Be the Right Kind of Christian

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23).

Jesus is not seeking followers for the sake of numbers—His interest is in seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus seeks followers who will diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:46–50).

Hypocrisy is a real problem; and it’s a problem that every single one of us has participated in at one time or another: no one is exempt from “playing the part.” But we know better, and therefore, we should strive to be better (Luke 13:24).

James reminds us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22–25).

But it’s not just about being busy doing things, it’s about doing the right things in the right way—“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be sharers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:6–10 LEB).

God’s word equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). In other words, God’s word provides for us the authority for doing what pleases Him, just as His Son pleased Him: “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

This principle of discerning what pleases God and being zealous doers of His revealed will (Titus 2:14) is not only discovered in the New Testament; we find examples of this mindset in the Old Testament as well. For example, Moses taught Israel: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13).

Pray for the right kind of desire, the very mindset of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3–5). But don’t limit your effort to praying alone; read God’s word for yourself (2 Timothy 2:15) so that you can be the right kind of Christian who knows God’s will for himself, and does it.

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you (1 Peter 1:22–25).

“The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

Growth Requires Effort

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

(1 Corinthians 3:5–7)

Growth, whether individual or congregational, comes with effort. It doesn’t come accidentally, but purposefully. Ultimately, God gives the increase, but we must work at planting and watering—every part doing its share (Eph. 4:15–16 NKJV).

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13).

So, what can we do to help in the effort of growth? First of all, we must decide that growth is not optional but vital—and the word “vital” is important because it means living, active, energetic.
“… Harmful to Christians is the assumption that anything worthwhile can be acquired at once. We assume that if something can be done at all, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Our attention spans have been conditioned by thirty-second commercials. Our sense of reality has been flattened by thirty-page abridgements” (Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, pp. 11–12, 1980).

A primary contribution to growth (individually and congregationally) is time, which requires patience and therefore dependence upon the Lord—“Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7–8).

Waiting doesn’t mean we’re sitting and doing nothing at all but waiting—it means we’re working the ground, sowing the seed, and watering until the Lord gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:5–7).

I believe the most important contributing factor to growth is prayer. Paul requested prayers—“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints: and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:18–19 NKJV).

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Col. 4:2–4 NKJV).

But prayer should not be the only thing we do in the effort of growing personally and as a group. We need to study, since we are Jesus’ disciples (students), God’s word to know what it is that we need to ask for (1 John 5:14–15) and to discern what is pleasing to God (Eph. 5:10). Not just study about God’s word, from commentaries or other study helps, but actually read His word (Rom. 10:8–10).

We can’t teach what we don’t know (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:14–17; Psalm 1:1–2; Prov. 15:28). It’s not about simply knowing things (1 Cor. 8:1), but knowing things so that we can do those things which please our God and Father (Heb. 12:28–29).

So, if we focus ourselves with prayer and study, the natural growth will come to us personally and, therefore, we will begin seeing that truly “the fields are white for harvest” ( John 4:34–38).

Christianity is not a sprint; and it should not be a start/stop life of service. We need to see our obedience of faith as a long walk in heaven’s direction. Remember: time, patience, and dependence.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1–2 NASB).