SIX KEYS

TO

FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN LIVING (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

          When a person obeys the gospel, he arises from the waters of baptism to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).  The old life of sin has been buried.  “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Rom. 6:22).  The life after baptism is often called “the Christian life.”  This life requires faithful living on the part of the new covert (1 Cor. 4:2).  This faithfulness involves a manner of life lived in harmony with the gospel (Phil. 1:27).  The child of God is supposed to live his faithful Christian life “unto death” (Rev. 2:10).

          One would think that living a faithful Christian life would be the supreme “want to” of the person who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ.  One would think that the Christian life would be a life of joy lived by one who used to be in the shackles of the evil one.  One would think that not one Christian would have to be begged and admonished to live a life well-pleasing to his heavenly Father. 

          This, however, is not the case.  Not all Christians are faithful.  They do not always put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first (Matt. 6:33).  They do not always choose God’s will over their own will as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44).  They do not always choose to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Tit. 2:11-12).  They do not always choose the things above instead of the things of this world (Col. 3:1-2; Matt. 13:22).  These truths cause us to ask the question:  “What does it really take for a person to be faithful, steadfast, and unmovable in his service to the Lord Jesus Christ?”  In the remainder of this article, let’s examine “Six Keys to Faithful Christian Living.”

          First, everything involved in Christianity must be REAL.  The word “real” means “actual,” “true,” and “existing as fact.”  God must be real.  Jesus must be real.  The soul of man must be real.  The Bible must be real.  The love and grace of God must be real.  The cross of Calvary must be real.  The resurrection must be real.  The devil must be real.  Sin must be real.  Forgiveness through Jesus’ blood must be real.  The church must be real.  Heaven and hell must be real as well.  The opposite of real is “imaginary” and “fictitious.”  The Christian must ask himself this question: “Do I believe that everything involved in my Christian profession is real?”  Dear readers, if these things are real, they are on a plane that is much higher than the mundane things of this earth.  Spiritual things intersect with this world, but they all originate and exist in another world, a world to come. 

          Second, the components of the Christian life must be SERIOUS in the mind of the redeemed.  The dictionary defines the word “serious” as “grave,” “somber,” “important,” and “critical.”  When a person begins to have chest pains, life gets serious.  When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, life gets serious.  When parents get a call that their child has been involved in an accident, life becomes very serious.  The display of seriousness that characterizes the moments just described should also characterize our feelings toward living the Christian life.  The Christian is never flippant about how he conducts his life.  He never takes how he practices the Christian life for granted.  He does not believe the Christian life is trivial or frivolous.  Here’s a good question for the Christian to ask:  “Does God know that I take my Christian life seriously?” 

          Third, one’s Christian life must involve COMMITMENT.  Sometimes this commitment is described as “total commitment.”  The Christian does not give his spare time to Christianity.  Christianity is his life.  He, like Paul, can say:  For to me to live is Christ…” (Phil. 1:21).  The Christian gives 100% to the Lord.  He knows Christianity is not a 50/50 endeavor.  He follows in the footsteps of Paul as he serves the Christ.  Paul wrote:  “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:  for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:7-11).  When a person obeys the gospel, he dies to self.  As a Christian, Christ lives within the individual (Gal. 2:20).  The question all need to ask is:  “Am I living like Jesus in my daily life?”    

          In this article, we have examined three of the six keys to living a faithful Christian life.  Christianity must be real to us.  We must be serious about our walk with the Lord.  Too, we must be completely committed to the concept of Christ living in us.  If just one of these components is missing, our Christian life will suffer.  It will not be first and foremost in our life.  We will allow other things to come before being faithful to the Lord.  We will find ourselves trying to serve two masters which is impossible (Matt. 6:24).

          As we close, let’s ask ourselves the three questions we presented in this article:

 

1.    Do I believe everything involved in my Christian profession is real?

2.    Does God know that I take my Christian life seriously?

3.    Am I living totally committed to being like Jesus in my daily life?

 

In our next article, we will examine three more keys to faithfully living the Christian life.  Lest we think this is not important, let’s give ear to Matthew 25:21 as we conclude.  “”His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL servant:  thou has been FAITHFUL over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:  enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (emp. mine, vme).