The expression “practice what you preach” goes way back in Jewish tradition to a saying that can be translated as “fulfill or establish what you preach.” Yet, the biggest complaint I hear from non-Christians is, "I live just as good as those who claim to be Christians!"
I've heard that all my life and seen it in real life, in ministry, and in the church.
I believe there are two reasons why Christians do not practice what they preach or at least appear to others to not be practicing what they preach.
a. First, not all who profess to be Christians really belong to Christ.
Jesus warned in His parable of the wheat and the tares that there would be false believers in the world, whose aim is to cripple the testimony of Christians so that our witness to the world would be compromised. Satan tries to destroy Christ’s work by placing false believers and teachers in the world who lead many astray. One has only to look at the latest evangelical scandal to know the world is filled with professing “Christians” whose ungodly actions bring reproach on the name of Christ. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus warned that many would profess faith but do not know Him. He also told us we would recognize false believers by their fruit. A bad tree does not produce good fruit, nor does a good tree produce bad fruit according to Luke 6:43. Part of bad fruit is to not practice what you preach.
b. Second, we as Christians are not perfect.
Christians are expected to “practice what you preach,” but we preach a message that is, ultimately, impossible to live up to. While sinlessness is to be our goal, it is not always achievable in this lifetime. The fact that we fail to live up to God's perfect standard, however, does not change the fact that it is to be our goal and message. Also, many times professing Christians behave in an un-Christian manner out of immaturity in the faith or through a lack of understanding of exactly what the Christian life entails. New believers are often excited about their newfound faith and eager to share it with others. When, because of immaturity, their lives do not measure up to their testimony, charges of not practicing what you preach are leveled at them. As we grow and mature in the faith, our lives should more and more reflect the truths that we profess to believe.
Fortunately, people are not saved by whether or not others practice what they preach. Salvation is the gift of God through faith. No amount of false professions by unbelievers or disappointing actions by immature Christians can change that. Jesus is still the Lamb that was slain for our salvation and eternal hope. People may let you down, but He never will.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Monday, February 19, 2018
Bad Habits (Part 7)
Bad Habits (Part 7)
Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your word."
The Word provides an effective source of cleansing for our old ways. In referring to God’s desire for His church, Paul stated,
Ephesians 5:26 "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
The Word is a cleansing agent for our thoughts, desires, and inclinations.We should carefully consider those scriptural passages which have a specific bearing upon the need for godly change and His provision for help. If we will meditate upon God’s Word and take heed to His counsel, it will gradually begin the process of cleansing our ways and purifying our habits.
1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
We must exercise a firm hand in disciplining our sinful habits. The tendency to participate with our old ways must be confronted and suppressed. If we allow our minds to fantasize, flirt with or entertain the possible justification of our sinful habits, we will suffer defeat.
Victory depends upon decisive action. When we are tempted to continue a sinful habit, we must challenge the desire with the Word of God. The temptation should also serve as a warning signal to drive us to the Lord in prayer. Our determination to promptly confront our habits when they arise is an effective safeguard against failure.
The scriptures reveal the destructive power of wrong relationships:
1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character."
Harmful relationships only reinforce sinful habits. Old friendships and associates can be a destructive influence. Our old hangouts can also create compromising situations for those endeavoring to overcome sinful habits.
This fact demands a godly alternative. We must terminate those associations which hinder us and surround ourselves with healthy relationships which reinforce godliness. We must strengthen the ties of Christian fellowship and center our activities around the church.
Proverbs 24:16 says:
"A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."
In the process of striving for victory, we may occasionally fall short; however, we must rise up and continue to press on. We must persevere in order to achieve victory. We must not allow our failures to discourage, frustrate, or disillusion us. They must not cause us to give up. It takes time to re-establish godly alternatives. There is no such thing as instant success. It takes about 30 days to relearn a godly habit. Therefore, persistence and determination are essential.
We must never entertain a spirit of quitting or defeat. We must press on in the confidence that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your word."
The Word provides an effective source of cleansing for our old ways. In referring to God’s desire for His church, Paul stated,
Ephesians 5:26 "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
The Word is a cleansing agent for our thoughts, desires, and inclinations.We should carefully consider those scriptural passages which have a specific bearing upon the need for godly change and His provision for help. If we will meditate upon God’s Word and take heed to His counsel, it will gradually begin the process of cleansing our ways and purifying our habits.
