. Do you think that simplicity as an element of our lifestyle would help us?

The journey of faith led by the Holy Spirit will take us through situations & seasons. Sometimes we need to accept the limitations of our life circumstances. The question is, am I loving God & obeying His word the best I can right now? & does my life reflect it? Lifestyle is so impacting on everything else we do. 

Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

Jesus proclaimed to His followers “You are the light of the world”. 

As His disciples our lives give testimony of our hearts 24 hours per day. Are we shining like a beacon that cannot be hidden? None of us are perfect, but it's fair to ask are we living the kind of life that reveals Christ and attracts people to Him? We live in a world were the only light some people see will be ours.

What about our online presence? Does our use of social media reveal more of Jesus? does it attract people to him?

 Substance of our faith

What is substance?

The essence or nature of something. It’s fundamental characteristics, meaning, & usefulness. We can observe its presence by our senses. We can study its composition, & we can see its results.

 

What does substance in a relationship look like?

Actions, deeds, and words.

Aren’t these also what brings life into a relationship?

 

James 2:14-26 from The Message

“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?

For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved

and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you?

Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?

Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar?

Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”?

The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.”

Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?

The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God?”

The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

 

This passage has been used by some trying to defend works and support division between James & Paul. But there is a clear distinction between works or deeds as a means to salvation, vs. works & deeds as the result of salvation.

 

James is talking to believers – already saved Jews, so perhaps he was trying to correct over reaction to freedom from works.

 

Paul contends for the doctrine of “justification by faith;” but that is justification before God, being regarded and accepted as just by virtue of the righteousness of Christ, which is received by faith. Grace can’t be earned.

 

“Justification by works,” which James contends for, is justification before man, the justification of our profession of faith by a consistent life of action.

 

What is the purpose of salvation? – a restored relationship to God through Christ.

Salvation is not something to be just accepted now & enjoyed later. It is a kingdom and a relationship we have entered into now.

Eternal life starts now with him and His body. We are Co laborers of His purposes & plan. Faith with deeds or actions now become part of the substance of our relationship to Christ - a relationship with life.

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