Walking With God by Edwin D. Roels

Walking With God
By Edwin D. Roels
Do you want to live a life that is pleasing to God? You can! Though the power of evil
is very strong and you may personally feel very weak, the Bible teaches us that God
will graciously give us everything we need to be able to live a life that pleases and
honors Him (2 Peter 1:3-4).
This does not mean, of course, that we will never sin or do anything wrong. But it does
mean that God will truly help us to live a life that honors Him, glorifies him, and
pleases Him—if we genuinely and sincerely desire to live such a life and prayerfully
seek to walk with Him every moment of every day.
Many Christians, however, continue to emphasize their weaknesses and failures and the
power of evil in the world. What they say may be true, but when emphasizing the
negative, they often neglect or minimize those many passages in the Bible which tell us
of the grace of God and the power of God and the victory which He promises to give to
those who humbly seek to serve and honor Him.
If we continue to emphasize the negative, we will probably not pray with the confidence
that God will really help us life a life that is pleasing to Him. In fact, we may even get
to the point where we actually expect to fail! And, after a while, we may not even be
very concerned about our failures any more since we simply resign ourselves to the idea
that “no one can ever please God anyway.”
Therefore, we begin with an emphasis on the positive teachings of the Bible concerning
holiness and obedience. Though only Jesus perfectly and always did the will of His
Father in heaven, we will find that there are many other people in the Bible who are
commended for their lives of trust and obedience. And, in addition, we will find that the
Bible provides us with many promises and some wonderful encouragement as we
humbly and sincerely seek to Walk With God!
GOD CALLS US TO A LIFE OF HOLINESS AND OBEDIENCE
The Bible repeatedly calls us to live the way God wants us to live. Sometimes it
emphasizes what the results will be if we choose not to trust and obey Him. But over
and over we are called to be holy and obedient because God is holy and we are to be
like Him . . . or because we are His representatives in a fallen and sinful world and we
are to glorify Him . . . or because the unbelieving world must clearly understand the
difference between living in the darkness and living in the light . . . or simply because
the way of obedience is the way of blessing and joy. God does not give us laws and
commandments to make our lives more burdensome or difficult but because He wants
the very best for us. And there can be no lasting pleasure or delight when we choose to
walk our own way rather than His way. And there can be no greater joy than when, by
grace and by choice, we do walk with Him each moment of our lives.
Scripture References
“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.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16
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“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in
you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16
“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.”
2 Corinthians 7:1
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of
light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find
out what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8-10
“Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of
every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord’s will is. . . . Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-17, 19-20
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and
depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and
blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes
through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say
‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly
lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of
our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” Titus 2:11-13
“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this [Christ’s return and the
promise of a new heaven and a new earth], make every effort to be found spotless,
blameless and at peace with him.” 2 Peter 3:14
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3
A MAN WHO WALKED WITH GOD FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS
Early in the book of Genesis (Genesis 5:21-24) we read about a man named Enoch. In
many ways Enoch appeared to have been an “ordinary” man who lived just like
everyone else. He married, had children and grandchildren, and went about his ordinary
business day after day. But there was also something very special about him.
According to verses 22 and 24, Enoch “walked with God.” This walk was so very
special that Enoch was taken directly up to heaven without ever having to die.
We don’t know exactly what the Bible means when it says that “Enoch walked with
God,” but it’s obvious that he was living in such a way that God was very pleased with
him. Hebrews 11:5 tells us that before Enoch was taken to heaven, “he was commended
as one who pleased God.” And this was not something that happened only once in a
while. Genesis 5:22 says that “Enoch walked with God 300 years.” At the very least,
therefore, it’s obvious that Enoch lived day after day and year after year in close and
loving fellowship with his God. He was a marvelous example of someone who not only
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knew God’s will but who also faithfully and consistently did what God wanted him to
do. It should be very encouraging to us to know that there was someone who was daily
living a life that was pleasing to God when most of the people around him were not
loving or serving God at all.
OTHERS WHO WALKED WITH GOD
If Enoch were the only person in the Bible who was commended as someone who
pleased God, we might feel that we couldn’t really learn anything from him. But he is
not the only one. He may be the most exceptional one since we never read anything
negative about him, but he certainly is not the only person who pleased God in his life.
Consider, for example, the following.
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked
with God.” Genesis 6:9
“The Lord then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I
have found you righteous in this generation.” Genesis 7:1
“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless
and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” Job 1:1 See also Job 1:8.
God said about David, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he
will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22 See also 1 Samuel 13:14 and 1 Kings
3:6.
David wrote, “Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test
me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. . . . My steps
have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.” Psalm 17:3, 5
“I will be careful to lead a blameless life—I will walk in my house with blameless
heart., . . .I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” Words of David in Psalm 101:2, 3.
“Joseph, [Mary’s] husband, was a righteous man . . . .” Matthew 1:19
“Herod feared John [the Baptist] and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and
holy man.” Mark 6:20
“Both of them [Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist] were upright in
the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.”
Luke 1:6
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.”
Luke 2:25.
“We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man.”
Acts 10:22. See also Acts 10:2.
“By faith Abel . . . was commended as a righteous man.” Hebrews 11:4
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These passages certainly do not teach that the people mentioned here lived without
failure or sin. Only Jesus was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15, 7:26;
1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). However, the passages do teach that these people sincerely
sought to observe God’s laws, to obey Him and trust Him, and to walk in His ways.
Though they were not perfect in their motives and sometimes fell into serious sins
(consider, for example, the significant failures of Noah and David), and though they did
not perfectly love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, they did seek to
please Him and they did enjoy fellowship with Him as they walked with Him in their
daily lives.
All of these people were known for their integrity and their commitment to the Lord.
They consciously sought to honor God and obey Him, matching their actions with their
words. Their lives were filled with positive desires and sincere intentions as they
earnestly sought to do the will of God. And God approved of them and blessed them.
Such people are a great encouragement to us. Enoch and Noah and Job, as well as
others, loved and served God even when most others didn’t. Their lives clearly show
that it is possible to walk with God even when others don’t. They help us see and
believe that God truly does bless those who genuinely love and trust Him. We should
never despair, therefore, when most of the people around us seem to live without any
desire to trust or obey the Lord. And we should never conclude that holiness and
obedience are absolutely impossible for us in an environment of unbelief and
disobedience. God is forever faithful to His promises. He will never fail those who love
and obey Him.
SOME OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES OF BLESSING ON THE RIGHTEOUS
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way
of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on
his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. . . .
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will
perish.” Psalm 1:1-3, 6
Psalm 5:12 “For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your
favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 112:1, 4 “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his
commands. . . . Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and
compassionate and righteous man.”
Psalm 119:1-3 “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the
law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their
heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.”
Psalm 128:l “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.”
Proverbs 11:20 “The Lord . . . delights in those whose ways are blameless.”
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Proverbs 20:7 “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after
him.”
Ezekiel 18:5, 9 “‘Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. . . .
He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will
surely live,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.”
NEW TESTAMENT TEACHINGS ON WALKING WITH GOD
We all know that temptation is very real and that the devil is very strong (1 Peter 5:8).
We also know that even some of the strongest believers sometimes fall into sin.
However, it’s important that we do not focus primarily on those passages which
describe the strength of our enemy or the failures of God’s people. Rather, if we truly
seek to walk with God, we must focus primarily on who we are “in Christ.”
When we focus on ourselves, it is easy to become overwhelmed with a sense of

weakness and with the realization that we are completely unable to overcome or resist
the powers of evil in our own strength. However, when we focus on who we are in
Christ, we realize that we have much more power than those who wish to destroy us or
lead us away from the Savior we love. As the Apostle John reminds us, though our
enemy is very strong, “the One who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the
world” (1 John 4:4).
We must remember that Christ not only saved us when we first believed in Him but that
He also continues to help us overcome sin and the devil through the Holy Spirit who
lives within us. Just as we were saved through faith in Christ, we must live our daily
lives through faith in Him and with faith in His promises to help us in our time of need.
And if we do fail at times to live as God wants us to, we must never despair or give up
but immediately confess our sin to God, trust Him for forgiveness, and then get back in
step with our Lord.
If we did not truly believe that God wants us to live a life that is pleasing to Him and
enables us to do so, we would continually be frustrated and discouraged whenever we
studied the Bible. The more we learned about God’s will for our lives, the less joy we
would have and the greater would be our sense of hopelessness and despair. But when
we focus on God’s promises rather than on our weaknesses, we may begin to live a life
of trust and obedience which leads to increasing humility, thanksgiving, fellowship, and
joy.
And when we do so live, we will gratefully acknowledge that everything we accomplish

and every victory we enjoy are possible only because of His mercy and His grace. And,
as a result, all glory and praise will be given to Him and not to ourselves.
Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in
me, and I will remain in you. . . . If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear
much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:3-5
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“For we know that our old self was crucified with him [Christ] so that the body of sin
might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because
anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:6-7
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of
God lives in you.” Romans 8:9
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Galatians 5:16
“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:13
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and
desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25
After presenting a lengthy list of the kind of people who will not enter the Kingdom of
God because of their sinful ways, Paul wrote, “And that is what some of you were. But
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
“Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for
himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:14
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of
passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one
another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us
through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit . . . so that those who
have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These
things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” Titus 3:3-8
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near
to you.” James 4:7b-8
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has
given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate
in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4
“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. . . . 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.” 1 John 3:6, 9
“May the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may
he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever
and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
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“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious
presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory,
majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and
forevermore. Amen.” Jude 24-25
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
Although we are focusing primarily on our Walk with God, it is very important to
remember that there is no way in which we can earn or merit salvation by our holiness
or obedience. We are not saved from the penalty and the power of sin through our own
merits but only through God’s mercy and grace. No one is without sin, and no one can
even begin to save himself from the just judgment of God. Every person who comes
into the world is born under the curse of sin (Ephesians 2:3) and every person is by
nature an object of God’s wrath and subject to the penalty of eternal death (John 3 :36).
Eternal and perfect righteousness can be ours only through faith in Jesus Christ who
mercifully took our sin on Himself whose perfect righteousness is imputed to us
(Romans 3:23-26; Romans 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
However, when Christ saves us, He not only removes the penalty of sin, but He also
gives us the ability to fight against the power of sin and overcome it (1 Corinthians
10:13). As an old Christian hymn puts it, through Christ we have a “double cure.” He
saves us from wrath and He also makes us pure.
The focus of this study is not on coming to God for salvation bur rather on walking
with God in obedience and gratitude after we have been saved. If you have not yet
taken the first step of trusting Christ for salvation, then it will be totally impossible for
you to walk with God! But if you are a true believer and sincerely desire to live for
God in your daily life, you may confidently expect that God will enable you to walk
with Him in obedience and joy.
BIBLE PASSAGES THAT EMPHASIZE HUMAN SIN AND FAILURE
Up to this point, we have emphasized the importance and the possibility of walking
with God in this life. We have seen that there were several people in the Bible who
were described as “righteous” or “blameless” or “upright” before the Lord. They
earnestly desired to walk with God and live a life that was pleasing to Him. These
people were not completely free from failure and sin, but they did seek to please the
Lord, to keep His laws, and to trust and obey Him. And if, at times, they fell into sin,
they sincerely repented of those sins and again sought to walk in step with the Lord.
However, some passages in the Bible may seem to teach that it is impossible for us to
walk faithfully and consistently with God in this life, such passages as Psalm 53:3;
Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10; Romans 7:15, and 1 Peter 5:8. Many people believe that
these other texts teach that it is not possible for us to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Since these other texts are often referred to when discussing the Christian life, we will
take a careful look at them before going on to study other teachings on how God wants
us to live. If we sincerely believe that it is impossible for us to live our lives in a way
that is pleasing to God, then there would be little value in studying further what the
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Bible teaches about walking with God. In fact, the more we studied, the more
discouraged and frustrated we would become! Therefore, we will seek to understand
some of the so-called “negative” texts to see what they really teach us.
Text Number One: PSALM 53:3.
“There is no one who does good, not even one.”
This passage is quoted also in Psalm 14:1 and again in the New Testament in Romans
3:12. Further, Romans 3:10 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no
one who understands, no one who seeks God.” And Ecclesiastes 7:20 teaches that
“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”
There are several things which should be noted concerning these passages.
(1) It is certainly true that every person on earth is by nature sinful and inclined
to sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). That is what is meant by the doctrine of “original
sin.” This truth is also affirmed in Romans 3:23 where we read, “All have
sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Truly, there is no one who is
born without a sinful nature and no one who lives without sin. We must
honestly and humbly recognize that. We must also recognize that the only
way for us to walk with God and live a life that is pleasing to Him is first of
all to receive new life from the Holy Spirit. Receiving this new life is
referred to as being “born again” or “regeneration.”
(2) David is referred to as the author of this Psalm. Though David was certainly
far from being sin-free in his life, in his other writings he wrote clearly about
his own fervent desire to serve and please the Lord. For example, in Psalm
101:2-3 he wrote that he desired to lead “a blameless life” and to walk in his
house “with blameless heart.” David did not live without sin, but he did live
in such a way that God regarded him as a man “after His own heart.” It’s
obvious, therefore, that David did not mean in Psalm 53:3 that no one ever
does anything that pleases God!
(3) If Psalm 53:3 and parallel passages are understood to refer to every person
on the face of the earth, then it would mean that nothing really changes in a
person’s life when he is born again. There would then be no significant
difference between the lives of those who are said to be “righteous” or
“blameless” before the Lord and those who are described as wicked, sinful,
and evil. And if this were true, it would mean that the powerful work of God
in a believer’s life (referred to in such passages as Philippians 2:13,
Colossians 1:29 and Ephesians 1:19-20) really accomplishes nothing as far
as Christian living is concerned. And this obviously is not true. Psalm 53:3,
therefore, cannot mean than no one anywhere ever does anything that is
considered “good” and “right” before the Lord.
(4) The question must be raised, therefore, whether Psalm 53:3 describes the life
of every person on earth, whether that person is born again or still an
unbeliever. The obvious answer is that this text does not refer to the lives of
believers who have been born again by the Holy Spirit. The basic reason for
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this conclusion is that there are so many passages in the Bible which refer to
the “good works” of people who know and trust and obey the Lord. These
“good works” are never described in the Bible as “sinful” works or “bad
works” or “polluted works” but always referred to as “good.” See such
passages as Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1
Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 5:10, 25; Titus 3:1, 8, 14 and various others. Even
though the good works of believers may not be perfect in every way, they
certainly are much different from the works of unbelievers. And God
Himself refers to them in Scripture as “good” works.
Text Number Two: Isaiah 64:6.

