Our lives for His glory

Christian lifestyle results from belonging to Christ.

Floyd Bresee, Ph.D., is a former Ministerial Association secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

It was one of my wife's favorite possessions—a cedar chest over laid with richly grained walnut veneer. I'd given it to her as an engagement present. But time had taken its toll. Thirty years of wax buildup, to say nothing of multiplied moves and the hazards of raising four children, had left it dull, scratched, and scarred. It had lost its luster. But not forever. Finish remover, scraper, sandpaper, and great gobs of applied energy got beneath that buildup of years and made it bright and beautiful again.

A buildup of old rules and meaning less traditions can make Christian lifestyle seem dull and undesirable. Abuse, both by those who think their behavior saves them and by those who think it doesn't matter, makes lifestyle lose its luster. But it need not be forever. Let's dig beneath the rules and traditions and uncover three principles that bring out the beauty of a genuinely Christian lifestyle and apply these principles to three areas of Christian living.

Principles for lifestyle

Principle 1: Having been justified by faith in Christ, we live to please Him— not ourselves. Christian lifestyle doesn't save us. It results from our response to having been saved. Christian behavior should not be in hope of what Christ will do, but in appreciation for what He has done. As a Christian you can't buy Christ—He's already yours. "You . . . were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature" (Gal. 5:13, NIV).*

On the contrary, love-centered acts spring naturally from love-centered attitudes and relationships. I planted a grove of walnut trees. But although I enjoyed them very much, the caterpillars en joyed them even more. They munched away on those succulent, green leaves until some trees were stripped almost bare. I was deeply disturbed. How could I get leaves back on my trees? Not to worry. The trees were healthy and still had plenty of energy within. Soon new buds appeared and before long, nature put the leaves back on. And that's the way it is with the Christian lifestyle. Christ within produces Christlike behavior without.

Christ's Spirit within makes the body special. "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19,20; see also Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Thess. 5:23).

Christianity means putting Christ before everything. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. . .. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:1, 2). "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). To anyone not having that goal, Christian lifestyle makes little sense—and neither does Christianity.

Principle 2: Loving Christ, we want to model our lives after His. Everyone needs a hero. Instinctively, we tend to walk, talk, and act as our hero does. The Christian's hero is Christ. "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6; see also 1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21).

Principle 3: Christ's way is the happiest way. Christian lifestyle is not to make life bitter—but better. Christ never takes anything from us, or asks anything of us, but to help us. Unfortunately, some of us want Him to come into our lives, but not all the way in. "Lord, I want You in my home, but not in my kitchen. Kindly skip the rec room. And whatever You do, please stay out of my clothes closet."

We have trouble trusting His promise, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10, NIV; see also Ps. 16:11; Prov. 3:1, 2). Unimpeachable research demonstrates that the Christian lifestyle adds both years to our lives and life to our years.

Now let's apply these principles to three areas of Christian lifestyle.

Applying lifestyle principles

Recreation. Rest is not only accept able but essential. Since Christians tend to see work as a virtue, some seem to assume that overwork must be doubly virtuous. On the contrary, workaholics may be struggling with the sin of pride, feeling that if they work more than most they must be better than most. Some have feelings of low self-worth and use overwork to prove their value. Workaholics often neglect both their families and their health, and thus cannot be living to please God.

The Creation story says God set an example by resting one day in seven; and He set the day aside for us to rest. Genesis 2:1-3 teaches that rest time is not only acceptable and essential, but sacred!

The purpose of recreation is re-creation; not an escape from life, but a help in coping with life. We were created in God's image (see Gen. 1:27). Any recreation that brings us back to our everyday responsibilities less godlike or less able to cope is not true re-creation.

Overly stimulating entertainment dulls the spiritual senses. We were designed so that emotion is meant to lead to action. Purely passive spectators of highly stimulating entertainment tend to become jaded, requiring higher and higher stimulation to be moved. The volume on their emotional control knob gets turned down so low they cannot hear the still small voice of God's Spirit (1 Kings 19:11,12).They find Bible reading dull. Some of them fall asleep in church. Overly stimulating entertainment tends to be followed by depression and boredom. Many students, by the time they graduate from high school, have spent 10,000-20,000 hours watching TV. No wonder they get depressed and be come bored with real life.

If we love Christ's commandments, we won't want to be entertained by seeing them broken. We won't find adultery, stealing, lying, and killing entertaining. More than one of these is portrayed in a typical hour of prime time TV network programming, including an average of six violent acts and two deaths.

Paul summarized, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Phil. 4:8). We may not be what we think we are, but what we think, we are.

Entertainment must not rob us of time with God. The average family, having access to TV, has the set on about 50 hours a week. By the age of 60, a family member will have used up nine years of life watching TV, but will likely have felt too busy to spend time with God.

The wisest and most practical time-saving devices are those that accomplish two things at once. That's what happens when we spend recreation time in nature with the mind open toward nature's God. The benefits are both recreational and devotional.

Appearance. God loves beauty (Eccl. 3:11). Ours is a practical God, but if He were totally utilitarian, a sunrise would be like turning on a streetlight, flowers would all be tattle-tale gray, and music would sound like foghorns. Love of beauty didn't come from the devil, but from God.

Attract attention to Christ, not your self. Dress is symbolic language, an outward display of personal priorities. Thus, religious revival leads to changed appearance (see Gen. 35:1-4; Ex. 33:5, 6). Christians "live no longer for them selves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:15; see also Col. 3:23, 24). Their prayer is "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me."

When Jesus came to earth, He shunned all outward display so people would be attracted by His goodness, not His divine glory. Paul applied the same principle to dress: "And the women should be the same way, quiet and sensible in manner and clothing. Christian women should be noticed for being kind and good, not for the way they fix their hair or because of their jewels or fancy clothes" (1 Tim. 2:9,10, TLB).

