THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BASICS

To be successful in the workplace a person must understand the basics of that particular profession. The factory worker must know the specifics of the process that they have been trained for in addition to other factors, such as, safety and company policies. Management individuals also need to know the basics of their profession: corporate objectives; people skills; time-management; safety.

It is no different in the Christian Life. The following are the principal building blocks of Christianity. By a further in-depth study of God’s Word, knowing and comprehending these basics can ensure an effective and fruitful relationship with God, in time and in eternity.

Salvation

Salvation is obviously the first basic. At the heart of the issue, salvation is God reaching out to man to provide redemption—restoring His creatures to the relationship which He had intended when He first created them. Man must understand that sin is the barrier which separates him from his Creator. And since there is nothing man can do to span this obstacle, God has provided a solution: Jesus Christ.

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

This is the demonstration of God’s amazing grace provision for mankind:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

It is true that the only thing a person must do to gain salvation is to understand that the obstacle of sin has been removed by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and then by personally believing in His finished work on their behalf:

 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...” (Acts 16:31)

This gift has no strings attached, it is a gift and a gift is always free. This gift has no work requirements, no begging or promises to be made—it is redemption through faith alone in Christ alone (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:4-5).

Learning Doctrine

On the first day of a new job, someone is usually assigned to the new employee to “show them the ropes,” that is, to show them how to become knowledgeable of the job and a successful employee. The same is true with the Christian life. In order for the new believer to be flourishing and productive they need to be “shown the ropes.” This is accomplished by the study of God’s Word taught by a pastor-teacher, preferably in a local church. This is what Our Lord had commissioned His disciples prior to His ascension:

“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...” (Matthew 28:20a)\

 There is evidence that this was carried out by the early churches:

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers... (Acts 13:1a)

 And teaching was a gift that God established and the apostle Paul proclaimed:

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching. (Romans 12:6–7; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28f; Ephesians 4:11)

In addition to learning God’s Word from teachers, believers are instructed to study what they have been taught, to enable them for this life of faith:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Also, the believer should adopt the same approach as the Bereans in establishing the accuracy of what they were taught:

Now these [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Spirit-Controlled Life

The apostle Paul emphasized many times that the believer was to be guided by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder since Our Lord promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit as their “Helper” (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7). Our Lord stated that the Helper is “the Spirit of truth,” and that His objective is to “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13)—all truth is contained in God’s Word (John 17:17).

Paul declares that to be an effective Christian, the believer is to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) and those who are led by the Spirit “these are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

An elementary way of understanding being led by the Spirit could be put this way:

The Spirit of God, using the Word of God, in the life of the child of God, making the child of God more like the Son of God.

Being led by the Spirit is not waiting to get a ‘feeling’ of His directing us—it entails studying God’s Word and allowing His truth to permeate our stream of consciousness so that moment-by-moment we may know His directives. For Paul asserts that we can know His mind:

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Witnessing the Gospel

Just prior to Our Lord’s ascension into heaven, He declared to the disciples:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The empowerment and leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers is meant to empower them to be a witness of Jesus Christ—specifically, a witness to His saving work for all mankind:

And He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46–48)

We are to be witnesses of the gospel of salvation, able to provide the specifics of the gospel (1 Peter 3:15), and by a manner of life that reflects godly righteousness.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:11–12)

This means that our entire lives should demonstrate that God saved us, that we are His, and that this life of faith is the ideal life intended by God for all to partake of:

Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)

Specialized Ministry

A myth in Christianity is that there are specialized ministries. Some might classify them as: a pastor of a church; a missionary; junior church leader; Sunday school teacher; etc.

The truth is that every believer is in full-time Christian service. It is important to understand that in every area of life, believers are to serve the Lord in whatever they are doing: being a spouse; a parent; a child; a factory worker; a restaurant worker; a homemaker; a public servant (and yes, even a pastor,  missionary, or church worker)—right down to eating and drinking:

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31; cf. 1 Peter 4:11)

The lives of believers are to be an open and consistent witness of the gospel. When all believers are doing this, there is a unifying exhibition within the culture—evidence of the truth that God does exist and that He sent His Son to redeem all mankind.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:16–17)