“All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”
(1) Many of the observations made above concerning Psalm 53:3 would also be
relevant here. Anyone who is not born again cannot live a life that is pleasing
to God. Even the very best human efforts will not be acceptable to God.
These efforts are not motivated by true love for God, they are not done for
God’s glory, and they do not proceed from a truly pure or born-again heart.
(2) However, after a person is born again and receives new life through the Holy
Spirit, this person does begin to live a life that is pleasing to God. One of the
oldest Protestant confessions of faith puts it this way: Question: “What is the
coming-to-life of the new self?” Answer: “It is wholehearted joy in God
through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to”
(Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 33)..
(3) Though Psalm 53:3 and Isaiah 64:6 have some things in common, there is also
a significant difference between the two passages. Psalm 53 begins with a
reference to the fool who says in his heart that there is no God. In Isaiah 64:6
we hear the cry of people who believe in God and even know what He
requires of them. However, they had apparently substituted external
observance of God’s laws for true, heartfelt obedience. They were doing some
of the things God had commanded them to do, but their motives were impure
and their hearts had not been changed. They were like the people described in
Isaiah 1:10-17 and Isaiah 29:13 about whom God said, “These people honor
me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is
made up only of rules taught by men.” Isaiah 64:6, therefore, refers to people
who may be doing some “right” things but are doing them for the “wrong”
reasons and in the wrong way.
(4) The people described in Isaiah 64:6 were definitely not right with God—and
they knew it (see verses 5 and 7.) The people described in verse 6 are clearly
different from the people referred to in verse 5 who “gladly do what is right.”
There is here a significant contrast, therefore, between those who are living for
God and doing His will and those who aren’t. Verse 5 indicates that it is
possible to do what is right and pleasing to God and that there were people
who were doing so.
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(5) Isaiah 64:6, therefore, should not be understood as a description of people
who are truly serving the Lord in humility and gratitude and who are doing the
works which God prepared for them to do (Ephesians 2:10). There are no
passages anywhere in the New Testament which would permit us to call God-
prepared, Christ-honoring, Spirit-driven works as being like filthy rags in His
sight. To call them such is not only discouraging to the people who do them
but also dishonoring to the Lord who makes them possible.
Text Number Three: Romans 7:15

“For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
This passage is somewhat puzzling for a number of reasons. Commentators have

often disagreed whether this passage describes Paul before or after his conversion.
(1) If Paul is here referring to his life before his conversion, he would then be
describing what life was like for him when he was still living as a proud and
self-righteous Pharisee. He wanted to serve God, but he simply didn’t have
the spiritual power to do obey Him with pure motives and a clean heart.
When he was younger, Paul was very careful to obey the law externally. He
never knowingly or intentionally violated any of God’s laws as far as external
obedience was concerned. In that regard, he considered himself “faultless”
(Philippians 3:4-6). He had a “righteousness” of his own and felt that he was
doing whatever the law required of him. At that stage in his life, he knew
nothing of the perfect righteousness that could be his through faith in Jesus.
If Paul is indeed describing his “old life” in Romans 7:14-15, he then refers to
the spiritual victory that he gained over his old way of life through his faith in
Jesus (Romans 7:25-26). He also goes on to describe the wonderful freedom
from the burden of the law which he experienced through the work of the Holy
Spirit in his life (See Romans 8:2-4).
(2) If Paul is here (Romans 7:14-15) describing his life after his conversion,
he then acknowledges that he still struggled with the power of sin in his life
even after he became a believer. Holiness and obedience were not
“automatic” for him. The new life of the Holy Spirit in his heart had to
contend with the continuing power of his old sin nature. And this struggle
continued even after his conversion.
Many believers who struggle with the power of sin and temptation in their
lives are grateful to know that Paul also shared some of the same struggles
which they have. Though they genuinely and eagerly desire to please the Lord
in their lives, they acknowledge, to their regret, that they sometimes fail to do
what God wants them to do.
(3) Paul also reminds us here how utterly impossible it is for us to live a life that
is pleasing to God if we depend on our own power and good intentions. As he
wrote in Romans 7:18 and 20, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in
my sinful nature. . . . 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.” By writing in this way, Paul is not
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making excuses for anything he might do wrong. Rather, he is simply
acknowledging that the power of sin within him continues to be very strong—
even after he has become a believer and even after he was filled with the Holy
Spirit.
(4) At the same time, however, he indicates that it is possible to win a victory over
sin in His life through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within Him. And
it is this VICTORY that he wants to emphasize here and not the power of sin
or the strength of his sinful human nature. Though the power of sin may be
very strong, the power of the Holy Spirit is far greater. (See the passages
already referred to in Romans 7:25 and Romans 8).
(5) There are several reasons why we can state all this with confidence. In almost
every other passage in which Paul refers to the Christian life and the
importance of living a Christian life, he writes with boldness and confidence.
He even calls his readers to imitate him and to follow his example. If he felt he
was not living a life that was pleasing to the Lord, he definitely would not urge
others to follow his example! Consider, for example, the following passages.
(a) “I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear
children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do
not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the
gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. . . . Timothy, my son, . . . will
remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I
teach everywhere in every church.” 1 Corinthians 4:14-17.
(b) “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted
ourselves in the world and especially in our relationships with you, in the
holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to
worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.” 2 Corinthians 1:12
(c) “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and
blameless we were among you who believed.” 1 Thessalonians 2:10
(d ) “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear

conscience . . . .” 2 Timothy 1:3
(e) “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians

11:1
Text Number Four : 1 Peter 5:8

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.”
Many believers recognize the power of Satan in the world and feel that they are
absolutely no match for his craftiness, power, or persistence. If Satan was clever
enough and strong enough to get sinless Adam and Eve to listen to him (Genesis 3:1-
7), how can we expect to be able to resist him ourselves? Satan was also able to cause
Peter to challenge Jesus right after he had made a resounding confession of faith in
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Him (Matthew 16:21-23). Later, Satan led Peter to deny that he even knew Jesus at
the very time when everyone else was also forsaking Him (Luke 22:31, 54-62). Satan
was also able to get Judas, one of Jesus’ chosen disciples, to betray Jesus in a way that
led to His death (Luke 22: 3ff). And in the early church Satan tempted Ananias and
Sapphira to lie publicly to the Holy Spirit, bringing shame and dishonor to the early
believers (Acts 5:3-11).
Already in the Old Testament Satan was also active in tempting, luring, and leading
some of the strongest believers into folly, sin, and shame (See, for example, the
failures of David in 2 Samuel 11:1-27 and 2 Samuel 24:1-17) and those of Solomon
in 1 Kings 11:1-13.) And when an angelic messenger was sent by God to Daniel, one
of Satan’s fallen angels was able to delay this messenger for a total of 21 days (Daniel
10:12-13).
Since Satan is so strong and we are often so weak, it may seem that Satan is able to
keep us from walking with the Lord or living a life that is pleasing to Him. And what
is worse, we may feel that there is nothing we can do about it. But this is absolutely
not true!
It is true, of course, that Satan can tempt us to disobey or distrust God. And it is also
true that he and his fellow demons will try to make us sin and fall. But he definitely
cannot make us disobey God or live contrary to His will.
Consider thoughtfully the following passages.
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
“Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. . . . You, dear
children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:3-4
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God
so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. . . . so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. . . . In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which
you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. . . . And pray in the Spirit on
all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:10-18
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he
has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may
participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil
desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4
“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.” 1 John 3:9
12
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of
God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” 1 John 5:18
These passages do not teach that believers will never fall into sin, but they do clearly
teach that victory over sin and Satan is always possible if we sincerely and humbly
seek the Lord’s power to resist temptation and earnestly desire to do His will. Satan
would like to have us believe otherwise. He would be pleased if he could get us to
believe that it is impossible for us to resist him or to win a victory over temptation.
God, however, has given us abundant reason to believe that victory is possible. And
he has also promised that walking with Him and living for Him will always bring us
greater joy and blessing than any sin could ever provide.
Some people may also refer to other passages in the Bible which may at first seem to
teach that we can never be victorious over sin and evil. However, all such passages
should be interpreted and understood in the light of the many positive passages which
assure us that God wants us to walk with Him and enables us to do so.
LEARNING WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO OR NOT TO DO
God, in His mercy and grace, enables us to live our lives in fellowship with Him. The
more we trust Him and obey Him, the more we will delight in knowing and doing His
will. He helps us to walk in the light and stay away from the darkness. He gives us a
thankful heart so that we want to please Him in all that we do. He also enables us to
love others and to serve them in His name.
However, as we walk with God there will often be things we will have to fight against
and there will be many temptations we will have to overcome. There may even be
times when we will struggle to be all that we want to be or all that God wants us to be.
Doing what is good and right is not automatic--and it is not always easy. However,
though Satan is strong and temptations are many, the One who is in us is greater than
he that is in the world. As we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6), God
enables us to win victory after victory.
To help us walk faithfully and joyfully with the Lord, God has given us many
warnings in the Bible, teaching us always to be vigilant and wise, being careful not to
wander away from Him and careful not to displease or dishonor Him. In future
articles, we will look carefully at some of those warnings and prohibitions.
Before looking at the things we should avoid, however, we will first focus on some of
the things God wants us to do.
By concentrating on the things we should do, we will be strengthened and encouraged

