Chapter 11. Being a Christian
This last chapter is written for those who have opened the door of their lives to Jesus Christ. They have committed themselves to him. They have thus begun the Christian life. But becoming a Christian is one thing; being a Christian is another. It is with the implications of being a Christian that we must now concern ourselves.
You took a simple step; you invited Christ to come as your Savior and Lord. At that moment what can only be described as a miracle took place. God—without whose grace you could not have repented and believed—gave you a new life. You were born again. You became a child of God and so entered his family. You may not have been conscious of anything happening, even as at the time of your physical birth you were not conscious of what was taking place. Self-consciousness, the awareness of who and what one is, is part of the process of personal development. Nevertheless, just as when you were born you emerged as a new independent personality, so when you were born again you became spiritually a new creature in Christ.
But (you may be thinking) is not God the Father of all men? Are not all people the children of God? Yes and no! God is certainly the creator of all men, and all are his "offspring" in the sense that they derive their being from him.[1] See, for example, Acts 17:28. But the Bible clearly distinguishes between this general relation of God to the whole human race as Creator to creature and the special relation of father to child which he establishes with those who are his new creation through Jesus Christ. John explains this in the prologue to his Gospel when he writes:
He [that is, Jesus] came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born... of God. The three clauses beginning with the word "who" all describe the same people. The children of God are those who are born of God; and those who are born of God are those who have received Christ into their lives and who have believed in his name. What does it mean to be a "child" of God in this sense? Like membership of any other family, it has both its privileges and its responsibilities. We must now go on to see what these are.
Christian Privileges
The unique privilege of the person who has been born anew into the family of God is that he is related to God. Let us consider this relationship.
An intimate relationship. We saw earlier that our sins had alienated us from God. They had come as a barrier between us. Put differently, we were under the just condemnation of the judge of all the earth. But now through Jesus Christ, who bore our condemnation and to whom by faith we have become united, we have been "justified," that is, brought into acceptance with God and pronounced righteous. Our Judge has become our Father.
"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are," wrote John. "Father" and "Son" are the distinctive titles which Jesus gave to God and to himself, and they are the very names which he permits us to use! By union with him we are permitted to share something of his own intimate relation to the Father. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in the middle of the third century A.D., well expresses our privilege when writing about the Lord's Prayer:
How great is the Lord's indulgence! How great are his condescension and plenteousness of goodness towards us, seeing that he has wished us to pray in the sight of God in such a way as to call God Father, and to call ourselves sons of God, even as Christ is the Son of God—a name which none of us would dare to venture on in
prayer, unless he himself had allowed us thus to pray.
Now at last we can repeat the Lord's Prayer without hypocrisy. Previously the words had a hollow sound; now they ring with new and noble meaning. God is indeed our Father in heaven, who knows our needs before we ask and will not fail to give good things to his children. It may be necessary for us sometimes to receive correction at his hand, "for the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." But in this he is treating us as sons and disciplining us for our good. With such a Father, loving, wise and strong, we can be delivered from all our fears.[2] For our heavenly Father's care see Matthew 6:7-13, 25-34 and 7:7-12, and for his discipline Hebrews 12:3-11.
An assured relationship. The Christian's relationship to God as a child to his Father is not only intimate but sure. So many people seem to do no more than hope for the best; it is possible to know for certain.
It is more than possible. It is God's revealed will for us. We ought to be sure of our relationship with God not just for the sake of our peace of mind and helpfulness to others, but because God means us to be sure. John states categorically that this was his purpose in writing his first letter; "I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."
Yet the way to be sure is not just to/eel sure. Most people who are at the beginning of their Christian life make this mistake. They rely too much on their superficial feelings. One day they feel close to God; the next day they feel estranged from him again. And since they imagine that their feelings accurately reflect their spiritual condition, they fall into a frenzy of uncertainty. Their Christian life becomes a precarious switchback ride as they soar to the heights of elation, only to plunge again into the depths of depression.
This erratic experience is not God's purpose for his children. We have to learn to mistrust our feelings. They are extremely variable. They change with the weather, with circumstances and with our health. We are fickle creatures of whim and mood, and our fluctuating feelings often have nothing to do with our spiritual progress.
The basis of our knowledge that we are in relationship with God is not our feelings but the fact that he says we are. The test we are to apply to ourselves is objective rather than subjective. We are not to grub around inside ourselves for evidence of spiritual life, but to look up and out and away to God and his word. But where shall we find God's word to assure us that we are his children?
First, God promises in his written word to give eternal life to those who receive Christ. "This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son has not life." Humbly to believe that we have eternal life is not then presumptuous. On the contrary, to believe God's word is humility not pride, and wisdom not presumption. The folly and the sin would be to doubt, for "he who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his son."[3] 1 John 5:10-12.
