I would have a hard time taking advice on nutrition from a guy with a large order of fries sitting on his desk next to his Hostess Twinkies®, or counsel about long-term health decisions from a physician who was grossly overweight and who had cigarette smoke on his breath. I’d like to think that the guy trying to sell me a Ford actually drives one. It’s one thing to know something. It is quite another to live it!
Disciple, does your life show real evidence of the truth you profess? Paul, writing about the importance of practicing what you preach, spoke to the hypocrisy of his Jewish brothers. "You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:21-24, NIV) That last line challenges me. Do I, as a Christian, give others reason to doubt the reality of God’s love by my words or actions; or does the authenticity of my life’s alignment to the will of God cause others to desire to know Him, too?
We will never perfectly practice our faith. We fail! But, let’s not make our human imperfection an excuse for continuing to habitually sin, for leaving habits in place that we can change with the help of the Spirit of God. The Word challenges us as Spirit-filled people to ‘keep step with the Spirit.’ The Message brings that passage home for me. "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives." (Galatians 5:25, The Message)
When I think of disciples who have had the most influence in my life, I don’t think of those who were show-offs or who made the most noise. I remember those who went about doing good quietly, who were honest about themselves, contented to live out the call of God without needing applause. What does the Bible say is the evidence of the life of the Spirit? It isn’t the ability to recite long texts without flaw, or the mastery of details of doctrine. It is in our character! "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24, NIV) If you want to know if your faith is coming across as authentic, ask a child! An adult will be too polite, too concerned about your feelings perhaps, to tell you the truth. A child will tell like it is. So, ask someone who is about 8 or 9 years of age, who knows you well, “Do you think that I love Jesus?” The answer may affirm you or devastate you!
Holiness, that is real, is a beautiful thing. It is how God designed us to live, whole, at rest in Him. A truly holy person is changed from the inside out, healed, and restored. Sanctimony is ugly, a superficial attempt to cover the flaws and scars of sin. Here’s what the Lord promises to those who seek and love Him. He will “will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:3, NLT)
Father in Heaven, thank you for the promise of restored beauty.
Sin makes me ugly, turns my life into a pile of ashes!
But, You forgive, heal, and transform;
making me stand tall like an oak tree!
I confess my sinfulness and ask that the Spirit would work
deeply in me, that His life would take hold of my life.
Lord, let me see where there are holes in my profession,
where my claim to faith is not matched by a life of faith.
Give me courage to let you change my heart – even with pain -
so that the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
that others will desire to know Him, to be His disciples.
This I pray in His Name, boldly and with full expectation.
AMEN
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