1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
We must exercise a firm hand in disciplining our sinful habits. The tendency to participate with our old ways must be confronted and suppressed. If we allow our minds to fantasize, flirt with or entertain the possible justification of our sinful habits, we will suffer defeat.
Victory depends upon decisive action. When we are tempted to continue a sinful habit, we must challenge the desire with the Word of God. The temptation should also serve as a warning signal to drive us to the Lord in prayer. Our determination to promptly confront our habits when they arise is an effective safeguard against failure.
The scriptures reveal the destructive power of wrong relationships:
1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character."
Harmful relationships only reinforce sinful habits. Old friendships and associates can be a destructive influence. Our old hangouts can also create compromising situations for those endeavoring to overcome sinful habits.
This fact demands a godly alternative. We must terminate those associations which hinder us and surround ourselves with healthy relationships which reinforce godliness. We must strengthen the ties of Christian fellowship and center our activities around the church.
Proverbs 24:16 says:
"A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."
In the process of striving for victory, we may occasionally fall short; however, we must rise up and continue to press on. We must persevere in order to achieve victory. We must not allow our failures to discourage, frustrate, or disillusion us. They must not cause us to give up. It takes time to re-establish godly alternatives. There is no such thing as instant success. It takes about 30 days to relearn a godly habit. Therefore, persistence and determination are essential.
We must never entertain a spirit of quitting or defeat. We must press on in the confidence that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
Bad Habits (Part 6)
Bad Habits (Part 6)
2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
The scriptures teach us that change is a vital part of our development in Christ he process of change is a fundamental requirement for overcoming sinful habits.
Without change, our habits will continue to persist. However, change must be more than just attempting to stop practicing a sinful habit. Many attempt this form of change without lasting success.
Change must involve more than saying, "NO"!. Change isn't just a matter of willpower, human resolve, or sheer determination. It isn't turning over a new leaf or making bold promises to quit. Quitting is not change. This is only a half-way response which only provides half-way results. If this is all we do to change, our change will only be temporary.
Scriptural change involves a two-fold process: Real change isn't just stopping sinful habits, but replacing them with godly actions. Only when we begin to change our practices and relearn positive habits can we really achieve lasting victory.
Paul points out this two-fold process in Colossians 3:8.-10:
"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him..."
He exhorts us to "put off" our old practices. He then encourages us to "put on the new man."
This putting "off" is the negative side of change. This is important, but in itself, insufficient. We must also apply the positive side of change which involves the putting "on" of biblical alternatives. This is the key to successful change.
We must begin to restructure our lives according to the Word of God. We must change in the right directions.
Ephesians 5:18 says:
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; But be filled with the Spirit.”
This verse illustrates both the positive and negative side of change. Instead of allowing ourselves to be dominated by old habits, we should strive for the Holy Spirit to be the prevailing influence in our lives on a daily basis. When we are filled with His presence , we receive the necessary strength, support, and will power to successfully overcome the "lust of the flesh."
We must replace our old habits with constructive alternatives. Paul reveals some of the practical steps for accomplishing this Ephesians 5:19, 20:
2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
The scriptures teach us that change is a vital part of our development in Christ he process of change is a fundamental requirement for overcoming sinful habits.
Without change, our habits will continue to persist. However, change must be more than just attempting to stop practicing a sinful habit. Many attempt this form of change without lasting success.
Change must involve more than saying, "NO"!. Change isn't just a matter of willpower, human resolve, or sheer determination. It isn't turning over a new leaf or making bold promises to quit. Quitting is not change. This is only a half-way response which only provides half-way results. If this is all we do to change, our change will only be temporary.
Scriptural change involves a two-fold process: Real change isn't just stopping sinful habits, but replacing them with godly actions. Only when we begin to change our practices and relearn positive habits can we really achieve lasting victory.
Paul points out this two-fold process in Colossians 3:8.-10:
"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him..."
He exhorts us to "put off" our old practices. He then encourages us to "put on the new man."
This putting "off" is the negative side of change. This is important, but in itself, insufficient. We must also apply the positive side of change which involves the putting "on" of biblical alternatives. This is the key to successful change.
