Habit is an acquired behavioral pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. It is a dominant or regular disposition or tendency; a prevailing character or quality; while lifestyle is the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, etc, that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group.
In his writings, the Apostle Paul talks about old habits and npractices that need to be discarded and new habits and practices that need to be put on (Colossians 3: 5- 10, 17). But it does not happen by itself – it happens with the help of the Holy Spirit and when we focus on disciplined practices, they become habitual and in turn inbed those healthy practices into our lifestyle.
Which of these habits are contributing to your followership of Jesus Christ and which of them are distracting or even undermining that followership? The Bible presents general principles that permit the Spirit-led believer to determine the right or wrong of actions not expressly mentioned in God’s Word. In everything that we say, do, think, or enjoy, we must ask the following questions:-
· Can it be done to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10: 31)?
· Can it be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus”, asking His blessing on the activity (John 14: 13)?
· Can it be done while sincerely giving thanks to God?
· Is it a Christ-like action (I John 2: 6)?
· Will it weaken the sincere convictions of other Christians (I Corinthians 8:1)?
· Will it weaken my desire for spiritual things, God’s Word, and prayer (Luke 8: 14)?
· Will it weaken or hinder my witness for Christ (Matthew 5: 13 – 16)?
Because our lives are hidden with Christ in heaven (Colossians 3:2), we must set our minds on things above, and let our attitudes be determined by, the things above. We must value, judge, view and consider everything from an eternal and heavenly perspective. Our goals, pursuits, and ambitions should be to seek spiritual things, resist sin, and put on the character of Christ. Spiritual graces, power, experiences, and blessings are all with Christ in heaven. He bestows these things upon all who sincerely ask, diligently seek, and persistently knock (Luke 11: 1-13; I Corinthians 12: 11; Ephesians 1: 3; 4: 7 – 8).
In the parable of the Prodigal son in Luke 15: 11-24, the Lord teaches that a life of sin and selfishness, in its deepest sense, is a separation from God’s love, fellowship, and authority.
The sinner or backslider is like a young son who, pursuing the pleasures of sin, wastes the physical, intellectual, and spiritual gifts given to him by God. Such waste results in disillusionment and sorrow, sometimes degrading personal conditions, and always the lack of true and real life that can be found only in a right relationship with God.
Jesus’ description of the father’s response to the son’s return teaches several important truth about God:-
· God has compassion for the lost because of their sorrowful condition
· God’s love for the sinners is so great that He never ceases to grieve over them and to wait for their return/repentance.
· When a sinner sincerely turns to God, God is more than ready to receive him/her with forgiveness, love, compassion, grace, and the full rights of sonship (John 1: 12). The benefits of Christ’s death, the influence of the Holy Spirit, and God’s grace are all made available to those who seek God with all their hearts.
· God’s joy over the return of sinners is immeasurable (Luke 15: 6 -7, 10, 22- 24).
Beloved, life away from God’s fellowship is spiritual death (Ephesians 2: 1; 1 John 3: 14), and returning to God brings true life (John 11: 26).
To live a true Christian lifestyle involves the believer endeavouring to apply the following principles:-
· Closeness to the Word of God: The Scripture reveals God to man. It reveals man’s need of, and the way to God. It is described as the milk, the water, the fire, the bread, all symbolizing the functions of the Word of God in the life of the believer. You have to read, mediatate, study and practice the Word of God in order to maintain a consistent walk with God. (Psalms. 119:9, 11, 105-106; 37:31; 19:7; Proverbs. 23:23; 4:4-6, 27; 2:15).
· Consistency in prayers: The Christian’s faith and life’s journey can be described as a warfare. To develop the strength and spiritual muscles, prayer must be central in all our endeavours. You must be consistent in all forms of prayer and supplication to be strong in the Lord. (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:7; Psalm 34:15-17; 143:6-9; Ephesians 6:18).
· Consistency in fellowship: Our Lord Jesus exemplified consistency in fellowship with the Father while here on earth. We need both the vertical (God-word) and horizontal (man-word) fellowship today so that we can consistently walk with God. We enjoy care, counseling, comfort, connection, companionship and conquest in fellowship. (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 42:1-2, Mark1:35).
· Commitment to service/God’s work: As believers we must be totally committed and consecrated to God’s service – a life that is lived in commitment to reach others for Christ in evangelism. There is a great reward for those that are committed to the service of God. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; John 4:35; Romans 1:14-16; 1 Corinthians 9:16-22).
On the part of the church generally, Paul declares that the church, as a holy people, must not permit or tolerate immorality among its members. He gives reasons why the church should discipline an offending member.
· For the good of the offender (I Corinthians 5: 5) – Excommunication might awaken him/her to the tragedy of his/her sin and his/her need for forgiveness and restoration.
· For the sake of the purity of the church (I Corinthians 5: 6-8) – Tolerating evil within a church will gradually lower the moral standard of all.
· For the good of the world- The church cannot win men and women to Christ if it is like the world (Matthew 5: 13).
Unfortunately, many churches today are tolerant of and silent about immorality among their members. Premarital sexual intimacy, especially among church youth, is not only tolerated but at times justified on the pretense of love and commitment. More than a few leaders in the church fail to challenge, in the name of Christ, the immoral dating habits of today’s youth. In self-complacency, these leaders (church and families) permit sin because, so they claim, “we live in the modern day and must not be judgmental.
Any church that does not take radical action against sexual immorality among its members will find its evil influence spreading throughout the fellowship and infecting many. Note Genesis 18: 20 -19: 20 on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah whose people were extremely evil and everything they did was evil. These days, same- sex marriages are conducted in churches and some church leaders do not see anything morally wrong with it. Sin must be expelled rigorously, or in time, the entire Christian fellowship will be corrupted and the Holy Spirit banished from the church. Spiritual death is the inevitable consequence of habitual sinning, even for the Christian (Romans 8: 13; Hebrew 10: 26-31).
Therefore, believers must possess a single-minded passion to please God in love, devotion, praise, and holiness, and to offer the members of their bodies for His service. Our greatest desire and prayer should be to live a life of holiness and to be accepted by God. This requires separating ourselves from the world and drawing ever nearer to God. We must live for God, worship Him, obey Him, take His side against sin, stand for righteousness, resist and hate evil, perform works of kindness for others, imitate Christ, follow Him, serve Him, walk after the Holy Spirit, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. We must present our bodies to God as dead to sin and as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Christians must realize that the present world system is evil (Acts 2: 40; Galatians 1: 4) and under the rule of Satan (John 12: 31; I John 5: 19). We must stand against the prevailing and popular forms of the spirit of this world, proclaiming instead the eternal truths and righteous standards of God’s Word for Christ’s sake (I Corinthians 1: 17-24). We must despise and abhor what is evil, love what is righteous (Romans 12: 9; I John 2: 15-17), and refuse to yield to the various types of worldliness that constantly surround the church, such as greed, selfishness, humanistic thinking, political maneuvering for power, envy, hate, revenge, impurity, filthy language, ungodly entertainment, sensuality, immodesty, immorality, drugs, alcohol and worldly companions. We must have our minds conformed to God’s way of thinking (I Corinthians 2: 16; Philippians 2:5) by reading and meditating on His Word (Psalm 119: 11, 148; John 8: 31-32; 15: 7). We must have our plans, goals, and ambitions determined by heavenly and eternal truths, not by this evil, temporal, and transient age.
May you receive grace to continually be the salt of the earth and the light of your world in Jesus name. Amen.
Remain blessed!
Your brother and friend
Clement Iwuoha