to stay away from the things we should not do. By sincerely pursuing what pleases
the Lord, we will have less time, less energy and less desire to pursue those things
which do not please Him. The opposite, of course, is also true. If we spend a lot of
time and energy pursuing things which do not please God, we will have less time or
desire or energy to pursue the things which do please Him.
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THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT
When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of all, He replied: “‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38).
Those who truly love God as He commanded will enjoy a fruitful, meaningful, and
joyful walk with the Lord. Those who fail to love God in this way will soon wander
away from Him and get involved in all kinds of things which break their fellowship
with Him. Even if they stay away from some specific things which are clearly
displeasing to Him (such as lying, stealing, killing, adultery), they will still not enjoy
a fruitful and joyful walk with God if they do not continually put Him in first place in
their lives and truly love Him with all their heart and soul and mind.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized the blessedness and importance of
putting God first in our lives when He said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these [other] things will be given to you as well.” Matthew
6:33. No matter what we may choose to do or choose not to do, if we don’t put God
first in our lives and seek to honor and please Him in everything we do, our lives will
never be all they could be or should be.
Jesus also taught that when we live a life of holiness and good works, we not only
please God directly, but we also cause others to praise Him as well. He said, “Let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father
in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
And in the Old Testament, we read of the joy and delight faithful believers bring to
Almighty God when they love and serve and obey Him. The prophet Zephaniah
wrote, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17)
Several years after Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, the Apostle Paul wrote to
the Christian believers in the city of Corinth. Most of the Christians in Corinth had
come out of a very pagan and sinful background and often found it difficult to live the
holy and obedient life that God requires. When Paul wrote to them, he reminded them
of the importance of always seeking to live for the Lord—no matter what they were
doing. He wrote, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Later Paul wrote to the church in Colosse, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do
it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
(Colossians 3:17). If we sincerely desire to walk with the Lord, there is absolutely no
place and no time when we can simply forget about God and go our own way—
putting our personal desires before our love for God.
If we do not deliberately choose to keep God in first place in our lives, it will be very
difficult to keep in step with Him. And if we are out of step with God, we will lose
the joy and blessing we could personally have and we will also forfeit the blessing we
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could be to others. Nothing is more important in our walk with God than making a
diligent and faithful effort to please and honor Him in everything we do or say or
think (See 2 Peter 1:5-11).
THE SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENT
Jesus closely tied together our love for God with the love we should have for others.
After referring to the first and greatest commandment, He said, “And the second is
like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments.” Matthew 22:39-40
When Jesus said we should love others, He was not referring to our feelings or
emotions concerning other people but rather to our attitude to them or our will
concerning them. It may not always be possible for us to like everyone. But no matter
what our personal feelings may be toward others, when we genuinely love them, we
will always seek what is truly best for them, never hold grudges against them, and
never seek to repay evil for evil. (Read Romans 12:9-21.) True Christian love for
others is not “natural,” nor is it something we can manufacture or develop on our
own. But when God’s love fills our own hearts, that love can flow through us to
others—even if they are not very lovely or “lovable.” Throughout history there have
been many marvelous examples of people who showed Christ-like love to very
unlovable people—all of which demonstrate not the goodness of man but rather the
reality and power of the love of GOD.
Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse
you, pray for those who mistreat you. . . . Love your enemies, do good to them, and
lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great,
and you will be sons of the Most High. . . . Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful.” Luke 6:27-28, 35-36
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we
ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and
sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1
John 3:16-18
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has
ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made
complete in us.” 1 John 4:11-12
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a
life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:1-2
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“The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’” Galatians 5:14
The Old Testament View
Already in the Old Testament God made it very clear that those who did not have a
genuine love for Him AND for others were not pleasing to Him. This was true even
when people seemed to be obedient to the Lord. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah,
God said, “These people . . . honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me” (Isaiah 29:13). They were saying the right things and even doing many of the
things God had commanded, but they did not truly love Him with all their heart. And
they certainly were not showing love to their neighbors.
In the very first chapter of Isaiah, God took note of the formal and external obedience
of the people as they offered their prayers and presented their sacrifices to Him.
However, He was extremely displeased with their wrong attitude and lack of true love
for others. He said, “Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to
do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1: 16-17)
Later in the book, we again read of God’s great displeasure with many of the people.
They were giving external obedience to His teachings on fasting, but their hearts were
not right and their motives were wrong. They were not showing true love either to
God or to their neighbors. So God responded with these words: “Is not this the kind of
fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the
hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to
clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Isaiah 58:6-7
If the people would learn to obey and love God with all their hearts and if they would
love others as themselves, then their lives would be radically changed. In the words of
Isaiah, “Then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the
noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-
scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered
garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. . . .you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land. . . . The mouth of the Lord has
spoken” Isaiah 58:10b-11, 14.
In a beautiful but simple summary of what it means to love God and love others,
Micah, speaking for God, wrote these words: “He has showed you, O man, what is
good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to
walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). God did not mean that all of His other
commandments were insignificant or unimportant. But He wanted His people to focus
on the inward attitude of love, mercy, justice, and humility. Without these, all external
obedience would be as nothing in His sight.
In summary, walking with God will be a source of joy and blessing for us if we
always remember to keep God in first place in every area of our lives and if we truly
seek to love others as we love ourselves.
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GOALS AND GUIDELINES FOR OUR WALK WITH GOD
As believers, our primary goal in life will be much different from the goals of non-
believers. We will not seek first of all to achieve personal fame, wealth, honor or pleasure
for ourselves. Rather, the primary goal of our lives will be to bring honor and glory to God.
It certainly is not wrong for us to achieve wealth or fame in this life if we do so honestly,
fairly and in a way that pleases God. Nor is it wrong to delight in the many wonderful
pleasures that God permits us to enjoy. The Bible itself promised that if we truly delight
ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). However,
gaining material wealth or enjoying earthly pleasures should never be our primary goal.
Besides, the pursuit of earthly and temporal goals can easily lead us away from
maintaining a close and joyful fellowship with the Lord. It’s so important, therefore, to
make very sure that our desire for earthly or temporal blessings does not in any way
interfere with our sincere desire and intention to honor and glorify the Lord in all that we
do.
Read the following Scripture passages.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where
Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on
earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let
us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews
12:1-2
“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness . . .
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the
benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:20, 22
“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and
we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with
that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish
and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” 1 Timothy 6:6-9
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try
to enter and will not be able to.” Luke 13:24
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“We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now
we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” 1 Thessalonians
4:1
“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you
to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Romans 16:19
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is

pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or
heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with
you.” Philippians 4:8-9
WHY DO WE STILL NEED RULES AND COMMANDS AS BELIEVERS?
The Bible not only gives us some general goals or guidelines; it also gives us many
specific commands or teachings concerning God’s will for our lives. Among those
commands are the Ten Commandments, given first of all to God’s people in the Old
Testament (Exodus 20). God also gave the people many other laws and commandments
concerning almost every area of life. The New Testament also has many prohibitions
and commands which Christians are called to observe. God not only wants us to stay
away from certain things; He also wants us to live positively and joyfully in every area
of our lives.
When we get to heaven, we will no longer need rules or commands of any kind. It will
then no longer even be possible for us to sin. We will be fully free from every trace or
effect of sin, and the powers of evil that now tempt us will be completely destroyed.
In this life, however, we still have to deal with our old sinful nature. And, as Paul reminds
us, there is nothing good in our old sinful nature (Romans 7:18). Besides, we constantly
have to be on guard against Satan and all the powers of evil in the world which are
determined to defeat us (1 Peter 5:8). In addition, we are continually surrounded by evil
examples, peer pressure, sinful traditions, and by people who try to draw us away from
God.
It’s very important for us, therefore, to have the “warning” signs which God provides in
His rules and commands. These warnings are not in any way intended to take away our
joy in life, but rather to help us avoid those things which would lead us into sin and break
our joyful fellowship with the Lord. We NEED the warnings. Without them, we would
easily go astray and find ourselves walking away from God rather than with Him. It’s
truly a great blessing to have God’s laws and commands. The people of Israel considered
themselves especially favored to have them (Psalm 147:19-20 and Romans 3:1-2). And so
are we!
WHAT ABOUT OUR CONSCIENCE?
Our conscience is our personal sense or belief concerning what is right and what is
wrong. It can often serve as a very helpful guide for us when we are faced with making
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moral choices. This does not mean, of course, that it is always right to follow our
conscience! Our conscience may be helpful, but it is not always “right.” If our
conscience is not formed according to God’s Word and His will, our conscience will
often lead us in the wrong direction! Conscience isn’t even a safe guide for people who
truly want to serve the Lord in their lives. The apostle Paul, for example, carefully
followed what his conscience led him to do (Acts 26:4-5, 1 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Timothy
1:13), but his life was not always pleasing to the Lord (Acts 9:1-4).
It’s also possible to have what the Bible calls a “seared” conscience (1 Timothy 4:2; see
also Titus 1:15 and Hebrews 9:14). That is a conscience which has been influenced over
time according to standards and activities that are not in harmony with the Bible. It’s
quite possible for a person to do something so often and for such a long time that he no
longer considers it wrong—even though it clearly is contrary to God’s Word and even
though at one time he himself acknowledged that it was wrong.
Though our conscience does not always lead us to do what is “right,” no one should ever
do anything which clearly violates his conscience-- no matter what the situation is. If
someone truly believes something is displeasing to God, he should never do it! If he does,
he is doing something which he sincerely believes is displeasing to God--and that is sin.
(Romans 14:23).
WHICH LAWS IN THE BIBLE MUST WE STILL OBSERVE TODAY?
Since there are many laws and commands in the Bible, we may wonder whether
Christians are required to obey each one of those laws today. If not, we will want to
know which laws were intended only for people who lived in the past and which ones are
still valid for us today.
To answer that question, it’s important to begin by looking at the laws in the Old
Testament. Most of these laws fall into three general categories: civil laws, ceremonial
laws, and moral laws. The civil laws had to do primarily with the political or national life
of the people of Israel. They included laws regarding government structure and
leadership, the organization of society, business, property, the military, the justice system,
etc. The ceremonial laws governed the worship and cultic life of the people such as
offerings, sacrifices, worship at the temple or tabernacle, the duties and responsibilities of
priests and other spiritual leaders, and related matters. The moral laws covered all
matters related specifically to personal holiness and to people’s relationship to God and to
one another. The “moral” laws included the Ten Commandments and many other rules or
regulations regarding personal morality, honesty, integrity, business, every day living and
personal relationships.
Many of the Old Testament civil laws were intended specifically for the people of Israel
in Old Testament times. The Israelites were a unique people different from all other
nations in the world. They had God as their Ruler, Judge, and Lawgiver. He was the
ultimate authority in every area and in every situation. Those who served as leaders
among the people (whether as judges, kings, or lawgivers) served in His name and as His
representatives. All authority belonged to God.
Since believers no longer live in nations where Jehovah (Yahweh) God is recognized as
King and Lord, they are not expected or required to obey all the civil laws of the Old
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Testament. At the same time, believers should recognize the importance and significance
of those laws as guidelines for their own situations. For example, the civil laws of the Old
Testament required justice, fairness, honesty, integrity, concern for the poor and others
who were not able to defend or support themselves. So, even though we are no longer
bound to observe all the specific civic laws of the Old Testament, we should never violate
the fundamental principles which lie behind them.
Further, Christians should always seek to love God and others in every area of life—
including the political arena. The “Two Great Commandments” discussed earlier in this
Lesson are still valid always and everywhere! The way in which these commandments
are observed may differ from one situation to another, but these commandments are never
to be violated.
The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were also intended specifically for the people
of Israel and are no longer binding on us today. God was present in the Temple in a very
special way and it was there where He was to be worshiped and where the sacrifices were
to be brought. Today there is no longer a central place of worship (the temple or
tabernacle) where sacrifices can be offered and where gifts can be brought. And, even
more important, most of the ceremonial laws pointed forward to the coming and work of
Jesus. When He came to earth, died for our sins, and rose from the dead, the old system of
sacrifices and worship was no long necessary or appropriate. (See, for example, the book
of Hebrews.)
The moral laws of the Old Testament were also given specifically to God’s people in the
Old Testament, but these laws are generally not restricted to one time or place or one
group of people. Most of those laws are therefore re-emphasized and repeated in the N.T.
and are considered valid for all people at all times. The specific application of those
laws may sometimes differ from one time or one place to another, but the fundamental
requirements of these laws remain the same. We shall look more carefully at the
application of some of these laws in the next Lessons.
Most laws and commands given in the New Testament are still valid for us today since
they are not limited to one time or to one situation. At times, however, a command was
directed to a very special or unique situation and is therefore not necessarily applicable
today. (See, for example, Luke 18:22.) Also, Jesus sometimes gave a command which
was not intended to be taken literally. (See, for example, Matthew 18:8-9.) Most of the
time it is quite clear whether a New Testament command is still valid today, though there
are times when Christians may reasonably disagree on certain things. In general,
however, the major problem believers have is not knowing what is right but in doing
what is right!
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
When reading or studying the laws of the Bible, it is always important to remember that
no one can ever be made right with God by observing these laws (Romans 3:20). Only
Jesus, who perfectly kept God’s laws Himself and who made a perfect sacrifice for our
sins, can make us right with God (Matthew 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
It’s also true, however, that those who sincerely desire to walk with God will find joy and
blessing in observing His laws and will also be a blessing to others.
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Read the following Scripture passages.
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the
Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:21-22
“”Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should
be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by
faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.”
Galatians 3:23-25
“But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that
we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
Romans 7:6
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the
Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God
and they will be my people.” Hebrews 8:10
Summary and Conclusion
Believers no longer live under the burden of all the laws of the Old Testament. However,
because of our sinful nature, the power of Satan, and the sinful world around us, we still
need laws to guide us in our daily lives. God graciously provides these laws for us so that
we may more clearly know His will, do that which pleases Him, and stay away from that
which does not please Him. Our conscience, though very important and often helpful, is
not an absolutely reliable guide for us. We need God’s written Word to sharpen our
conscience and to guide our thoughts and actions.
Though God expects us and enables us to live in a way that does please Him, we should
always remember that we can never earn salvation or merit God’s favor through a life of
obedience. Salvation is always a gift of God’s grace.
The two greatest commandments that God has given have never changed and never will.
Those commands are (1) to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength
and (2) to love our neighbors as ourselves. The specific application of these laws may
depend on the circumstances in which we find ourselves, but the laws themselves are
absolute. In that regard, God’s standards never change.
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Loving God
By David Feddes
If you want to find out the most basic truth about yourself, if you want to know
who you really are and what makes you feel and think and act the way you do, it's not
all that complicated. You just need the right person to ask you the right questions. Now,
there are lots of persons who emphasize understanding yourself and ask questions that
are supposed to help you do that. But not just any person will do, and not just any
questions will do. You need the right person with the right questions.
Long ago the philosopher Socrates declared, "Know thyself," and he became
famous for the questions he asked in his effort to help people know themselves. More
recently, psychologists have tried to help people know themselves, often through a
process of questioning. They come up with personality profiles that help them analyze
what makes us feel and act the way we do. Educators do something similar. They try to
identify students by various learning types, based on answers to certain key questions
about the student. At times these approaches can reveal things that are interesting,
even helpful, but they can be awfully complicated, and they still don't get to the core of
who you really are.
If you want to get down to basics, there is someone who can take you straight to
the heart of the matter with just three simple questions. That may sound hard to believe,
but it's true. This person is the world's greatest expert on human nature and personality.
His name is Jesus, and he can identify the kind of person you are with only three
questions.
Jesus' first question is, "Do you love me?"
Jesus' second question is, "Do you love me?"
And his third question is, "Do you love me?"
It's that simple: no games or gimmicks, no complicated questionnaires or fancy
theories, no beating around the bush—just one basic question. If you want to know the
most important and central thing about yourself, then let Jesus look you straight in the
eye and ask, "Do you love me? Honestly now, do you? Do you have a personal
attachment to me, to my very self?"
The Unavoidable Question