Now the Bible is full of the promises of God. The sensible Christian begins as soon as possible to store them in his memory. Then when he falls into the ditch of depression and doubt, he can use God's promises as ropes by which to pull himself out. Here are a few verses to start memorizing. Each contains a divine promise.[4] See also Some Basic Texts (InterVarsity Press), a classified selection of 150 passages for memorizing.
Christ will receive us if we come to him: John 6:37.
He will hold us and never let us go: John 10:28.
He will never leave us: Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5-6.
God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength: 1 Corinthians 10:1.3.
He will forgive us when we confess our sins: 1 John 1:9. He will give us wisdom when we ask for it: James 1:5.
Second, God speaks to our hearts. Listen to these statements. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" and "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."[5] Romans 5:5; 8:15-16.Every Christian knows what this means. The outward witness of the Holy Spirit in Scripture is confirmed by the inward witness of the Holy Spirit in experience. This is not to place any confidence in shallow and changeable feelings; it is rather to expect a deepening conviction in our hearts as the Holy Spirit assures us of God's love for us and prompts us to cry "Father!" as we seek God's face in prayer.
Third, the same Spirit who bears witness to our sonship in Scripture and experience completes his testimony in our character. If we are born again into God's family, then God's Spirit dwells within us. Indeed, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest privileges of God's children. It is their distinguishing characteristic: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Again, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."[6] See Romans 8:9-17. And he will not have indwelt us long before he begins to work a change in our manner of life. John applies this test ruthlessly in his first letter. If anyone persists in disobeying the commandments of God and in disregarding his duties to his fellow men, he writes, then he is not a Christian, whatever he may say. Righteousness and love are indispensable marks of the child of God.
A secure relationship. Supposing we have entered into this intimate relationship with God, and are assured of it by God's own word, is it a secure relationship? Or can we be born into God's family one moment and repudiated from it the next? The Bible indicates that it is a permanent relationship. "If children, then heirs," wrote Paul, "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ," and went on to argue, in a magnificent passage at the end of Romans 8, that God's children are eternally safe, for nothing whatever can separate them from his love.
"But what happens if and when I sin?" you may ask. "Do I then forfeit my sonship and cease to be God's child?" No. Think of the analogy of a human family. A boy is offensively rude to his parents. A cloud descends on the home. There is tension in the atmosphere. Father and son are not on speaking terms. What has happened? Has the boy ceased to be a son? No. Their relationship has not changed; it is their fellowship which has been broken. Relationship depends on birth; fellowship depends on behavior. As soon as the boy apologizes, he is forgiven. And forgiveness restores fellowship. Meanwhile, his relationship has remained the same. He may have been temporarily a disobedient, and even a defiant, son; but he has not ceased to be a son.
So it is with the children of God. When we sin, we do not forfeit our relationship to him as children, though our fellowship with him is spoiled until we confess and forsake our sin. As soon as we "confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness," for "if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins."[7] 1 John 1:9; 2:1-2. So do not wait until the evening, still less the following Sunday, to put right whatever has gone wrong during each day. Instead, when you fall, fall on your knees and repent and humbly seek your Father's forgiveness at once. Aim to preserve your conscience clear and undefiled.
Put in another way, we can be justified only once; but we need to be forgiven every day. When Jesus washed the apostles' feet, he gave them an illustration of this. Peter asked him to wash his hands and his head as well as his feet. But Jesus replied: "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over." A man invited to a dinner party in Jerusalem would take a bath before going out. On arrival at his friend's house, he would not be offered another bath; but a slave would meet him at the front door and wash his feet. So when we first come to Christ in repentance and faith, we receive a "bath" (which is justification, and is outwardly symbolized in baptism). It never needs to be repeated. But as we walk through the dusty streets of the world, we constantly need to "have our feet washed" (which is daily forgiveness).
Christian Responsibilities
To be a child of God is a wonderful privilege. It involves obligations also. Peter implied this when he wrote: "Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation."[8] 1 Peter 2:2.
The great privilege of the child of God is relationship; his great responsibility is growth. Everybody loves children, but nobody in his right mind wants them to stay in the nursery. The tragedy, however, is that many Christians, born again in Christ, never grow up. Others even suffer from spiritual infantile regression. Our heavenly Father's purpose, on the other hand, is that "babes in Christ" should become "mature in Christ." Our birth must be followed by growth. The crisis of justification (our acceptance before God) must lead to the process of sanctification (our growth in holiness, what Peter terms "growing up to salvation").