We must begin to restructure our lives according to the Word of God. We must change in the right directions.
Ephesians 5:18 says:
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; But be filled with the Spirit.”
This verse illustrates both the positive and negative side of change. Instead of allowing ourselves to be dominated by old habits, we should strive for the Holy Spirit to be the prevailing influence in our lives on a daily basis. When we are filled with His presence , we receive the necessary strength, support, and will power to successfully overcome the "lust of the flesh."
We must replace our old habits with constructive alternatives. Paul reveals some of the practical steps for accomplishing this Ephesians 5:19, 20:
"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..."
Bad Habits (Part 5)
Bad Habits (Part 5)
The struggle of wrestling with habits can often produce a deep sense of frustration. The difficulty of achieving a permanent victory over alcoholism, drug dependence, and smoking can become a grueling experience. Your previous inabilities to defeat sinful habits can create an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.
Those who have sought to overcome such habits have soon discovered that they are not always easy to defeat. It is not a problem which can be solved with simplistic answers or quick-fix remedies. However, it is a problem which can be successfully answered through Christ.
Before you can successfully deal with sinful habits, you must understand that there are no hopeless situations in Christ. Our habits are no exception.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul lists the sinful practices which the Corinthians had been habitually involved in. He included such things as drunkenness, homosexuality, and thievery. In verse eleven, he followed with this important statement:
“And such were some of you.”
This verse is a strong encouragement for all those seeking a lasting release from life dominating habits. The wording is in the past tense-“were”. Paul reveals that God has made it possible to overcome what seems to be impossible, which are your old ways. Jesus didn’t just provide a temporary, half-way solution. He gives a permanent victory over every conceivable practice. If He could do it for them, He can do the same for you.
This is the guarantee of scripture:
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
However, some Christians have convinced themselves that this is not possible. They have made so many unsuccessful attempts to overcome their habits that they have resigned themselves to failure. They have defeated themselves even before they begin.
You may have lost a few battles, but you have not lost the war. In spite of your previous failures, you must not settle for total defeat. You must re-commit yourselves to follow God’s divine instructions for victory. You are more than an overcomer through Christ!
The struggle of wrestling with habits can often produce a deep sense of frustration. The difficulty of achieving a permanent victory over alcoholism, drug dependence, and smoking can become a grueling experience. Your previous inabilities to defeat sinful habits can create an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.
Those who have sought to overcome such habits have soon discovered that they are not always easy to defeat. It is not a problem which can be solved with simplistic answers or quick-fix remedies. However, it is a problem which can be successfully answered through Christ.
Before you can successfully deal with sinful habits, you must understand that there are no hopeless situations in Christ. Our habits are no exception.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul lists the sinful practices which the Corinthians had been habitually involved in. He included such things as drunkenness, homosexuality, and thievery. In verse eleven, he followed with this important statement:
“And such were some of you.”
This verse is a strong encouragement for all those seeking a lasting release from life dominating habits. The wording is in the past tense-“were”. Paul reveals that God has made it possible to overcome what seems to be impossible, which are your old ways. Jesus didn’t just provide a temporary, half-way solution. He gives a permanent victory over every conceivable practice. If He could do it for them, He can do the same for you.
This is the guarantee of scripture:
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
However, some Christians have convinced themselves that this is not possible. They have made so many unsuccessful attempts to overcome their habits that they have resigned themselves to failure. They have defeated themselves even before they begin.
You may have lost a few battles, but you have not lost the war. In spite of your previous failures, you must not settle for total defeat. You must re-commit yourselves to follow God’s divine instructions for victory. You are more than an overcomer through Christ!
Bad Habits (Part 4)
Bad Habits (Part 4)
To avoid and overcome bad
habits and addictions, we must exercise self-control.
Jesus teaches us to deny
ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Him in Matthew 16:24. To do this, we must
control our mind, by which we control our bodies. Jesus said:
Matthew
15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”
Paul
expresses these thoughts with an athletic metaphor, saying, "Everyone who
competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable" in 1 Corinthians
9:24, 25.
Like
an athlete, we must exercise self-control in all things. If we do, we'll
control our minds, which control our bodies, and overcome bad habits and
addictions.