It's a simple question but not an easy one. If Jesus is a stranger to you, if you
don't know much about him and you've never had much to do with church, it may feel
odd and upsetting to be asked whether you love Jesus. Your answer, obviously, is no,
you don't love him—you can't love someone you don't even know. But why should you
have to answer that question in the first place? It's awkward to be put on the spot by a
stranger and asked whether you love him.
Then again, even if Jesus isn't a complete stranger, it may feel awkward and
embarrassing to be asked if you love him. You may know a lot about Jesus from the
Bible and be a long-time member of a church, and yet Jesus' question "Do you love
me?" can still make you squirm.
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You might say, "Love you? Well, Jesus, I think you lived a good life and set a fine
example, and I really respect your teachings." But Jesus says, "That's not what I asked.
Answer the question: 'Do you love me?'"
You might say, "I believe you did many great miracles, and I believe you are the
Son of God." But Jesus replies, "That's not the question. The question is, 'Do you love
me?'"
You might say, "I believe you died for people's sins and rose again from the
dead. I know you are ruler of all things." But Jesus replies, "I'm glad you know that, but
you still haven't answered my question. Do you love me?"
You might say, "I've been baptized. I go to church. I read my Bible. I try to be a
good person. I even do volunteer work to help the poor and sick." But Jesus says,
"Good for you! But stop avoiding the question. Do you love me?"
You might even say, "I'm a pastor, a teacher, a leader in the church. I'm always
busy talking about God and working for religious causes." But Jesus says, "Please
answer the question. Do you love me? Do you?"
It's a question none of us can avoid, a question that cuts through everything else
about us and gets at the very core of who we are and what motivates us. If you don't
love Jesus, then the central fact of your personality is that you have no connection with
the Lord and Savior of the world, and you are at odds with the God who made you. If
you do love Jesus, then the central fact of your personality is that you are in tune with
God himself at the core of who you are. All other questions, no matter how important
they might be, are secondary compared to that one simple question of Jesus: "Do you
love me?"
No one can avoid answering that question. Even Simon Peter, the most
prominent and outspoken of Jesus' disciples, had to face Jesus and look him in the
eyes and give an honest answer as Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?"
Peter had followed Jesus and learned from him for three years. He had preached about
Jesus. He had done miracles in Jesus' name. But when the time of crisis came and
Jesus was arrested, Peter denied three times that he ever knew Jesus. After Jesus rose
from the dead, Peter's core identity remained in question. What sort of man was he? Did
God still have any use for him, or was he worthless? Did he belong to Jesus, or didn't
he? When the risen Lord Jesus came to Peter, he could have said all sorts of things and
asked all sorts of questions, but he simply asked Peter, "Do you love me? Do you love
me? Do you love me?"
It grieved Peter deeply when Jesus questioned his love, especially the third time.
But Peter had to give an answer, and despite his discomfort and wounded feelings,
Peter was able to say each time, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Whatever was
weak in Peter, whatever might still be wrong with him, he did love Jesus, and he knew
that Jesus knew it. Jesus made Peter search his heart and gave Peter the opportunity
to reaffirm his love, and the Lord reaffirmed Peter as an apostle and commissioned him
to care for Christ's flock.
Answering the Question

What about you? Your personality may not be like Peter's, the details of your life
may be different from his, but Jesus' question to you is the same question he asked
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Peter: "Do you love me?" It's not just a Bible text asking that question or a preacher
quoting it. Jesus himself is asking, and he's asking you personally: Do you love me?
If you can honestly say yes to Jesus, wonderful! None of us would dare to say
that we love Jesus perfectly, but by God's grace, some of us can say with Peter, "Yes,
Lord, you know that I love you. You know all things. You know my sins and weaknesses
and failures, but you also know that I really do love you." Having Jesus question your
love may be uncomfortable and even painful at times, but you may end up reassured,
like Peter, that your love for Jesus is genuine and that the Lord has reaffirmed your
relationship to him and your calling to work for him.
But what if honesty forces you to say, "No, Jesus, I don't love you"? What if you
can't give a positive answer to Jesus' question? Well, even then, the question can do
you good. It can drive you to be realistic with Jesus and with yourself. You may discover
a dreadful void at the core of who you are, an awful dryness and deadness in your most
important relationship, your relationship to God. That discovery may be distressing, but
it may also be the first step on the road to becoming a new person.
When you hear Jesus saying, "Do you love me?" you may have to respond, "No,
Lord, I don't love you. I don't relate to you as a personal presence in my life, and I don't
love you—I just don't. I have to admit it. And up to now it hasn't bothered me much. But
now that you ask me about it, Jesus, I'm starting to see that I can't go on this way. I
can't go on thinking I'm a good person when I have no love at all for the One whom I
ought to love above all. I don't love you, Lord, and that is terribly wrong. I'm sorry. I feel
so hollow. Something is missing from the core of my life, and that something is you.
Help me to know you and your love, Lord Jesus, and help me to love you in return."
Facing your lack of love may disturb you, but at the same time it can arouse in you a
longing—and longing often leads to love.
Jesus wants more than anything to be loved by people who have tasted his love.
How do we know this? Well, when Jesus re-commissioned the apostle Peter, the Lord's
only question was, "Do you love me?" And when Jesus was asked the most important
command in Scripture, he replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).
But wait a minute. Jesus' great question says, "Do you love me?" But the great
command is, "Love the Lord your God." Aren't these two different loves? No, Jesus
made it clear that love for him and love for God are one and the same, for as Jesus put
it, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Jesus told people who rejected him, "I know
you. I know that you do not have the love of the Father in your hearts" (John 5:42). "If
God were your Father, you would love me" (John 8:42). Loving God is identical with
loving Jesus. In loving Jesus, we love his Father and his Holy Spirit as well. So when
Jesus says, "Do you love me?" he's really saying, "Do you love me as the Lord your
God? Do you love me with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength?" Please think about that.
With All Your Heart

Do you love Jesus with all your heart? The word heart here doesn't refer to the
organ that pumps your blood; your heart is your core identity, your deepest self. Is
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Jesus the central factor of your existence? Is your heart, your deepest self, attached
and bonded to Jesus in a personal way?
Maybe the question baffles you. Love Jesus with all your heart? What could that
mean? If your mother asked, "Do you love me?" you might say, "Yes, Mom, I love you
with all my heart." If you have children and one of them asked, "Do you love me?" you'd
hug your little one and say, "I love you very much, with all my heart." If your spouse
said, "Do you love me?" you'd respond with a kiss and with warm assurances of
heartfelt love—at least if your marriage is healthy.
But Jesus? How can you love him? If you've had little or no connection with
church or the Bible or anything related to Jesus, how can you love a total stranger? And
even if you do know a bit about Jesus—you know he lived long ago and perhaps you
even know some of his teachings or events from his life—how can you love him with all
your heart? After all, you know about Queen Victoria and Albert Einstein and other
historical figures, but even if you admire them, you can't honestly say you love them
with all your heart. Knowing about figures from the past is hardly the same as loving
them. They're not in the same class as family members and others you love.
The only way it makes sense to love Jesus with all your heart is if he is more
than a historical figure to you, if he is a living, real person who is active in your life right
now—just as living and real to you as your own family members, and even more dear.
Jesus asks, "Am I the love of your heart, the highest and dearest attachment of your
inmost self?"
Beware of loving anybody or anything ahead of Jesus. The Bible says that in the
last days, the time before Jesus returns, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but
denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:2-5). When you love yourself or money or pleasure
more than you love Jesus, you can still go through the motions of religion, but you have
only a dead form, not the living power of love burning in your heart.
In the Bible Jesus rebukes a church of people who are lukewarm toward him.
Picturing the heart as a house, Jesus says to them and to us, "Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). Jesus refuses to be a distant historical
figure who gets lip service from lukewarm churchgoers. Jesus is a living person who
confronts you here and now, knocking at the door of your heart. If you hear his voice
and open the door, he will come in and make himself at home with you and be your
dearest friend. Is your heart a home for Jesus? Do you love him with all your heart?
With All Your Soul

The next aspect of loving the Lord is to love him with all your soul. What does
that mean? Sometimes the word soul can refer to the invisible part of us that goes on
existing between the time our bodies die and the time they are resurrected. But here the
word soul most likely refers to our feelings and desires, our emotions and inclinations,
our passions and enthusiasms. Religion without soul, Christianity without emotion and
deep feeling, is defective and dreary, if not dead.
Some people are so afraid of emotionalism that they stifle genuine emotion. But
the Lord wants us to love him with all the emotion and feeling in our soul: to desire him,
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to delight in him, to shudder with horror when we offend him, to tremble with awe in his
presence, to burn with passion for the Lord we love.
In the Bible, Jesus addresses people in a church in Ephesus and praises them
for their hard work in serving God, for their clear thinking in rejecting phony teachers, for
standing firm in hard times, and for refusing to put up with immorality. Solid doctrine,
steadfast bravery, moral purity—doesn’t that church sound almost ideal? "Yet," says
Jesus after saying all these positive things, "I have this against you: You have forsaken
your first love" (Revelation 2:4).
You can think straight, act morally, and stand firm out of a grim sense of duty, but
all of that won't satisfy Jesus if you've lost your first love. Do you love Jesus with soul-
stirring passion, with delight, with the warm emotion and feeling of first love? Do you
love Jesus with all your soul?
With All Your Mind

Let's explore another dimension of love. Do you love the Lord with all your mind?
You may find the question a bit odd. What's the mind got to do with it? What does
thinking have to do with loving? Well, consider this. Suppose a woman says, "I love my
husband. I'd rather not hear what he says, I'd rather not know his thoughts, I'd rather not
discuss things with him, I don't want my mind to be bothered with what's on his mind,
but I love him." Her so-called "love" would be sick, wouldn't it?
And it's even sicker to suppose that you can love God without devoting your mind
to him. Jesus wants you to love him with your mind, your intellect, your powers of
reason, your imagination, and make every thought and idea an expression of love to
him. If you fill your mind with trashy paperbacks but seldom open your Bible, if you flood
your imagination with the sex and violence and consumerism of the entertainment
industry but seldom look at a tree or gaze at the sky and meditate on how wonderful
your Creator is, if you flop in front of the television every night and seldom stretch your
mind by reading a challenging book or thinking hard about a part of the Bible that
puzzles you, you are failing to love God with your whole mind.
God's people in the Bible spoke of the Lord's words and thoughts as sweeter
than honey, more precious than gold. They loved to focus their minds on the Lord and
meditate on his truth. And they didn't shy away from thinking hard about difficult
problems. What about you? Do you love God with all your mind? Do you love to read
the Bible and relish thinking some of God's thoughts after him? Do you admire and
adore God's power and wisdom in creating and controlling the world? Do you love
meditating on God's plan in saving you and his plan for world history and for his new
creation? If so, you won't rest content with a few general ideas. You'll want to learn as
much as you can and understand as much as you're capable of.
Loving Jesus with heart and soul must not be separated from loving him with
your mind. Too many of us tend to divide emotion from intellect. We separate feeling
from thinking. Some Christians express strong emotions in worship but seem afraid of
exercising their minds. Other Christians emphasize clear thinking and sound teaching
but seem afraid of anything to do with feelings. But loving Jesus involves deep feeling
and sound thinking. Our minds must be in touch with the Lord's reality, or any feelings
we have will just be shallow sentimentality. By the same token, our hearts and souls
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must be stirred by our encounter with God, or our thoughts will just be dry, dead
concepts rattling around in our brain. Jesus calls us to love him with all our soul and all
our mind. What God has joined together, let us not separate. Let us love him with
knowledge that is radiant with feeling, with logic fired by a holy passion.
With All Your Strength

