Practical Christianity: The Starting Point
Romans 1:16-17; Col 1:10-12
Introduction:
1. Have you ever bought a piece of furniture for your home or office that says on the package, “Some assembly required”? Whenever I read that I cringe, because I’ve learned that it basically means that I have to do everything except manufacture the parts! But you know how it goes. You look at the parts and then wonder, “How in the world do you put this thing together?”
2. Hopefully amongst all the parts you find an instruction booklet written in some form of English. (Sometimes you wonder, right?) But then begins the frustrating process of putting the furniture together. “Connect part A to part B with four screws (QQ). [Note in fine print: Hex head screwdriver is not included.]” You find a number of screws and you suddenly notice that the double Q screws are very close in size to double R screws required at a later step, and that neither screw has been properly labeled. At this point you realize that you are in for a real “sanctification experience”. [Husbands and wives: do not attempt this together.]
3. Many Christians feel the same frustration about the practice of their faith in Christ. There can be many factors contributing to this frustration, and it is not my purpose to go into them now. (That would be a dreary process!) Instead of fumbling through the bits and pieces of everyday life and perhaps once in a while looking at God’s instruction manual, I propose that we look at the starting point of the Christian way of life and build from there.
Exposition:
I. Practical Christianity begins with a real and living relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Rm 1:1-4,16-17).
A. Facing the basic question: how can we approach the living God, so that we can live in his presence?
1. The true and living God is holy (Ps 99:5). His holy nature demands that those who worship him also be holy (Ps 24:3-6; 1 Pt 2:15-16).
2. But we are not holy; we are sinners. Rm 3:10,23
3. In such a condition, we need a mediator. 1 Tm 2:5
Apply: When we tell the good news, we must explain the need for the good news.
B. God’s good news (or gospel) is that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made the way for sinful people to be right with God who is holy. That is why the apostle speaks with such confidence in Rm 1:16-17.
1. Content of the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4)
a. Christ’s crucifixion provides forgiveness and freedom from sin.
b. Christ’s resurrection provides acceptance with God (Rm 4:25).
2. Change of mind (Mk 1:15) – repentance is having a change of mind about God, your own self, sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation. If you do not repent, you will perish (Lk 13:3,5).
3. Commitment to Christ (Mk 1:15) – When a person has a change of mind, he or she will commit his or her eternal destiny and all other concerns to Christ. Such people know Christ’s glory or value, agree that he is all they need, and trust in him for salvation. If you do not trust Christ, you are eternally condemned (Jn 3:18,36).
Point: This is where the Christian life begins. A rebellious or unbelieving person cannot possibly live for the glory of God and enjoy him forever.
II. Practical Christianity develops from deep motives (Col 1:10-12)
A. One motive is to live a life worthy of the Lord
1. Our aim is to imitate the holiness of life that the Lord Jesus lived (1 Pt 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6; 3:3). The calling of every believer is to develop a progressing conformity to Christ’s way of living (Rm 14:7-8; Eph 4:1,17,20; Ph 1:21,27; Col 2:6-7).
Point: To follow Christ means that he is out in front of you and you are pursuing him and what he wants you to do.
2. This demands that we avoid all substitutes.
a. Settling for the moral pattern of the local religious group (someone called this “regional ethics” or “pulpit ethics”)
b. Excusing oneself on the basis of one’s supposed capabilities (“this is the best I can do” or “that’s just the way I am”) – By grace you can do far more! Most followers of Christ have scarcely tapped into the Lord’s almighty power.
Point: True Christianity demands supernatural, spiritual power (Rm 8:13; Gal 5:22-23).
B. Another motive is to live a life that pleases the Lord in every way
1. Bearing fruit (you do this to fulfill God’s purpose for you)
a. God desires that our lives are spiritually productive. The path to glory with God forever is not traveled in a rocking chair! Every Christian is to present fruit to God: praise, doing good works, and telling the good news.
b. God has equipped us to produce fruit by giving us the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts to build up the church (Rm 12:3-8; 1 Pt 4:7-11).
2. Growing in the knowledge of God (you were made to know the Lord)
a. This involves knowing facts and knowing various skills, such as prayer, Bible reading and study, memorization and meditation. To borrow from Rick Warren, “If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate!”
b. This requires us to have personal experiences of God’s greatness. As a husband and wife know each other by communicating and investing time with each other, so we must approach our personal relationship with God. Time and communication are essential!
3. Being strengthened for perseverance (you’re in for the long haul)
a. Again we emphasize that Christian living is a supernatural activity. The pull to sin is too strong apart from the Lord’s almighty power (Eph 6:10). The Lord gives us this power as we rely on him in faith to do what he calls us to do.
b. We need his power to endure through difficulties and to wait calmly for him to act and for others to demonstrate love.
4. Giving thanks joyfully (you’re forever grateful)
a. This is the joy that flows from being justified in Christ and adopted into the Father’s family.
b. Our lives should demonstrate the joy of the Lord. Rm 14:17-18
Song: “Let there be joy, let there be peace, let there be power, let there be praise, let there be joy—joy in the Holy Ghost. It was freedom that we were set free. Let every mountain be cast to the sea. Let there be joy—joy in the Holy Ghost.
“We will declare it to the heavens: the righteousness of God in which we stand. We will proclaim it to the nations. Every eye shall see. Every ear shall hear. Every heart will understand.”
[Bruce Napier]
David
Frampton has served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Newtown Square since August of 1995. He is a graduate of Grand Rapids Baptist College (presently Cornerstone College) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Brother Frampton has addressed Bible Conferences in the United States, the Carribean and has ministered in Africa. As a friend of Sound of Grace and the Earth Stove Society Dave has contributed much towards the development of theology of the New Covenant.