If we
walk by the Spirit, we'll avoid and overcome bad habits and addictions. The
fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22 is “love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Since we walk
by the Spirit, we exercise control over sin, bad habits, and addictions.
We
walk by the Spirit because we belong to Christ, having crucified the flesh with
its passions and desires according to Galatians 5:24. We don't engage in bad
habits and addictions because Christ doesn't engage in sin.
Paul
said in Galatians 2:20 that we've been crucified with Christ, who lives in us;
and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
Walking
by the Spirit, God's empowers us to avoid and overcome bad habits and
addictions.
We're
empowered by God's word and prayer.
-Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power
of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”
-1 Thessalonians 2:13 “. . . the word of God, which also performs its work in
you who believe.”
-1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and
His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who
do evil.”
As
Christians, we have the ability to control our bodies with our minds, empowered
by God's word and blessed with answered prayers. Avoiding and overcoming bad
habits and addictions isn't a question of ability, it's a question of desire.
Bad Habits (Part 3)
Bad
Habits (Part 3)
From time to time, everyone struggles to overcome bad
habits and addictions. It's your choice because God
has given us a free will. We choose whether to subject ourselves to bad habits
and addictions according to Romans 6:16-18. Therefore,
we have the power to control ourselves and avoid sinful behaviors, and thus
break bad habits and addictions.
Simply stated, an “addiction is a loss of control and
freedom”, while a habit is “something that is donned or assumed, perhaps often,
but that can nevertheless be removed if desired.” Anything that has control
over us is an addiction. For example: If you must have coffee to function, it
is an addiction; but if you freely choose to drink coffee every day, it is a
habit.
Sinful behaviors are sinful, whether or not they're an
addiction. For example: Illegal drug use and pornography are sinful, whether
they're addictions or not. Lawful behaviors, on the other hand,
can become sinful in certain circumstances. One of those circumstances is
addiction. If a lawful behavior becomes an addiction, then it is a sin.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are
lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be mastered by anything.”
So, if we have a godly
attitude, we will stay away from sin. Thus, we'll never involve ourselves in
sinful behaviors that are highly addictive.
Paul sets forth this idea in these Scriptures:
-1 Thessalonians 5:21,22 "But examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form
of evil."
-Romans 12:9
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good."
-1 Corinthians 15:33
"Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals."
If we abstain from everything remotely connected with
sin, abhorring even the thought of it, we'll never become addicted to sinful
behaviors. If you
never take a drink of alcohol, you'll never become an alcoholic. If you never
look at pornography, you'll never become addicted to pornography.
Ask God to help you keep yourself unspotted from the
world.
Bad Habits (Part 2)
Bad Habits (Part 2)
We have to completely remove
the bad habits in our life rather than just settle down and live with
them. Any sinful bad habits we have need to be replaced with a new life
of good habits. Paul encouraged this same thing by telling us to throw
out the old way of living and bring in the new life where we are
obedient to God:
Colossians 3:9, 10 "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..."
When each of us examines our lives we probably find that we have habits which are difficult to overcome. Rather than trying to defeat these things ourselves we can go to God and ask for his assistance to overcome the bad habit. Overcoming a bad habit involves seeking the power of God to help you and then staying away from the situations that cause the bad habit.
Remember this:
1 John 3:9 NIV "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."
Numbers 33:55, 56 "But if you do not
drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be
that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes
and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where
you dwell. Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I
thought to do to them."
God told Moses that he had to remove
the wicked inhabitants and destroy their idols before he let the
Israelites settle in the promised land. Whenever you have identified a bad
habit in your life one way to combat it is to replace it with a good
habit. If you spend one hour a day doing a bad habit then spend that
same hour each day doing a good habit.
Colossians 3:9, 10 "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..."
When each of us examines our lives we probably find that we have habits which are difficult to overcome. Rather than trying to defeat these things ourselves we can go to God and ask for his assistance to overcome the bad habit. Overcoming a bad habit involves seeking the power of God to help you and then staying away from the situations that cause the bad habit.
Remember this:
1 John 3:9 NIV "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."
Bad Habits (Part 1)
Bad Habits (Part 1)
Deuteronomy 12:2, 3 "Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place."