There's one final aspect of loving the Lord to consider: do you love him with all
your strength—with all your energy and effort, with determination and will and action?
Love is a deep inner affection, as we've seen, but it takes a definite outward form:
pouring your energy into doing what pleases the Lord. Each time Jesus asked Peter,
"Do you love me" and Peter said yes, Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." In other words, "If
you love me, get to work! Obey my commands and do the job I've assigned you.
Jesus says in the Bible, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. Whoever
has my commands and obeys me, he is the one who loves me" (John 14:15,21). Part of
loving the Lord with your mind is finding out from the Bible what his commands are and
figuring out what they mean for your situation; and then, once you know in your mind
what the Lord wants you to do, you show your love for him by throwing all your strength
into doing what he says. You obey his commands about rejecting idols and respecting
his name and worshiping him, and you also obey his commands to love other people
and treat them the way you would want to be treated. True love for Jesus produces
energetic, obedient action. As one Christian put it, "The nearer we come to our Father's
heart the more submissive we are to his commands." That's what it means to love the
Lord with all our strength.
One more time, then, let Jesus ask you the question that penetrates every aspect
of who you are and reveals the most basic truth about you. Consider quietly and
carefully and prayerfully his question: "Do you love me? Your love will never be perfect
or complete this side of heaven, but do you have a love for me that is real and alive and
growing in every part of your being? Is love for me springing up in your heart? Is it
stirring your soul? Is it shining in your mind? Is it directing your strength and action? Do
you love me?"
This message was originally prepared by David Feddes for Back to God Ministries. Used with permission.
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The Brother You See
By David Feddes
Almost everyone you know has some characteristic you don’t like, something that
rubs you the wrong way. If you know anyone long enough, they are sure to do
something that bothers you, and often it’s not just a one-time thing but a habit,
something they do again and again. The better you know someone, the better you know
their faults. In some cases, you also know things you like that outweigh the faults. But
some people aren’t very likeable, and the longer you know them, the less likeable you
find them.
Meanwhile, God is perfect. He never does anything wrong. He has no bad habits.
God is supremely smart, perfectly fair, and amazingly creative. God is the source of
beauty, the inventor of pleasure, the fountain of joy. God is strong yet tender, just yet
merciful, master of galaxies yet friend of the small and unimportant. The better you
know God, the more admirable traits you discover. God is the most loveable being in
the universe.
It would seem far easier to love God than to love people who aren’t very likeable.
But the Bible says in 1 John 4:20, "Anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has
seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." Does that sound backward? Isn't God
more loveable than the irritating people we know? Isn’t it possible to love God but to
detest and avoid certain people?
The guy with the bad complexion, the bushy eyebrows, the big belly, and the
weird laugh, the guy who always interrupts you before you can finish a sentence, the
guy who thinks too little and drinks too much, the guy who is often wrong but never
unsure of himself, the guy with bizarre beliefs and disgusting behavior—wouldn’t it be
easy to love God without loving an ugly, irritating, hardheaded klutz like that?
Or what about that snooty woman with the whiny voice who gossips too much,
criticizes too often, argues too loudly, apologizes too rarely—and also happens to be
your wife? You may be wondering how much longer it will take for her to drive you
crazy. What could you have been thinking when you decided to marry her? If you ever
loved her, the love is long gone. Can’t you love God without loving that screechy
nightmare of a wife?
What about that family with the obnoxious teens, the horrible music played
horribly loud, the people who are always bickering with you about something—and who
happen to be your next-door neighbors? What about churchgoers who act pious on
Sundays but treat employees like dirt—and who happen to be your employers? Such
people aren’t easy to love. Can’t you love God without loving lousy neighbors and
greedy church members?
Apparently not. Scripture links love for God so closely with love for other people
that the one is impossible without the other. If you don’t love the brother you see, you
can’t love the God you don’t see.
Looking for Loopholes

Does that sound like too much to accept? You might want to look for loopholes. If
the people who upset you most happen to be women, you might be glad the biblical
statement speaks of the brother you see and not the sister. Brother means a male,
doesn’t it? Can you get away with detesting irritating females in your life? Not a chance.
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The Bible uses the word brother inclusively, meaning male and female, brother and
sister.
If you get along with your family and relatives, you might be glad the biblical
statement speaks of the brother you see and not of people who aren’t relatives. Can
you get away with not loving those who aren’t part of your family? Not a chance. The
word brother in Scripture covers much more than blood relatives.
At this point, another loophole might appear to scholars and pastors trained in
exact biblical interpretation. Expert exegetes know that the Bible often uses the word
brothers to mean fellow followers of Jesus. In fact, that’s what 1 John 4:20 means when
it speaks of the brother you see. This verse is part of a call to love fellow Christians,
brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s not speaking of love for all people in general but about
the love Christian people have for other Christians.
This is technically correct, but is it a loophole not to love some of the people you
meet? Is it okay not to love non-Christians as long as you love people of the same faith?
Not a chance. The Bible says, “Let us do good to all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). Christians have a special obligation
to love brothers in Christ, but that’s not a loophole not to love people who don’t know
Christ.
Beware of using a technically correct interpretation as an excuse not to love
certain classes of people. If you say, “Who is this brother I must love?” you sound like
the biblical scholar who once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” The scholar raised
this question in a discussion of the Lord’s commands to love God above all and to love
your neighbor as you love yourself. This man knew there were people he didn’t love, but
wouldn’t it be okay not to love them as long as they didn’t count as neighbors?
In response Jesus told a story about a man beaten by a gang of robbers and left
beside the road. A preacher hurried past without helping him. A worship leader hurried
past without helping him. Then a half-breed foreigner, a Samaritan, came along. He
gave the victim first aid, brought him to an inn to recover, and paid all expenses. Jesus
concluded the story by asking the scholar, "Which of these three do you think was a
neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The scholar could only reply,
“The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus turned the question around. Instead of asking, “Who is my neighbor?” and
looking for loopholes, Jesus teaches us to ask, “How can I be a neighbor?” and look for
people to help.
If you’re an expert sitting in a comfortable lecture hall analyzing the question,
“Who is my neighbor?” you might decide that some people (such as lowlife Samaritans)
don’t qualify as neighbors at all. You might think your neighbor is the person most like
you, the person you find easiest to fit in with, perhaps a fellow scholar, preacher, or
worship leader.
But if you’ve been robbed and beaten, if you have no money and are losing blood
and may die if nobody helps you, it changes the whole neighbor question. When you’re
looking for loopholes, you’re eager to disqualify certain people from being your neighbor
so that you don’t have to love them. But when you’re desperate for help, you’re hoping
that somebody—anybody—will act as a neighbor and a brother to you.
When the Bible says, “Anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen,
cannot love God, whom he has not seen,” don’t look for loopholes. Even if they don’t fit
the exact definition of brothers in this particular Bible passage, even if you consider
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them not brothers but enemies, Jesus commands, “Love your enemies.” There are no
loopholes not to love. If you don’t love the people you see, you can’t love the unseen
God.
The Unseen Arranger

But that brings us back to the problem we started with. Isn’t it easier to love a
perfect God than imperfect people? Not necessarily. God deserves love more than
anyone else, but we can’t see him. We can’t touch him. We can’t do anything to help
him because he doesn’t need us. Many of us don’t know what God is really like, and we
may fool ourselves into thinking we love him when in fact we only love our own
imaginary version of God.
In fact, some of the things that make God most worthy of love are some of the
things we like least. As sinners we tend to dislike anyone holier than we are. We tend to
dislike anyone smarter, stronger, and more capable than we are. Some of the people
we dislike the most are those we envy the most. But God is the one we envy most of all,
even if we don’t admit it.
We wish we could be God. We wish we had God’s power to do whatever we
want. We wish we had God’s authority to decide what’s right and wrong. We wish we
had God’s freedom to run the universe according to our own agenda. Deep down we
wish we could be God. We resent the fact that God gets to be God and we don’t. This
resentment of the invisible God shows up in our resentment of the people God puts in
our life.
It’s easy to think that love for God is feeling good vibes toward him, saying a few
pious words, and maybe singing a religious song now and then. But one of the main
ways to show true love for the unseen God is to love people we see. You might say, “I
love God. I think he’s wonderful. But you should see the horrible family members and
people I have to deal with. I can love God without loving some of those bozos.”
Here’s a gentle question: Who put you in that particular family? Who brought you
into that neighborhood with those irritating people down the street? Who got you a job
working with people who infuriate you? Who expects you to love people whom you’d
rather never have met? It was God.
God is the one who arranges your life. If you hate the arrangement, you hate the
Arranger. If you hate the people he has put in your path, you hate the Lord for putting
them in your path. According to the Bible, God arranges your life and relationships. He
sets the timing of your life and decides your exact location, with the intent that you
would reach out for him and find him (Acts 17:26-27). God shapes all things—including
every detail of your life and every relationship—in keeping with his purpose and plan
(Ephesians 1:11). So if you hate the way your life is going, and if you hate the people in
your life, the one you really hate is God. Don’t lie to yourself. If you don’t love those you
see, you can’t love the unseen Arranger who made those people part of your life.
Loving God’s Icon

Another reason you can’t love God without loving people around you is that each
person serves as an icon of God to others. The Bible says that God created man in his
own image and likeness. Another word for image is icon. Scripture says that it’s
ridiculous to praise God with your mouth and then use that same mouth to curse
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humans who are made in his image, who are his icons (James 3:9-10). Since God is
invisible, one way to show love for him is to love his icons.
Some religions specialize in statues, pictures, images, and icons. But God has
never allowed his people to make idols or carved images to represent God or to be
objects of devotion. One reason for this is that the invisible, infinite God refuses to be
limited, misrepresented, or controlled by use of images. Another reason is that God has
already made icons toward which we can show our love and devotion for God. Our
fellow humans are God’s icons for us, and we are to serve the Lord by serving them.
God doesn’t want us kissing pictures of Jesus or bowing before statues we have made.
God doesn’t want us to love and serve any icons we make. He wants us to love and
serve the icon he makes, the image of God in other people. Those people aren’t
actually God, of course, any more than I am God, but I must see each one as God’s
icon and treat them as I would want to treat the Lord himself if he were in that particular
situation. Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will
repay him for what he has done.”
Jesus says that at the end of the world, he will tell those who are saved that they
gave him food, clothing, shelter, friendship, and hospitality. They will ask, “Lord, when
did we ever see you in need?” Jesus will say, “Whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus will then tell the damned
that they neglected him and refused to help him when he needed it. They will say, “Lord,
when did we ever see you and not help you?” Jesus will say, “Whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matthew 25:45). The way we deal
with other people is something Jesus takes personally. Your relationship to the Lord
shows up in your treatment of others, for each human is God’s icon, created in his
image.
If you find some people hard to love, it’s probably because their personality
clashes with yours and their goals get in the way of yours. But if you can’t love someone
you see because of the differences between you, how can you love the unseen God,
who is far more different? You are much more like your fellow sinners than you are like
God. Part of your training ground in loving God, who is absolutely different from you, is
learning to love people who are only somewhat different from you.
An icon is a physical connection with something spiritual. Spiritual attitudes show
up in physical actions. Another person is an icon of God, and your material acts of love
are icons or visible tokens of your love for God. The Bible says,
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we
ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be
in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth (1 John 3:16-18).
If you love the Lord and are headed for heaven, it shows up in physical help for the
brother you see. If you reject God and are headed for hell, it shows up in your neglect of
the physical needs of God’s icon, the brother you see.
God’s Brand of Love

