DTLC Radio

Holiness is not optional! To think you can live the Christian life apart from obedience is to be self-deceived. Antinomianism is the theological term for the false perception that grace does not require a life of obedience. Antinomianism is clearly a false doctrine. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Christians are to "strive for holiness" - it's the evidence of a redeemed life - without which, salvation can be questioned. Simply stated, holiness is about obedience rather than perfection. And yes, Christians have commandments and laws we are called to obey.

James and Holiness

The Lord Jesus' brother, James, writes about this in James 2. There he presents the argument that a redeemed life will exemplify obedient living. When you look at the life of a "Christian" and fail to see evidence of a pursuit for personal holiness, obedience to Christ, or "good works," then that person's salvation is called into question. James argues that you can't have one without the other. Paul also makes the same argument (Ephesians 2:10). Our salvation generates "good works" - or holy living - as a result and evidence of salvation. Jesus even said that you will know believers by their fruit (Matthew 7:20). In fact, in Matthew 7, Jesus makes it clear who will enter the kingdom and who will not. Not everyone who thinks they're saved, is saved, but only those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21).

Intentions of the Heart

The Bible makes it clear that this is not an issue of perfection but of pursuit. The only way we even have a chance to be successful in overcoming our sin is because we have been redeemed. It's by and through the Holy Spirit indwelling us that we are able to overcome temptation and defeat the sin in our lives. Are we always successful? Hardly! In fact, failure is going to be part of Christian living - get used to it - but don't stop striving for holiness.

Do you hate sin? Do you hate the sin in your life? Or, are you harboring a specific sin - hanging on to it because you prefer it over God? Do you have a sin in your life with which you just can't part? Your attitude about sin and your intentions in how you live have everything to do with pursuing or not. The Lord is not expecting you to live perfectly, on the contrary, He knows you will struggle to succeed. God understands that we will sometimes fail, sin, and act in disobedience. He has made provisions for that - it's called confession and repentance - but it is NOT a license to live however you choose. Of this, we can be sure.

 

____________________________

Previous Episodes in the Series

Pursuit of a Lifetime

Personal Holiness is Rooted in God's Holiness

The single biggest reason for pursuing holiness is because God is Holy. The call to live a holy life - a call on every Christian - is based the fact that God Himself is Holy. Because He is holy, He requires you to be holy. "...but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY'.” - 1 Peter 1:15.

Obedience Commanded

Many people adhere to antinomianism  -  the heresy of taking the principle of salvation by grace through faith to the point of asserting that the saved are not bound to follow moral laws. Nothing could be further from the truth. Question: How can there be any commands in the New Testament if grace presumes non-adherence to such commands? This is counter-intuitive. Of course there are commands in the New Testament. And of course these commands are expected to be followed.

Jesus commanded  - "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you..." - Matthew 28:18-20. To say there are no commands under grace or to say such commands can be ignored is be ignorant of reality and truth. Don't be that person!

Obedience To A Person

One of the biggest challenges to living obediently is the false conception that we're just following "rules" or "laws" and we just don't have to do that under grace. Au contraire mon amie! Our obedience is not to a "law" or list of DOs and DON"Ts - it is to a Person. We are obedient to the Person of Jesus Christ. Our obedience is not out of obligation but out of gratitude, thankfulness, worship, and willing submission to a good and gracious God.

This episode of DTLC Radio continues our series on pursuing personal holiness.

________________________

Related Episodes:

Pursuit of Lifetime

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We're all aware of these great words written in our Declaration of Independence. They are words we take to heart and fight to the death to protect. But have you ever wondered where happiness is to be found? I suggest it won't be found in the places you're most likely to be looking.

Pursue Holiness

Holiness is the thing about God that makes Him most "God". It is the attribute of His character that we are commanded to be - YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY - 1 Peter 1:16. When we understand what holiness is and how we are to pursue it as Christians, we begin to experience happiness. Why? Because happiness is a byproduct of holiness. Therefore, happiness cannot - and should not - be pursued in and of itself. All such pursuits will disappoint.

It occurred to me that many - if not most - of my clients struggle with their pursuit of personal holiness. In coaching them toward the goals they desire to accomplish and believe to be consistent with God's call on their life, personal holiness is a key factor. Too many Christians make the false assumption that "living by faith" means that God will take care of everything. Meaning, they bear no personal responsibility or accountability in living their Christian life. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Pursuit of a Lifetime

The pursuit of personal holiness is one that takes a lifetime to accomplish. Even then, at the end of life, we have not fully reached our goal. Only when we stand before God in Christ - fully leaning on the cross of redemption and the blood of Jesus - will we be glorified. Glorification is the final phase (justification, sanctification, glorification) of our salvation. It is the reward for which we long to receive and the hope we have confidence in (1 Peter 1:13).

Over the next several podcasts, we will take an in-depth look at holiness, its pursuit, and rewards. This series will be based loosely on Jerry Bridges' book The Pursuit of Holiness.