There are two main spheres in which the Christian is meant to grow. The first is in understanding and the second in holiness. When we begin the Christian life, we probably understand very little, and we have only just come to know God. Now we must increase in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This knowledge is partly intellectual and partly personal. In connection with the former, I would urge you not only to study the Bible but to read good Christian books. To neglect to grow in your understanding is to court disaster.
We must also grow in holiness of life. The New Testament writers speak of the development of our faith in God, our love for our fellow men and our likeness to Christ. Every son of God longs to become more and more conformed in his character and behavior to the Son of God himself. The Christian life is a life of righteousness. We must seek to obey God's commandments and do God's will. The Holy Spirit has been given us partly for this purpose. He has made our bodies his temple. He dwells within us. And as we submit to his authority and follow his leading, he will subdue our evil desires and cause his fruit to appear in our lives, which is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."[9] Galatians 5:16, 22-23.
But how shall we grow? There are three main secrets of spiritual development. They are also the chief responsibilities of the child of God.
Our duty to God. Our relationship to our heavenly Father, though secure, is not static. He wants his children to grow up to know him more and more intimately. Generations of Christians have discovered that the principal way to do so is to wait upon him every day in a time of Bible reading and prayer. This is an indispensable necessity for the Christian who wants to make progress. We are all busy nowadays, but we must somehow rearrange our priorities in order to make time for it. It will mean rigorous self-discipline, but granted this, together with a legible Bible and an alarm clock that works, we are well on the road to victory.
It is important to preserve the balance between Bible reading and prayer, because through Scripture God speaks to us while through prayer we speak to him. It is also wise to be systematic
in our reading of the Bible. Various methods are available.[10] Scripture Union publishes schemes and notes for various age groups and interests. InterVarsity Press published for students and others Hold the Faith (an introductory course) and continues to publish Search the Scriptures (a three-year course). The IVP booklet Quiet Time has some very valuable advice about daily prayer and Bible reading. Pray before you read, asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and illumine your mind. Then read slowly, meditatively and thoughtfully. Read and reread the passage. Wrestle with it till it yields its meaning. Use a modern translation. The Revised Standard Version is probably the most accurate revision available in contemporary English. You may also find a good commentary a help.[11] For instance, The New Bible Commentary, revised edition edited by D. Guthrie, J. A. Motyer, A. M. Stibbs and D. J. Wiseman (InterVarsity Press, 1970). Then go on to apply to your own circumstances the message of the verses you have read. Look for promises to claim and commands to obey, examples to follow and sins to avoid. It is helpful to keep a notebook and write down what you learn. Above all, look for Jesus Christ. He is the chief subject of the Bible. We can not only find him revealed there, but can meet him personally through its pages.
Prayer follows naturally. Begin by speaking back to God on the same subject on which he has spoken to you. Don't change the conversation! If he has spoken to you of himself and his glory, worship him. If he has spoken to you of yourself and your sins, confess them. Thank him for any blessings which may have been revealed in the passage, and pray that its lessons may be learned by yourself and your friends.
When you have prayed over the Bible passage you have read, you will want to go on with other prayers. If your Bible is the first great aid to prayer, your diary will be the second. Commit to him in the morning the details of the day which lies before you, and in the evening run through the day again, confessing the sins you have committed, giving thanks for the blessings you have received and praying for the people you have met.
God is your Father. Be natural, confiding and bold. He is interested in all the details of your life. Very soon you will find it essential to start some kind of prayer list of your relatives and friends for whom you feel a responsibility to pray. It is wise to make your list as flexible as possible, so that people can be easily added to it or taken from it.
Our duty to the church. The Christian life is not just a private affair of your own. If we are born again into God's family, not only has he become our Father but every other believer in the world, whatever his nation or denomination, has become our brother or sister in Christ. One of the commonest names for Christians in the New Testament is "brethren." This is a glorious truth. But it is no good supposing that membership of the universal church of Christ is enough; we must belong to some local branch of it. Nor is it sufficient to be a member of a Christian Union in a college or elsewhere (although I hope you will become active in yours). Every Christian's place is in a local church, sharing in its worship, fellowship and witness.
Perhaps you ask which church you should join. If you are already linked with a church, either by upbringing or because you have been attending one recently, you would be unwise to sever this connection without good reason. If you are free to choose your church membership, however, here are two criteria to guide you. The first concerns the minister, the second the congregation. Ask yourself these questions. Is the minister submissive to the authority of Scripture, so that he seeks in his sermons to explain its message and relate it to contemporary life? And does the congregation at least approximate to a fellowship of believers who love Christ, one another and the world?