You can’t love the unseen but deserving God without loving your seen but often
undeserving brother. It might seem easier to love the deserving than the undeserving,
but here’s the reality: if you love God at all, it’s only because he loved you first. He loved
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you when you didn’t deserve it. Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice to pay for your
sins. Jesus didn’t die for you because you deserved it but because you needed it. And if
you are saved and the Spirit of Christ lives in you, you love others and give of yourself
to help them, not because they deserve it but because they need it. If you’ve been loved
with God’s kind of love and have been saved by it, that same kind of love will flow
through you to others. In 1 John 4, the Bible says,
God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love
is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of
judgment, because in this world we are like him… We love because he first loved
us. If anyone says, “I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone
who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he
has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also
love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21).
If you don’t love others, you don’t love God. You don’t even know him. If you don’t stand
up for the weak and help the needy, you don’t even know the Almighty. The Bible says
of a godly ruler, “He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended
the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is not that what it means to know
me?” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 22:15-16). If you think knowing God is a matter of
inner feelings or mystical experiences, think again. God says that to do right and help
the needy is to know him.
When you know God, you know he helps the helpless because he helped you
when you were helpless. When you know God, you know he forgives the undeserving
because he forgave you when you didn’t deserve it. When you know God, you know he
loves his enemies because he loved you and bled for you when you were still his
enemy. When you know God and experience his kind of love, you will show such love
toward others.
Climbing Down a Chimney

To show love for God, start by loving those closest to you. Our first introduction
to other people—and the first test of love for God—is family life. One way to measure
how much you honor God is how much you honor your parents. If you won’t love and
honor parents you can see, you cannot love the heavenly Father you can’t see. How
well do you get along with your sisters and brothers? How much do you fight and argue
with them? Do you really care about your extended family? Family is the first test of love
for God and for humanity.
Some people claim to be great lovers of humanity. They have like-minded
buddies who share their interest and whose company they enjoy. They have ideals for
society, and they like those who share their ideals. But many of these idealists and
lovers of humanity can’t stand their own family members, and that makes me doubt
whether they are such great lovers of humanity after all. You don’t love humanity if you
only love a few of your favorite, hand-picked humans but don’t love those who are part
of your life without your choice.
British author G. K. Chesterton wrote, “The best way that a man could test his
readiness to encounter the common variety of mankind would be to climb down into any
house at random, and get on as well as possible with the people inside. And that is
essentially what each one of us did on the day that he was born.” Coming out of your
mother’s birth canal was kind of like climbing down a chimney into a house you didn’t
5
choose and landing among people you didn’t know. They are the first people you must
learn to love. Anyone who does not love his family, whom he has seen, cannot love
humanity in general, whom he has not seen and does not really know. And he certainly
cannot love God. Failure to love and care for relatives and immediate family makes a
person worse than someone who doesn’t believe in God at all (1 Timothy 5:8).
Loving the World

Love for humanity starts at home, but it doesn’t stop there. If you know Jesus,
love goes beyond the biological family to include the family of God. You feel special
affection for fellow Christians and special obligation to help needy followers of Jesus.
Even then, you haven’t reached the limit of love.
You are more directly responsible for some people than for others, but you are
never free to write anyone off or to dismiss an entire class of people as beyond the
boundaries of your love. The Bible says that God loved the world, and our love, like
God’s, must be worldwide and not be limited to our own group or nation. As individuals
we must show love, and even as societies and nations, we must build policies on
helping others, not merely on taking advantage of them.
What if a high-ranking government official declared that his main goal was to
keep his nation rich at the expense of poor nations? What if a country proclaimed itself
a land of opportunity, freedom, and human rights, but said that such things were
irrelevant for dealing with other nations? It would be bad politics for a government to say
such things openly. But in a 1948 top secret memorandum which was later declassified,
George Kennan, the head of the Policy Planning Staff of the U.S. State Department at
the time, declared:
We have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population… In this
situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in
the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to
maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national
security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-
dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our
immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford
today the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction… We should stop putting
ourselves in the position of being our brothers' keeper and refrain from offering
moral and ideological advice. We should cease to talk about vague and … unreal
objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and
democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in
straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans,
the better. (Policy Planning Study 23, February 24, 1948).
Someone who wanted to express that policy approach in a simple slogan would say,
“It’s the economy, stupid.” If someone accused the United States of trying to stay rich
while keeping others poor or of dismissing the ideals it claims to stand for, Americans
might object that the accusation was unfair and that the accuser was an anti-American
radical. But this was not a dissident accusation; it was a policy paper. I’m sure not every
government leader felt this way, but it wasn’t just a low-level nobody who called for
using power to maintain a huge wealth advantage. George Kennan was perhaps the
leading American foreign policy thinker during the past half-century.
6
Such an approach involves love of money and trust in power, not love of people
or trust in God. A nation which cares only about itself and takes advantage of others
must repent or perish. An individual who cares only about himself and takes advantage
of others must repent or perish.
In our homes, in our neighborhoods and churches, in our own nation and in
relations with other nations, God calls us to love him by loving the brother we see.
Whether doing personal acts of love for an individual or seeking public justice in the
affairs of nations, our relationship to God becomes visible in the way we relate to others.
Love God by loving the brother you see.
This message was originally prepared by David Feddes for Back to God Ministries. Used with permission.
7
Creationist Living
By David Feddes
If opinion polls are right, most of us agree that God created the universe. We
may disagree about how long ago the Lord began creating or what methods he used,
but most of us agree that God did it. Even among those who accept at least some
aspects of evolutionary theory, the vast majority still believe that the entire process was
begun and directed by God. Only a small minority say that God had nothing to do with it,
that the entire universe, including humanity, is just a cosmic accident.
Most of us believe in divine creation. But so what? What difference does it make?
One way to answer that is to hear from someone who doesn’t believe in the Creator
God. Francis Crick wrote in his book The Astonishing Hypothesis: “The Astonishing
Hypothesis is that ‘You,’ your joys and sorrows, your memories and your ambitions,
your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a
vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.” Sound inspiring? In
response to Crick, Professor Phillip Johnson pointed out that we might not take Crick’s
“astonishing hypothesis” seriously if Crick just came out and said, “I, Francis Crick, my
opinions and my science, and even the thoughts expressed in this book consist of
nothing more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated
molecules.” Crick’s hypothesis is self-refuting. If he had no self, why listen to him? If his
thoughts were just nerves and molecules interacting, why pay any attention to them?
Denying the Creator—whether as a materialist who believes only in matter and
molecules, or as a Buddhist who accepts the doctrine of no self—leaves us without any
basis for supposing that human thought and morality can have any connection with
reality.
Why does belief in the Creator matter? For starters, because creation is the
foundation for rationality, morality, and human dignity. So if you don’t already believe in
the Creator, I encourage you to reconsider.
Right now, though, I don’t want to challenge those who don’t believe in creation
so much as I want to challenge those who do believe in creation. Sometimes those of
us who believe in creation tend to focus on out-arguing those who don’t. We focus on
the origin and early history of the universe. Christians try to convince atheists that the
universe exists only because God made it, and we also debate with fellow Christians
who hold different views of how God did it. This is important.
But we're not going to focus on getting our facts straight, important as that is.
Instead of debating various theories, let's just suppose you and I both believe God
created the cosmos, and what's more, let's suppose we've got the right theory of how he
did it. Then what? Supposing we've got our facts straight about what God did a long
time ago, what difference does it make right now?
Let's assume we believe the first verse of the Bible: "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). We believe what God says in the
book of Isaiah: "It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands
stretched out the heavens" (Isaiah 45:12). We're in tune with Hebrews 11:3: "By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at God's command." We believe the truth of
creation. But what's it like to live the truth of creation?
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Faith in the Creator isn't just a fact to be stored away in our mental filing cabinet.
It's not just a theory about something God did a long time ago. We don’t just need
creationist belief. We need creationist living. A living faith in the Creator affects
everything: the way we relate to God, the way we relate to people, and the way we
relate to the earth.
Relating to God
Let's begin with what it means for our relationship to God. One thing it means is
that we live with confidence in our Creator. It's good to have correct beliefs about what
the Creator did long ago in getting the universe started, but what good is it if we can't
trust him for today and tomorrow? We can have all the right ideas about origins, we can
even criticize the flaws in other people's theories, yet we sometimes manage to worry
ourselves sick, as though the Creator were no longer in charge.
Jesus told us that instead of worrying, we should trust our Creator. After all, God
makes sure the birds have plenty to eat; he gives splendid clothing to the flowers. If
that's how he takes care of his lesser creatures, he can make sure you've got food to
eat and clothes to wear. So don't worry about these things, says Jesus. Your heavenly
Father knows you need them. You just seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness,
and leave the rest to God (Matthew 6:25-34).
Our worries would be understandable if we believed that everything in the
universe happens by pure chance, that there's no plan for our lives, and that nobody's in
charge. But if we believe that the entire universe is God's creation—if we really believe
that God made it and that he continues to uphold and direct it, then it's time to stop
worrying and start trusting.
We can trust God to care for our immediate needs, and we can also be confident
also for the ultimate future. If you were an atheist, you might have a right to feel gloomy.
If you believed that when you die, you're dead, and that's the end of you, there wouldn't
be much room for hope. If you were convinced that humanity will eventually become
extinct, that the earth will eventually be swallowed up by the sun, and that the entire
solar system will collapse and leave no trace of life—if you were convinced that that's
how it's all going to end, then I wouldn’t blame you for feeling grim and grumpy and
glum.
But if you believe in the Creator, the gloom has got to go. Despair has to give
way to confidence. The Lord who originally created something out of nothing can also
bring life out of death; indeed, Jesus Christ, the one through whom all things were
created, has already risen from the dead, and by faith in him, you can have a splendid
future. What's more, the entire creation will be set free from it's bondage to sin and
decay, and it will ultimately be renewed and transformed to be what the Creator wants it
to be. When you're confident of all that, why be a pessimist. Death isn't our ultimate
destiny; life is! The universe isn't doomed to ruin; it's destined for renewal! So stop
moping and start hoping! Don't just say you believe the truth about creation; live it!
Creation living involves a powerful sense of confidence in God. It also involves
an attitude of gratitude.
In one of the Bible's great songs about creation, Psalm 104, the writer says, "He
makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food
2
from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and
bread that sustains his heart" (v. 14-15). In another place, the Bible says, "He has
shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides
you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy" (Acts 14:17). The Bible makes it
clear that God didn't just get the universe going a long time ago. He's the one who
supplies every good thing right now, and that calls for thankfulness on our part.
Unfortunately, though, it's possible to believe the correct theories about creation,
and yet live as though we've earned everything we've got, as though we deserve all the
credit for our prosperity and success. Instead of being grateful, we become arrogant.
Maybe you've got an excellent mind, and you've done very well in the academic world.
Well, before you become too proud of your brainpower, don't forget where it comes
from. As the Lord asked Job, "Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave
understanding to the mind?" (Job 38:36)
Or maybe you started with very little, and over the years, you've become
successful and prosperous. You've got a business, you've got money, you've got a
great house, and you may think it's all due to your cleverness and hard work. But aren't
you forgetting something? As the Bible puts it, "You may say to yourself, 'My power and
the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord
your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth..." (Deuteronomy 8:17-
18) In other words, you're not a self-made success. You didn't pull yourself up by your
bootstraps. You wouldn't have any ability to produce wealth; you wouldn't have
opportunities to make money, if your Creator hadn't given them to you.
If you believed only in the survival of the fittest, then I suppose that when you
succeeded, you could congratulate yourself on making yourself one of the fittest. But if
you and I believe in the Creator, then pride has got to go. There's only room for humble
gratitude. We can only say, "Thank you" to our Creator for giving us so many good
things.
And that brings us to a third way that creationist living affects our relationship to
God: a sense of wonder and praise. Creation isn't just an academic theory. Creation is a
present reality. It's a grand theater which displays God's glory, and we should be
applauding.
Psalm 104 is a marvelous hymn about God's creation. It begins, "O Lord my
God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty" (v. 1). The inspired
writer sees God's splendor in the dazzling brightness of the sun. He hears God's power
in the deep roar of the thunder. He sees God's creativity and loving care in sky and
clouds, in meadows and mountains, in wild donkeys and mountain goats and lions, in
birds and fish. The writer is so full of awe and amazement he can hardly contain
himself: "How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is
full of your creatures" (v. 24). He ends by exclaiming, "May the glory of the Lord endure
forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works... I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing
praise to my God as long as I live" (v. 31).
So don't just believe certain facts about creation. Experience the creation itself,
and offer the Creator wonder and praise. As you look at the sky on a clear night, echo
Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his
hands." When you're looking at a flower or watching a sunset or walking through a zoo
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or driving through a park or wildlife preserve or hiking up a mountain or savoring an
orange, it's a good time to praise the Creator and marvel at his greatness. God has
birds to sing his praise, lions to roar his praise, elephants to trumpet his praise, breezes
to whisper his praise, brooks to babble his praise, thunder to rumble his praise, but he
also seeks praise from you and me, and he loves to hear it. When we have a living faith
in the Creator, we do more than just nod our heads in agreement with a certain set of
facts. We pay attention to what the Lord has made, and we praise him for it.
So far, we've seen how a living faith in creation affects our attitude toward God: it
inspires confidence and gratitude and praise. Now, in the time we have left, let's see
how it affects our relationship to people and to the rest of creation.
Relating to People
The Bible teaches that every person is a creation of God, made in his image. If
you and I believe this and live what we believe, it has a profound impact on how we
relate to ourselves and to other people.
It changes the way you think about yourself. You may have a tendency to run
yourself down. Maybe you think you're too ugly or too stupid or too clumsy or whatever.
Maybe you feel worthless because of some disability. Well, before you run yourself
down any more, don't forget who made you.
When God told Moses to lead his people, Moses said, "I'm not eloquent. I
stumble and bumble when I talk. I'm slow of speech and tongue." And what did God
say? He said, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives
him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 3:10-11)
When you degrade yourself and your abilities, you're also degrading the one who
made you. The Bible says, "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker... Does the clay
say to the potter, 'What are you making?'" (Isaiah 45:9) God didn't make us all the
same, he didn't give us all the same looks or the same abilities, but he did make each of
us in his image, and he's given each of us characteristics and abilities that he expects
us to make the most of, instead of complaining about what we don't have. Do you really
believe God made you in his image? Then live like it!
And remember, you and I aren't the only ones who bear God's image. Every
person we meet does too. And that must shape the way we treat them. Before we insult
or curse other people, we need to realize that we'll be insulting their Maker as well. The
book of James says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we
curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come
praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be" (James 3:9-10). The Creator takes
insults to his image-bearers personally. Maybe that's why Jesus said in his great
Sermon on the Mount that "anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of
hell" (Matthew 5:22).
I suppose that if you thought people just evolved by accident from primeval slime,
it might make sense to treat them like slime. But if you believe that people are made in
God's image, you'd better treat them like royalty. This includes people of races and
nations other than your own. I know people who are very strict and proper in their
doctrines of how God created Adam and Eve; they're scrupulous about the most minute
details of the biblical story, and yet they treat people from a different ethnic background
4
with contempt. What's the use of knowing the truth if you don't live it? What the using of
saying people are made in God's image if you don't treat them that way?
If you believed that some races are more evolved than others and that only the
fittest should survive, I can see why you might feel justified in despising and degrading
and even destroying people who are different, but not if you believe in creation.
According to the Bible, "From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they
should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact
places where they should live" (Acts 17:26). It's God who put us in different places; it's
God who formed different races from the same original parents. And, in the words of the
Bible, "God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him
and do what is right" (Acts 10:34-35). If we believe in a Creator who doesn't show
favoritism, who accepts people from every nation, then that should be our attitude as
well.
There's still another way our faith in creation affects the way we relate to others.
It involves economics. In reading a major biography of Charles Darwin, I was struck
again by the fact that Darwin's ideas about competition among various life forms and
survival of the fittest didn't originate in his study of biological data. Darwin got his ideas
from reading the economic theories of Thomas Malthus. Malthus favored the idea that
people are always in competition for economic survival. Smart, capable, hard-working
people are successful, and poor people are inferior. It's survival of the fittest. These
economic ideas are what Darwin adapted and used in his biological theories.
The irony is that some people who reject Darwinist biology as anti-Christian and
evil seem to be firm believers in survival of the fittest when it comes to economics.
They're not satisfied to make a living; they want more and more, and they're eager to
crush any competitor they can. If they run a business, they don't see their employees as
people made in God's image, but only as units in an economic machine where you try to
get the maximum amount of work out of them for the least amount of money. They
respect those who are rich and successful, and treat the poor as inferior beings. It's
done under the banners of "free enterprise," but it’s social and economic Darwinism.
Now, it's okay to make a living, to do your best, to make a profit, and so forth. But
if we see other people only in terms of survival of the fittest, and not as God's image-
bearers, we have wandered far from creationist living. We can't measure someone's
value in terms of financial success.
When you live the truth of creation, you realize that rich and poor have equal
value in God's sight. In Proverbs 22:2, the Bible says, "Rich and poor have this in
common: The Lord is the Maker of them all." Having money and power doesn't make
you better than those with less. In fact, you need to be careful how you treat the poor,
because God takes it personally. In Proverbs 14:31, the Bible says, "He who oppresses
the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God"
(Proverbs 14:31). And Proverbs 19:17 says, "He who is kind to the poor lends to the
Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).
So don't settle for just believing the doctrinal truth about people being made in
God's image. Live that truth. Respect God's image in yourself and others. Regard
people of other nationalities as equals. Treat your employees fairly. Realize that your
business competitors are more than just rivals to be crushed. And show kindness to the
5
poor, knowing that God is the Maker of all. That's all part of creationist living in relation
to people.
Relating to the Earth