God instructed the Israelites when they took over a nation to completely destroy every pagan altar and idol in the land. Why did God want everything destroyed? Because he knew that the Israelite's beliefs could change if they started worshipping at the altars or the idols. So he didn’t want anything to remain which might tempt the Israelites to worship idols. In other words, the bad habits of the conquered nation were to be completely erased so that these same habits would not pass onto the Israelites. In the same way, we need to completely remove bad habits from our lives so that they don’t drag us down.
Habits are patterns of behavior that are regularly repeated and often occur without any conscious thought. Put another way, a habit is an activity that has been commenced by a person and then is done regularly or repeatedly, quite often as an automatic process and is found challenging to stop. When someone has this habitual behaviour they may not realize they are actually doing it. This is because it has become so routine in their life that it has become a sub-conscious activity.
We do not inherit habits from our parents but rather we learn them as we go through life. From the earliest years of our life we all have taken on habits. When we are child it might be sucking a thumb or biting finger nails. When we are older it maybe eating breakfast at a particular time each day, overspending at the shops or procrastination.
We can have good habits and bad habits. Some people describe themselves by listing their character traits and habits as though this is what they are and it can’t be changed. But we should always remember that habits do not control us but rather we control the habits. So good habits can be learned and bad habits unlearned.
Habits are a very strong influence in our lives. This is because they are consistent, frequently unconscious activities, that continually influence our behaviour. As a result, how effective or ineffective we are depends on these habits. The Bible does not mention habits as such, but it does talk about the behaviour which goes with habits.
We need to examine all the activities in our life to identify which are bad habits. Bad habits are anything which is seen as a negative behaviour or undesirable. Examples of bad habits are sexual immorality, smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol, taking of illegal drugs, gossiping, procrastination, impatience, criticalness, selfishness and so forth. For the follower of God, bad habits are anything that turn our hearts from God and lead us to doing wrong.
We need to look at the underlying cause of the bad habit whether it be an attitude we have, activity we do, a relationship we have with someone or a possession. Once we have identified it we then need to remove it or change it. This way the temptation is no longer there that turns our heart from God, leading us to do wrong.
God instructed the Israelites when they took over a nation to completely destroy every pagan altar and idol in the land. Why did God want everything destroyed? Because he knew that the Israelite's beliefs could change if they started worshipping at the altars or the idols. So he didn’t want anything to remain which might tempt the Israelites to worship idols. In other words, the bad habits of the conquered nation were to be completely erased so that these same habits would not pass onto the Israelites. In the same way, we need to completely remove bad habits from our lives so that they don’t drag us down.
Habits are patterns of behavior that are regularly repeated and often occur without any conscious thought. Put another way, a habit is an activity that has been commenced by a person and then is done regularly or repeatedly, quite often as an automatic process and is found challenging to stop. When someone has this habitual behaviour they may not realize they are actually doing it. This is because it has become so routine in their life that it has become a sub-conscious activity.
We do not inherit habits from our parents but rather we learn them as we go through life. From the earliest years of our life we all have taken on habits. When we are child it might be sucking a thumb or biting finger nails. When we are older it maybe eating breakfast at a particular time each day, overspending at the shops or procrastination.
We can have good habits and bad habits. Some people describe themselves by listing their character traits and habits as though this is what they are and it can’t be changed. But we should always remember that habits do not control us but rather we control the habits. So good habits can be learned and bad habits unlearned.
Habits are a very strong influence in our lives. This is because they are consistent, frequently unconscious activities, that continually influence our behaviour. As a result, how effective or ineffective we are depends on these habits. The Bible does not mention habits as such, but it does talk about the behaviour which goes with habits.
We need to examine all the activities in our life to identify which are bad habits. Bad habits are anything which is seen as a negative behaviour or undesirable. Examples of bad habits are sexual immorality, smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol, taking of illegal drugs, gossiping, procrastination, impatience, criticalness, selfishness and so forth. For the follower of God, bad habits are anything that turn our hearts from God and lead us to doing wrong.
We need to look at the underlying cause of the bad habit whether it be an attitude we have, activity we do, a relationship we have with someone or a possession. Once we have identified it we then need to remove it or change it. This way the temptation is no longer there that turns our heart from God, leading us to do wrong.
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