Baptism is the way of entry into the visible Christian society. It has other meanings as well, as we have seen, but if you lave not been baptized, you should ask your minister to prepare you for baptism. Then do allow yourself to be drawn right into the Christian fellowship. Much may seem strange to you at first, but do not stand aside. Church or chapel attendance on Sundays is a definite Christian duty, and nearly every branch of the Christian church agrees that the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion is the central service, instituted by Christ and commemorating his death in fellowship with one another.
I hope I am not giving the impression that fellowship is merely a Sunday treat! Love for other Christians, however unlikely it may seem in prospect, is a new and real experience. In a Christian fellowship of all types, backgrounds and ages, there are new depths of friendship and mutual sharing to be discovered. The Christian's closest friends will probably be Christians and, above all, his life partner must be a Christian too.[12] See, for instance, 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Our duty to the world. The Christian life is a family affair, in which the children enjoy fellowship with their Father and with each other. But let it not for one moment be thought that this exhausts the Christian's responsibilities. Christians are not a self-regarding coterie of smug and selfish prigs, who are interested only in themselves. On the contrary, every Christian should be deeply concerned about all his fellow men. And it is part of his Christian vocation to serve them in whatever way he can.
The Christian church has a noble record of philanthropic work for the needy and neglected people of the world—the poor and hungry, the sick, the victims of oppression and discrimination, slaves, prisoners, orphans, refugees and dropouts. Still today all over the world the followers of
Christ are seeking in his name to alleviate suffering and distress. Yet an enormous amount of work is waiting to be done. And sometimes, it must be confessed with shame, others who make no Christian profession seem to show more compassion than we who claim to know Christ.
There is another and particular responsibility which Christians have toward "the world," as the Bible describes those outside Christ and his church: evangelism. To "evangelize" means literally to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. There are still millions of people who are ignorant of him and his salvation, not only in Asia, Africa and Latin America, but in the secularized Western world as well. For centuries the church seems to have been half asleep. Is this the generation in which Christians will wake up and win the world for Christ? Perhaps he has a special task for you to do as an ordained minister of the gospel or as a missionary. If you are a student already launched on your course, it would be quite wrong for you to do anything rash or hasty. But seek to discover God's will for your life, and be surrendered to it.
Although every Christian is not called to be a minister or a missionary, God does intend every Christian to be a witness to Jesus Christ. In his own home, among his friends in his college or at his place of business, it is his solemn responsibility to live a consistent, loving, humble, honest, Christlike life and to seek to win other people for him. He will be discreet and courteous but determined.
The way to begin is by prayer. Ask God to give you a special concern for one or two of your friends. It is usually wise to keep to people of your own sex and about your own age. Then pray regularly and definitely for their conversion; foster your friendship with them for its own sake; take trouble to spend time with them; and really love them for themselves. Soon an opportunity will come to take them to some service or meeting where they will hear the gospel explained; or to give them some Christian literature to read; or to tell them simply what Jesus Christ has come to mean to you and how you found him. I need hardly add that our most eloquent testimony will be without effect if we are contradicting it by our conduct; while little is more influential for Christ than a life which he is obviously transforming.
Such are the great privileges and responsibilities of the child of God. Born into the family of God and enjoying with his heavenly Father a relationship which is intimate, assured and secure, he seeks to be disciplined in his daily times of Bible reading and prayer, loyal in his church membership, and at the same time active in Christian service and witness.
This statement of the Christian life reveals the tension to which all Christian people are subject. In brief, we find ourselves citizens of two kingdoms, the one earthly and the other heavenly. And each citizenship lays upon us duties which we are not at liberty to evade.
On the one hand, the New Testament writers lay considerable stress on our obligations to the state, to our employer, to our family and to society as a whole. The Bible will not allow us to retreat from these practical responsibilities either into mysticism, or into a monastery, or even into a Christian fellowship which is insulated from the world.
On the other hand, some New Testament authors remind us that we are "aliens and exiles" on earth, that "our commonwealth is in heaven" and that we are traveling to an eternal home.[13] See, for example, 1 Peter 2:11; Philippians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Consequently, we are not to lay up treasures on earth, nor to pursue purely selfish ambitions, nor to become assimilated to the standards of the world, nor to be unduly burdened by the sorrows of this present life.
It is comparatively simple to ease this tension either by withdrawing into Christ and neglecting the world or by so involving ourselves in the world as to forget Christ. Neither of these is a genuinely Christian solution, however, since each involves the denial of one or other of our Christian obligations. The balanced Christian who takes Scripture for his guide will seek to live equally and simultaneously "in Christ" and "in the world." He cannot opt out of either.
This is the life of discipleship to which Jesus Christ calls us. He died and rose again that we might have newness of life. He has given us his Spirit so that we can live out this life in the world.
Now he calls us to follow him, to give ourselves wholly and unreservedly to his service.