In addition to shaping how we relate to God and to people, creationist living also
shapes how we relate to the world around us. Some people talk about earth as a living
and divine entity, as a goddess called Gaia or Mother Earth. But it's wrong to worship
the earth if God made it. We should worship the Maker, not something he made.
Likewise, it's foolish to rely on astrology or to read horoscopes as though the stars
control our destiny. God made the stars. God controls our destiny; the stars don't.
Creationist living rejects every form of nature worship.
Still, although creation isn't a goddess or a god, it does belong to God, so we
can't treat it just any way we please. The Bible says, "The earth is the Lord's, and
everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). This is God's creation and
God's property, and so we must treat it with respect. God values all his animals, even
the smallest bird, and that means we must treat animals with care. We can eat meat or
use animal products in order to live, but there's no place for cruelty or needless
destruction of animals.
When we live the truth of creation, we will treat this earth with care. The Bible
teaches us to think of the earth as a garden. One kind of garden is the sort that
produces food: a fruit or vegetable garden. And certainly the earth is a garden in that
sense. We depend on the earth's resources to sustain our very lives. We can't damage
water, soil, and air without damaging ourselves. So we'd better take very good care of
this garden we live in, since it is God’s way of providing for our physical needs.
The earth is a garden also in another sense. Some people enjoy having a flower
garden. They don't eat from it; they maintain it simply for its beauty. They enjoy the
bright colors and the lovely scent of the flowers. Likewise, some parts of creation don't
produce much food or have much economic value. They're just beautiful displays of
God's creativity, made for his delight and ours. God created the earth not only to
produce food, but also to display beauty.
If you've got accurate beliefs about how God made the world, but then toss
garbage out the window when you're driving down the road, what good are your beliefs?
What does the Creator think? You and I have no right to deface or vandalize the beauty
of what he's made. In creationist living, we care for the earth like we're gardeners. For
our own survival, we try to keep the earth productive and useful. We also seek to
maintain its beauty.
So how about it? The opinion polls say that most of us believe in creation. But
are we living the truth about creation? I know I've fallen short, and I suspect you have
too. We've sinned against God, against people, and against the rest of creation. We
need to be forgiven, and we need to change. We need the blood of Jesus to wash away
our sins, and we need God's Holy Spirit to help us, not simply to know the truth about
creation, but to make creationist living a reality in our everyday attitudes and actions.
Originally prepared by David Feddes for Back to God Ministries International. Used with permission.
6
Understanding
God’s Law
David Feddes
Ignorance of ethics
• Of 37 pastors in an ethics course, only 10
listed the Ten Commandments in order.
7 more had all the commandments but in
scrambled order. The other 20 pastors
could not list all Ten Commandments.
• Less than half of professing evangelicals
can list five of the Ten Commandments.
• 13% of Americans in general think all Ten
Commandments are still binding today.
Christian Ethics:
Spirit-‐directed, heartfelt
obedience to Jesus’ rules
•  If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. (John 14:15)
•  I will put my law in their minds and write
it on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33).
•  You are a letter from Christ… written not
with ink but with the Spirit of the living
God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of human hearts. (2 Cor 3:3).
Three kinds of
Old Testament laws
1.  Ceremonial: rituals pointing ahead to
Christ that are now fulfilled in Him. These
are no longer required of Christians.
2.  Civil: case laws for governing the old
covenant people of Israel. These provide
valuable information for a just society but
are not laws for every nation in every age.
3.  Moral: God’s timeless will for loving Him
and neighbor in all times and places.
Ways to know God’s moral law
1.  Scripture: God speaks clear commands.
2.  Conscience: For when Gentiles, who do not
have the law, by nature do what the law
requires, they are a law to themselves, even
though they do not have the law. They show
that the work of the law is written on their
hearts, while their conscience also bears
witness. (Rom 2:14-15).
3.  Design: how the world and humans function
4.  Consequences: healthy or destructive
What can God’s
moral law do for us?
•  Teacher of sin: God’s law can show unsaved
people their sinfulness and their desperate
need of a Savior, driving them toward Jesus.
•  NOT self-salvation: God’s law cannot help
us to earn God’s favor or save ourselves.
•  Pattern of love: God’s law shows thankful,
saved, Spirit-filled believers the pattern of
love toward God and people.
Locked up by the law
Scripture declares that the whole world is a
prisoner of sin, so that what was promised,
being given through faith in Jesus Christ,
might be given to those who believe. Before
this faith came, we were held prisoners by
the law, locked up until faith should be
revealed. So the law was put in charge to
lead us to Christ that we might be justified
by faith. (Galatians 3:22-24)
What imprisons us?
1.  Sin: “The whole world is a prisoner of sin.”
2.  Law: “held prisoners by the law.”
Is the law bad like sin?