Emphasize nature's beautifiers. Christ has warned us against vanity, but not against grace and natural beauty. The Christian emphasizes nature's beautifiers: habits of cleanliness, plenty of fresh air, ample exercise, a well-balanced diet rich in iron and blood-building foods, temperate living, good taste, and a trust in God that produces a peaceful night's sleep (Matt. 6:25-34). Above all, a love in the heart that puts a smile on the face and a sparkle in the eye.

Only inner beauty lasts. Persons born with exceptional beauty often live their older years in frustration and bitterness, for outward beauty always fades. This is one reason Peter writes: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" (1 Peter 3:3, 4, NIV).

The gods we worship eventually write their names on our faces. Meet two 16-year-old girls, one named Plain and the other named Gorgeous. Gorgeous lives her entire life being totally self-centered, while Plain gives herself wholeheartedly to loving, Christ-centered living. Meet them again at 60, and you'll likely find that Plain has an "un fading beauty" that actually makes her now more attractive than Gorgeous!

Health. The Bible views human beings as a single unit. The dichotomy between the spiritual and the material, borrowed from Greek philosophy and adopted by many Christians, is foreign to Scripture. God's call to holiness involves a call to physical as well as spiritual health. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3 John 1:2; see also Ps. 103:3).

The principal purpose of health reform is better health. It should leave us feeling neither superior nor deprived— but feeling better. Seventh-day Adventists, though they practice health reform only imperfectly, illustrate that it does pay. Research indicates that Adventists have fewer heart attacks and 50 percent less cancer than the general American population. Male Seventh-day Adventists aged 35 to 40 have longer life expectancy on the average than the general population. Health reform pays.

Health is important to Christians, be cause it was important to Christ. Jesus spent more time healing than preaching (see Matt. 4:23; 9:35). When He sent out His first disciples, He commissioned them to emphasize healing (see Matt. 10:8). If Jesus emphasized health, we should expect His followers to do the same.

Our bodies teach us about God. The body is exhibit A of His creative power. When He converts my breakfast cereal into energy that makes my heart beat and my fingers move, I know not only that God is good, but that He is good to me. After I cut myself and the blood stops flowing and healing begins, I know not only that God can work miracles, but that He works them in me. God is both provider and caretaker of our marvelous human machinery (see Ps. 139:13-15). The least we can do is cooperate with Him.

We show respect for our Creator by respecting His creation. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1 Cor. 3:16, 17).

Imagine that I have leased from you a little guest house behind your beautiful, big home. Hearing that you're going on an extended trip, I ask if I might move into your lovely home. If you find that I have stacked garbage in the closet and am raising chickens in the back room of the little house, you will come to two conclusions: I show disrespect for you by disrespecting your property, and you wouldn't dare trust me with a bigger, nicer place. Our bodies, created and maintained by God, are leased to us on trial for these "threescore and ten" years to see if we respect Him and if He dares trust us with even better, permanent ones.

A healthy body produces a clear mind. God has no way of reaching us except through our nervous systems, which are, in turn, dependent upon our overall health. We need look no further than Daniel and his companions for an example of how right habits of diet and living aid the powers of perception (see Dan. 1:8-20).

When we feel good, it's easier to be good. If we feel miserable, it's hard to act sweet. If our stomach is sour, our disposition tends to be sour. If our systems are upset, we often keep the family upset. It's simply easier to be good if we feel good.

Maturing in Christ

In conclusion, let's not be Christian lifestyle fanatics. Paul counsels us to be "temperate in all things"—even that which is good (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Let's not be judgmental, but allow each other to mature at different rates (see Rom. 15:1). On the other hand, let's not be afraid to be different for Christ's sake.

An exchange teacher from England was teaching in a French school. She was greatly impressed by the behavior of one of the boys in her class. He always seemed eager to learn and never got into the arguments and fights on the playground. She managed to gain his confidence and learned that his parents had been a prince and princess in an Eastern European country. One day the palace was invaded, and his parents were dragged before a firing squad. The father was allowed just enough time to take his son aside and extract a promise: "Whatever happens to you, promise me that you will always behave like a prince."

The boy had not forgotten. He behaved differently because he was the child of royalty. Every Christian is a child of the King and it ought to affect our behavior. He died for us. Let's live for Him.

Our lives for His glory

Outline

Introduction
Beneath the dullness of rules, there is
beauty


I. Principles for lifestyle
   A. We live to please Jesus
       1. Christian lifestyle doesn't save (Gal. 5:13)
       2. New behavior comes out when Christ is within
       3. Christ's Spirit within makes the body special (1 Cor. 6:19,20)
       4. Putting Christ before everything (Col. 3:1, 2)
   B. We want to ruodel after Him
   C. Christ's way-is the happiest way
       1. Christian lifestyle makes life better, not bitter
       2. Christ promises to make life full (John 10:10)

II. Applying lifestyle principles
   A. In recreation
       1. Rest is essential
       2. Recreation is to re-create
       3. Stimulating entertainment dulls spiritual senses
       4. If we love the law, we won't want to be entertained by seeing it broken
       5. Entertainment must not rob us of time with God
   B. In appearance
       1. Attract attention to Christ
       2. Emphasize nature's beautifiers
       3. Only inner beauty lasts
   C. In health
       1. Health is important to Christ
       2. Our bodies teach us about God
       3. We respect our Creator by respecting His creation
       4. A healthy body produces a clear mind
       5. When we feel good, it's easier to be good

Conclusion
Maturing in Christ

 

Article Notes:

 

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture passages are from The New King James Version.


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Floyd Bresee, Ph.D., is a former Ministerial Association secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

July/August 1995

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