How Shall I Live?

In whom do you put your trust? The answer from a believer will not vary and is an instant, "the Lord." Is this true? I am reminded of the words of warning from Paul to the church at Corinth concerning examining yourself before coming to the table. Since this is Scripture and thus a command to us for such self examination, it is also a truth that God has provided this ability. Once more I say to you, search the scriptures, you will find no place where God has ever required anything of us He did not first furnish for us. It is thus that the believer is the only one among mankind that can so honestly examine self. Let us then consider some of the things God has commanded, thus provided the means for, and see how we may know this is the truth, and our trust is in the right place, with God.

Trust in God as the Sovereign source for all goodness and our present condition is not a choice if we are to know peace and contentment in this temporal life. By regeneration and justification in Christ we have been restored to peace with God (Rom. 5:1). To maintain this peace we must be obedient to God. Be careful to understand that what I share has nothing to do with eternal salvation, the election will stand. Nonetheless it has everything to do with how you are able to cope with life here, and be pleasing to God in faith.

The first step is to understand that we must be obedient to God’s law. We are commanded to be righteous, thus it must be God has provided the means to do so. We find the means in another churchy word we all miss the real application of, holy. I will attempt in the application of these two words to show you then how you too can with Paul know true contentment no matter what the present circumstance, and most of all have that inner peace with God we all seek.

Righteous is a very simple word and bears with it none of the church’s baggage. It is not a term used to measure the spiritual development of one above another. It simply means the complete obedience to the then prevalent law. For believers this law is that of God. Yes, I said complete obedience! Impossible for I am only human is the normal response to such a statement. Yet, the Bible does give us examples of men and women who were righteous in this total observance. Consider the parents of John the Baptist: " And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6 AV) . Or the Word concerning Job: " There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil" (Job 1:1 AV). Without doing a word search, I think two examples are enough to establish the fact it is possible for man to be "perfect" in God’s sight. We must distinguish at this point the difference of actual sin (transgression of the law-- 1John 3:4) and that of the sinful nature fallen man has (original sin -- Rom. 7:18). We are dealing with the ability of man then to use the faith given to find the strength to not transgress the law of God and thereby fail to be righteous (obedient to God’s law). This we can attain in this life! That we are only human is a crutch that God’s Word denies all, and especially the believer.

As an aside here, note the so called rich young ruler had been perfectly obedient to the law in his own words which Christ does not deny, yet did not know Christ and have eternal salvation (Mt: 19:20-21). So even those outside the election can perfectly keep the law. To great advantage will they thus obey, but not eternal salvation.

The second commandment is that we are to be holy. Again this word is very simple and you can toss out all of the preconceptions most have concerning this word. It means set apart when applied to either God or man. How so? In the midst of a world where man found many gods and worship them and to a people who found it inconceivable that they should not have visible and a manyness of gods, God declared I alone am God! God set Himself apart from every other so called god in existence. Thus God said I have set Myself apart, I Am holy, therefore you be set apart, holy. Thus the old hymn Holy, Holy, Holy isn’t a reference to the source of our religion and worship because God is more holy than all others. In fact the words of the hymn make no sense in the redundancy when the word is correctly understood. Our God is the GOD and the only GOD, set apart from all others. As His people we are set apart from all other people. Now while I am sure I will not change this word’s meaning in the church and elsewhere, it is crucial that we understand it in its simplicity and that is how it is presented by God in His HOLY Word.

Holiness then is the means we exercise our minds and bodies to find ourselves righteous and that is the source of power to overcome this world ("For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4 AV)).

We find the phrase "The Just shall live by faith" three times in the Bible (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11). What does this mean and what are we to do about it? It means we do that which is right, even when it hurts us, or at least we think it does humanly speaking. We know what is right and what is wrong. Mankind knows this from the natural revelation apart from the law and in places does it (Rom. 1:20; 2:14). We cannot do that which appears to harm us personally or those we love and care for without a total trust in Him from Whom this commandment came (the rich young ruler again). This trust can only be embraced by faith, "the just shall live by faith." We must be able to trust in God to provide for our all, or we cannot turn lose of the visible and this earth. Until we do this our faith will not increase, and our walk with God will not deepen. The result we live life in fear and trembling not of God, but the circumstances of life. We do not live the abundant life that over comes the world and knows true joy. This seems to be a vicious circle. It is not! Exercise the faith given by obedience to God and the faith will increase. No matter how small and doubtful that faith you have at present, exercise it and it will grow. As our muscles and therefore ability to do physical things do not grow without exercise, so it is with our faith.

Practically speaking, you are a new person, examine yourself. What other things need to change in your life, job, friends, church, language and on the list goes. Be holy, different than the world and the lusts thereof. Study and know God’s word less you fail to be righteous by omission or in ignorance of the Law of God. Don’t know what to do? Pray and ask God who gives liberally to all who ask, and He will direct your steps (Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God (Psalms 50:23 AV)). The word conversation here means life style, what you do in your daily life.

By: Dr. Chuck Baynard