1.  Crime puts people in prison.
2.  Police and guards put people in prison.
Does prison save?
•  Does spending time in prison really
“pay a debt to society”?
•  Does penitentiary create penitence,
or is it just “the pen”?
•  Do “correctional institutions” really
correct?
•  Do “reformatories” really reform?
Does prison save?
•  75% of prisoners will commit another
crime after they are released.
•  14% of those discipled while in prison
will return to crime.
God’s law shows sin
What then shall we say? That the law is
sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for
the law, I would not have known sin. For I
would not have known what it is to covet if
the law had not said, “You shall not
covet.” (Romans 7:7)
Q. How do you come to know your misery?
A. The law of God tells me.
(Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 3)
God’s law stirs up sin
Did that which is good, then, bring death to
me? By no means! It was sin, producing
death in me through what is good, in order
that sin might be shown to be sin, and
through the commandment might become
sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:13)
Teacher of sin
• God’s law shows sin and even stirs up sin.
This is evidence of how bad we really are.
• The law was added because of
transgression until the Seed to whom the
promise referred had come… So the law
was put in charge to lead us to Christ that
we might be justified by faith. ” (Gal 3:19).
• “If I hadn’t come to prison, I would still be
caught up in the black hole of evil. Prison
actually rescued me from myself.”
Who needs a Savior?
• C. S. Lewis: “People focus on God’s duties to
them, not their duties to Him.”
• “A sense of sin is almost totally lacking.”
• “Moderns approach God Himself as his
judges. They want to know, not whether they
can be acquitted for sin, but whether He can
be acquitted for creating such a world.”
• “We have to convince our hearers of the
unwelcome diagnosis before we can expect
them to welcome the news of the remedy.”
What can God’s
What is the greatest
commandment?
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your
mind. This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it:
Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law
and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).
Q. No one in this life can obey the Ten
Commandments perfectly; why then does
God want them preached so pointedly?
A. First, so that the longer we live the more we
may come to know our sinfulness and the
more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness
of sins and righteousness. Second, so that,
while praying to God for the grace of the
Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be
renewed more and more after God's image,
until after this life we reach our goal:
perfection. (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 115)
What can God’s
Christian Ethics:
Spirit-‐directed, heartfelt
obedience to Jesus’ rules
•  If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. (John 14:15)
•  I will put my law in their minds and write
it on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33).
•  You are a letter from Christ… written not
with ink but with the Spirit of the living
God, not on tablets of stone but on
tablets of human hearts. (2 Cor 3:3)
KNOWING & DOING
A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind This article originally appeared in the Fall 2001
issue of the C. S. Lewis Institute Report.
C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE
PROFILES IN FAITH
Francis Schaeffer (1912–84)
by Dr. Art Lindsley, Scholar-in-Residence
F
rancis August Schaeffer was born on January 30, justice. He could either give up claim to knowing what
1912 in the small town of Germantown, Penn- was just or find a basis for it in an absolute standard
sylvania. His life, books and Switzerland-based of right and wrong, most adequately grounded in an
ministry L’Abri have had immense and wide-ranging infinite-personal God.
impact on this generation, personally touching many Schaeffer often argued that, when it comes down
people, including me. How was Francis, together with to it, our options are few. Our origins arise out of:
his wife Edith, able to impact so many people? 1) Nothing, 2) The Impersonal, or 3) The Personal.
First, he was able to get people to think about Schaeffer argued that the Personal-Infinite God alone
the large issues of life and reality. I remember when was the key that unlocked the secrets of the Cosmos.
Schaeffer came to speak in a chapel service at Seattle A second reason for Francis Schaeffer’s enormous
Pacific University where I was an undergraduate. Like impact was his emphasis on both the dignity and fall-
most of my classmates, I had been brought up as a enness of mankind. In one of his classic sermons, “No
believer, but I had never heard anything like what Little People,” he says:
Schaeffer was discussing. He dealt with the Trinity,
Though we are limited and weak in talent, physical
the nature of the Creation, the reality of the Fall, and
energy, and psychological strength, we are not less
the intellectual credibility of faith in Christ. In many
than a stick of wood. But, as the rod of Moses had
ways, it was over my head at that time, and I can even
to become the rod of God, so that which is me must
remember that my mind hurt as I tried to follow him.
become the me of God. Then I can become useful in
However, I was so fascinated by what he said that,
God’s hands. The Scripture emphasizes that much
following his talk, I attended the question-and-answer
can come from little if the little is truly consecrated
time in the Student Union. That first exposure later led
to God. There are no little people and no big people
to my reading his books Escape from Reason and The
in the true spiritual sense, but only consecrated and
God Who is There, both of which opened new arenas
unconsecrated people. The problem for each of us is
for exploration.
applying this truth to ourselves . . . only one thing is
Over the years, as I have met and talked with oth-
important: to be consecrated persons in God’s place for
ers who encountered Schaeffer, my response seems to
us, at each moment. Those who think of themselves as
have been typical. Like me, many believers had been
little people in little places, if committed to Christ and
exposed to a more narrow perspective on the faith and
living under His Lordship in the whole of life, may,
had no idea of the comprehensive implications of that
by God’s grace, change the flow of our generation.
faith or how the Biblical worldview answered ques-
tions in a uniquely persuasive way. In many ways, life
One way in which he demonstrated this respect for
is like a key chain that contains many keys, only one
the dignity of individuals was through hours of listen-
of which unlocks the lock. Faith in Christ is that key
ing and lovingly speaking the truth of Christ to people
according to Schaeffer; no other view is adequate to
he met. In fact, his wife Edith maintains that much of
explain the nature of reality.
his education was from discussions with other people
Schaeffer’s method was to push the nonbeliever
rather than from books alone. Edith writes in L’Abri:
to the logical conclusion of their false assumptions.
Alternately, he would push the nonbeliever to an ad- Rather than studying volumes in an ivory tower sepa-
equate basis for their highest aspirations. For instance, rated from life and developing a theory separated from
one young man arrived at L’Abri an atheist, although the thinking and struggling of men, Fran has been
passionately committed to social justice. He was gen- talking for thirteen years now to men and women in
tly persuaded to see that if his atheism were true there the very midst of their struggles. He has talked to ex-
was no secure basis for any absolute value, including istentialists, logical positivists, Hindus, Buddhists,
2 Profiles in Faith: Francis Schaeffer
liberal Protestants, liberal Roman Catholics, Reformed which can give glory to God. Schaeffer also pointed
Jews and atheist Jews, Muslims, members of occult to the importance of listening to contemporary cul-
cults… brilliant professors, brilliant students and ture—plays, music, movies, and literature—as an act
brilliant drop-outs! He has talked to beatniks, hip- of love enabling us to speak more compassionately to
pies, drug addicts, homosexuals and psychologically our generation.
disturbed people…. The answers have been given, not Fifth, Schaeffer emphasized the importance of an-
out of academic research (although he does volumes of tithesis. The biblical view, he contended, involves ac-
reading constantly to keep up), but out of this arena of knowledging a contradiction between true and false
live conversation. He answers real questions with care- prophets, right and wrong, good and evil, salvation
fully thought out answers which are real answers…. and judgment, the broad way and the narrow way. J.I.
Packer writes, “For Schaeffer the most tragic—because
Francis Schaeffer believed in involving himself in the most anti-human—thing in life was willful refusal
life—in answering the real questions of real people. by a human being to face the antithesis or rather the
Third, the very foundation of his life was a pas- series of antitheses, with which God in Holy Scripture
sion for Christ, shown in his book True Spirituality. confronts us, and in this perception I think he was
At one point, having arrived in Europe after a num- right.”
ber of years as a pastor in a conservative Presbyterian Schaeffer has gotten much criticism for being either
church, he had a crisis of faith. For several months, he wrong on details of philosophy or over-simplistic on
wrestled with whether his faith was “true truth,” not the history of art or other areas. He was an evangelist
just his own perception of things but objectively real. not always concerned with the nuances of the special-
At the end of that period, he strongly reaffirmed his ist scholar. His was the place of the crusading “car-
faith and a passion to live by trusting in Christ. One toonist” whose simple sketches give valuable insights
of the ways this was demonstrated was by praying into life. Again, Packer writes: “My guess is that his
about finances but not sending out any letters asking verbal and visual cartoons, simplistic but brilliant as
for money. Many times God answered their prayers they appear to me to be, will outlive everything else.
at just the right time giving them the exact amount I am sure, however, that I shall not be at all wrong
needed. Prayer was a way of life at L’Abri. Anky when I hail Francis Schaeffer…as one of the truly great
Rookmaaker writes: “What impressed me most…was Christians of my time.” Although he could deal with
that the Schaeffers believed in prayer, and that their the details of academic discussion, Francis Schaeffer’s
prayers were answered often in a very direct way…. greatest gift was to identify the larger religious and
It was so different than prayer so often is—not just a personal issues which lie behind the various intel-
blind hope, but in faith, believing that God did hear lectual smokescreens. In his focus on what was truly
and that He would answer….” Schaeffer not only in- important and in his refusal to let his listeners remain
volved himself in the lives of real people, he also dem- on the level of the superficial, his legacy will endure.
onstrated faith in a real God.
Fourth, Schaeffer manifested a place for the signifi-
cance of the arts and artists. I can vividly remember
hearing Schaeffer speak at Geneva College on what lat-
er became a short book, Art and the Bible. He spoke to ___________________
the tragedy of many Christian young people who had © 2001 C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE
a passion for music, painting, sculpture, film, etc., but 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 300 • Springfield, VA 22151
703/914-5602
were discouraged from that pursuit by well-meaning www.cslewisinstitute.org
parents and church leaders. They were unable to see
a vision for truth, goodness and beauty that was not
merely focused on specifically Biblical and redemptive
themes, but on all of creation. For instance, Schaeffer C.S. LEWIS INSTITUTE
Discipleship of Heart and Mind
noted that Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005
songs. He especially pointed out that Solomon “spoke 


of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the
In the legacy of C.S. Lewis,
hyssop that grows on the wall; he also spoke of ani- the Institute endeavors to develop disciples who can
mals and birds and creeping things and fish” (I Kings articulate, defend, and live faith in Christ
4:32-33). In other words, his topics were not merely through personal and public life.
“religious” but included all of creation. Thus, there is a
 
place not only for “Christian music” but also for music 
E P I S O D E 1
T h e
ROMAN AGE
I. Introduction
A. Problem: dilemma of social breakdown and violence leading to authoritarianism which limits
freedom.
B. We are, however, not helpless. Why?
C. Answer approached through consideration of the past.
D. Any starting point in history would be good; we start with Rome because it is direct ancestor of
modern West.
II. Rome: The Empire Triumphant

A. Size and military strength of Empire.
B. Imperial sway evoked by Aventicum (Avenches), Switzerland.
III. Rome: Cultural Analysis

A. Greece and Rome: cultural influences and parallels.
1. Society as the absolute, to give meaning to life.
2. Finite gods as ground of accepted values.
B. Problems arising from Roman culture.
1. No infinite reference point as base for values and society.
2. Collapse of civic ideals therefore inevitable.
C. Results of collapse of ideals.
1. Dictatorship of Julius Caesar a response to civil disorder.
2. Firmly established authoritarian rule of Augustus.
D. Characteristics of regime introduced by Augustus.
1. Claim to give peace and the fruits of civilization.
2. Care to maintain facade of republican constitution.
3. People ready to accept absolute power in return for peace and prosperity.
4. Religious sanction for emperor-dictators: the emperor as God.
— PAGE 5 —
E. Christian persecution
1. Religious toleration in the Empire.
2. Christians persecuted because they would worship only the infinite-personal God and not
Caesar also. They had an absolute whereby to judge the Roman state and its actions.
F. Viability of presuppositions facing social and political tension.
1. Christians had infinite reference point in God and His revelation in the Old Testament,
the revelation through Christ, and the growing New Testament.
2. Christians could confront Roman culture and be untouched by its inner weakness,
including its relativism and syncretism.
3. Roman hump-backed bridge, like Roman culture, could only stand if not subjected to
overwhelming pressures.
IV. Rome: Eventual Decline and Fall

A. Growth of taste for cruelty.
B. Decadence seen in rampant sexuality and lust for violence.
C. General apathy, as seen in decline in artistic creativity.
D. Economic decline, more expensive government, and tighter centralization.
E. Successful barbarian invasions because of internal rot.
V. Conclusion
There is no foundation strong enough for society or the individual life within the realm of finiteness and
beginning from Man alone as autonomous.
Questions
1. Dr. Schaeffer claims that, through looking at history, we can see how presuppositions determine
events. Does his discussion bear this out and, if so, how?
2. How can a survey of Roman history in one-half hour be either useful or responsible? Discuss.
3. “History does not repeat itself.” —The parallels between the history of Rome and the twentieth
century West are many and obvious.” How may these statements be reconciled?
— PAGE 6 —
Key Events and Persons
Julius Caesar: 100-44 B.C.
Augustus Caesar (Octavian): 63 B.C.-A.D. 14
Declared Pontifex Maximus: 12 B.C.
Diocletian: (Emperor) A.D. 284-305
Further Study
Here, as in succeeding suggestions for further study, it will be assumed that if you want to devote a great
deal of time to a topic you can consult a library or a good bookstore. Suggestions given below are made
on the basis of relevance to the text, readability, and availability.
Not all the books will necessarily agree at all—or in all details—with Dr. Schaeffer’s presentation. But as
in the general conduct of life, so in matters of the mind, one must learn to discriminate. If you avoid
reading things with which you disagree, you will be naive about what most of the world thinks. On the
other hand, if you read everything—but without a critical mind—you will end up accepting by default all
that the world (and especially your own moment of history) thinks.
J.P.V.D. Balsdon, Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome (1969).

E.M. Blaiklock, The Christian in Pagean Society (1956).
Samuel Dill, Roman Society in the Last Century of the Western Empire (1962).
E.M.B. Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (1970).
Plutarch, Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans: A Selection (1972).
Virgil, The Aeneid (1965).
Film: Fellini, Satyricon (1969).
— PAGE 7 —

Walking With God by Edwin D. Roels

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Walking With God by Edwin D. Roels

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Walking With God

GOD CALLS US TO A LIFE OF HOLINESS AND OBEDIENCE

A MAN WHO WALKED WITH GOD FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS

OTHERS WHO WALKED WITH GOD

“Joseph, [Mary’s] husband, was a righteous man . . . .” Matthew 1:19

“By faith Abel . . . was commended as a righteous man.” Hebrews 11:4

SOME OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES OF BLESSING ON THE RIGHTEOUS

NEW TESTAMENT TEACHINGS ON WALKING WITH GOD

When we focus on ourselves, it is easy to become overwhelmed with a sense of

And when we do so live, we will gratefully acknowledge that everything we accomplish

BIBLE PASSAGES THAT EMPHASIZE HUMAN SIN AND FAILURE

Text Number One: PSALM 53:3.

“There is no one who does good, not even one.”

Text Number Two: Isaiah 64:6.

Text Number Three: Romans 7:15

This passage is somewhat puzzling for a number of reasons. Commentators have

(d ) “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear

(e) “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians

Text Number Four : 1 Peter 5:8

Consider thoughtfully the following passages.

LEARNING WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO OR NOT TO DO

By concentrating on the things we should do, we will be strengthened and encouraged

THE SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENT

The Old Testament View

Read the following Scripture passages.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is

WHY DO WE STILL NEED RULES AND COMMANDS AS BELIEVERS?

WHAT ABOUT OUR CONSCIENCE?

WHICH LAWS IN THE BIBLE MUST WE STILL OBSERVE TODAY?

Summary and Conclusion

The Unavoidable Question

Answering the Question

With All Your Heart

With All Your Soul

With All Your Mind

With All Your Strength

Looking for Loopholes

The Unseen Arranger

Loving God’s Icon

God’s Brand of Love

Climbing Down a Chimney

Loving the World

Relating to the Earth

Is the law bad like sin?

II. Rome: The Empire Triumphant

III. Rome: Cultural Analysis

IV. Rome: Eventual Decline and Fall

J.P.V.D. Balsdon, Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome (1969).

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