The Unsatsified Christian

The past several years have found me engaged in various conversations with fellow Christian brothers and sisters. During the course of these conversations I have often found myself expressing to others that I have concerns about myself in respect to my salvation and in my progress we Christians call sanctification. There may have been a time when I might have come across as if I was questioning my eternal destination. As a Bible-believing Christian, let me state categorically that I believe in salvation by grace alone. As a potential Calvinist, (I can’t say that I have totally reached a final opinion on the strict five points of Calvinism) I tend to lean more on the work of God in my salvation than in my own participation in that progress. I do not care to debate that topic here, I am just pointing out where I am right now in my personal theology. Recent times have allowed me to believe I am a saved, born again Christian, who is headed to Heaven upon my personal demise.

Yet I continue to find myself trying to explain what I am saying on this topic to other Christians. I have been questioned about this a lot. People are always telling me I am too hard on myself. Some might suggest my view of salvation is skewed. Recently a good friend and brother, one very astute in matters of the faith and also very spiritually minded, has expressed that whenever he hears someone speak as I do, he often finds that it is due to some stronghold of sin still residing within the one speaking. I understand the points these different people make, yet these thoughts do not adequately describe where I am coming from. Yes, there are a multitude of sins I could easily resort back to in my life, I don’t think anyone who came to Christ as a sinner should ever think they are beyond falling back into their old sinful habits. I suppose God has delivered people completely from a particular sin, but most people spend their entire lives in the shadows of their old nature. Matthew 26:41 cautions us to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." The battle between flesh and Spirit does not end when we become Christians. The war really just begins. But that is not really what it is I speak of.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 tells us to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?” This is not a suggestion, but a Biblical command. Now I don’t know what that verse says to you, but I have prayed over this verse many times asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the meaning. One person said they felt it means about once a year we should “sort of look at ourselves to make sure we are doing good things.” He suggested that “we were good guys, we give our money and we serve at our church.” Well, that just isn’t enough of a test for me. There is one section of scripture that more than any other concerns me. Matthew 7:21-23, which finds Jesus saying, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

Certainly that verse clearly declares that there are people who are walking this earth feeling completely secure in their salvation, but in the end they have a really bad surprise coming. I do not want to hear those words from Jesus. That literally scares the “hell” out of me. So how can I avoid those words? I believe that I simply must seek to be in obedience to Christ, for He has said this in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Of course I understand that by nature God is long suffering and full of mercy, grace, and love. He knows I will fail everyday at trying to obey Him, just as we understand our children are not always obedient. But let me offer this; it is different to fall short and not always succeed in perfect obedience as compared to having a lackadaisical attitude towards my failures. The standard is clear. The command right out of the mouth of Jesus, himself, says this, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.

Listen to the Word of God in the following scripture readings:

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

1 Peter 1:14-16 (NIV)
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Not only are we called to perfection, we are to teach that as well. Colossians 1:28 says that “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

Yes, my standard is high. Unattainable in this life? Maybe so, but technically we have been given the power to attain this through the Holy Spirit. We just do not ever die completely to the flesh we live in; all of us still fight the battle of flesh versus Spirit. The Apostle Paul refers to this battle in Romans 7:14-20 (NIV) which says “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

Paul goes on in Romans 7:22-25 (NIV) “For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

Romans 8 will offer the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Within that chapter we find that we have hope and that hope comes through Jesus Christ. We also find that verse 9 reveals to us that we can have victory through the power of the Spirit of God which lives in us. But notice that in Romans 8:12 (NIV) there is a part here that we have in this process. “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.” The “it’ here is that we have an obligation to live according to the Spirit. We are commanded to walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and to pray in the Spirit. I believe the Bible is clear; we are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are saved by grace and grace alone, but our sanctification, our life-long process of becoming like Christ, involves our participation as the Spirit of God leads us.

So for me, I fight the battle every day. Unless I look in the mirror and see the reflection of Christ I cannot be satisfied. For those who play sports or participate in the martial arts, do we not always strive to be the best? Do we sit back and look at what we did yesterday or do we set our trophies up on a shelf and go back to training? Yes, it is good to celebrate the joy of serving the Lord. I enjoy the fruits of my service to God. But I can’t sit back and pat myself on the back, I must continue to strive, I must continue to run the race and run it to win. Paul says in Acts 20:24 (NIV) “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” The finish line for the Christian is Jesus Christ and we simply must strive and fight everyday to complete that race.

Perfection is the goal. Jesus commands us to be perfect. He set the standard and anything short of perfection is not to even be thought of. I don’t beat myself up because I fail in my quest today, that would be exactly what Satan would want me to do. But I must keep driving forward . Satan also is happy when I settle for what I am, instead of what I can be. He longs for me to think I have arrived as a Christian. He wants me to think that I’ve done enough in the quest to spread the Gospel. I have never, nor will I ever buy into the old adage about not taking on too much and wearing myself down, for then I would be useless to God. That is a lie of Satan. The only work I should be doing is the work God has called me to do, and God never gives us a mission without providing the means and the strength to do it. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) says that “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Not some things or not things when I am refreshed and well rested, but everything.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Some of my greatest blessings have come when I have been the most rundown, because I gave it all to God and relied on Him not me.
Wow! As I look at this topic I am amazed how scripture lights this up for me. I hope you understand where I come from. I am nothing. Christ is everything. Yes, I know who I am in Christ. I rejoice in that. But personally I have not found myself living 100% in the power and strength of God. Until my flesh is completely crucified and no longer affects my life and my thoughts, I will not be satisfied.

I encourage each of you to encourage each other. Do not be critical but work at building each other up. But please do not compromise the perfection of God as you serve Him. As usual I leave you with scripture.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.