 

_______________________

Related episodes:

God's Will I

God's Will II 

Seeing Your Life Vision

Your Purpose

Life Mission

Setting Goals

Spring is a great time of year! Longer days, warmer temperatures, and brighter days. Opening our doors and windows to let in the light and sun often reveals the dirt we've accumulated over a long, dark winter. Every year at this time people take days or even weekends to go room-by-room and clean. Not only does this look and smell better but it feels better, too. A clean house is a welcoming space where you can relax and unwind.

Don't Neglect Your Soul

What's good for your home is equally good for your soul. Let this time of year serve as a reminder to clean the dirty areas of your life as well. Over time we allow clutter to collect, dirt to pile up, and shiny things to get dingy. Winter has a way of keeping us in the dark and unable to see the dusty conditions around us. Spring forces us to open the doors and windows and let in the clean air and light.

The problem comes when the light reveals the dirt we weren't seeing before. The same can be said about your soul and spirit. Over time, the dirt settles in unless we are intentional about cleaning things up. We must remove the clutter and things that distract us from the Lord. Dirty thoughts and actions leave us in need of disinfectant and a good scrubbing. Daily annoyances and resentments get in the way of clean living and need to be vacuumed. Unless we begin to polish and organize the things that need cleaning, not only does our home become uncomfortable but our lives do as well.

Perfect Timing

Spring is the perfect time to examine our lives and begin the task of cleaning things up. We all have things - sin - in our lives that needs to be cleaned, disinfected, and put out of the house. When the Son-Light shines in on what is clean and fresh, our energy grows, perspectives shift, and life gets exciting again. Don't put this off another day. It's your tomorrow. Right now is the best time to take action.

What does a Christian Coach do? How is coaching different from counseling? What can a coach do for me that I cannot do for myself? These questions and others are the topic of this week's podcast. I've recently been asked this question and overheard a similar inquiry by another person and thought now would be a good time to provide an answer. As the description mentions, this is a refresher from a previous podcast.

Often, people are confused by the term "life coach" or have heard a variety of definitions about what they do. My hope is to put some of those concerns to rest and to answer these questions more clearly. In short, a coach will help you identify where the Lord is leading you, who He is calling you to be, and aid in developing a strategy to get you there.

Different From Counseling

One of the key differences between coaching and counseling is the direction of perspective. Counseling tends (not always) to look backward, to review your life to this point, identifying areas where healing and recovery are necessary. Coaching looks forward, helps you take responsibility for where you are, and encourages you forward to where you're called to be. Both serve specific purposes and help in different ways. It is important to acknowledge they are not the same, however.

Coaching is also distinct from mentoring, discipleship, and other helping professions. Many, if not most, of the other helping professions work from an "outside-in" approach. Coaching in contrast works from the "inside-out" - heling you access the knowledge and resources God has already given you through His Holy Spirit. It is this reliance on and working with the Holy Spirit that makes coaching specifically Christian.

 

Links that will help:

Details On What Christian Coaching Is And Is Not

Sharing the faith and the gospel with those closest to you can be a formidable challenge. It is a misnomer that witnessing to strangers is more difficult. Also, the idea that you have to have an established relationship (i.e. relationship evangelism) before you can share the gospel is equally misleading. The truth is, as Christians, realizing our potential and living a transformed life includes sharing the gospel with everyone. This is especially true for our closest family members and friends.

The Intimidation Factor

Reality dictates that our family and closest friends know us best. This means they know all of our faults and failures and have witnessed many of them first-hand. This tends to keep us from sharing Christ with them out of a fear of being labeled a hypocrite. Also true is that those closest to us are more comfortable giving us a sharp response or angry reaction to our challenging their lifestyles to follow Jesus. The fact that we have an ongoing relationship with these folks also creates a challenge. Since we know we will have contact later - at family gatherings, holidays, and other occasions - if the conversation goes bad, it could make the relationship very uncomfortable. The real question we have to ask ourselves is, do I value this relationship more than I value their eternal soul?

These and other reasons can intimidate and keep us from sharing Christ and the gospel with those we love the most. This need not be the case, however. There are ways to effectively engage our friends and family to share Jesus and His saving grace. Unsaved family and friends need to hear the gospel. We would all agree on that. But our seeming indifference or inability to overcome our fears stands in opposition to this confession. If we truly love them, we MUST find a way to share the gospel.

It is my prayer that this episode will assist you in finding ways and trusting in the Holy Spirit to give you the words you need when the opportunities present themselves.

Your language reflects, not just yourself, but the God you claim to serve!

Your Language Matters

The words you choose and the language you use matters. Part of realizing your true potential and transforming your life is finding consistency. What you say and how you say it must reflect what you claim to believe. In this episode, I admittedly go on a bit of a personal rant. Quite honestly, I'm tired of reading posts, seeing images, and hearing "Christians" use profane, vulgar, and inappropriate language.

It seems that every time I go online I'm finding increasing numbers of posts from people who claim to be followers of Christ containing 4-letter words. Posts that contain suggestive, lewd, nude, or profane images or language is more than unbecoming for a Christian. Christ Himself tells us that the mouth speaks from an abundance of the heart. The Lord commands us to not allow any unwholesome or profane talk come from our mouths. And yet, day after day self-proclaiming Christians do exactly this.

There Has To Be A Difference

If you truly want to live the life God has for you, then your life must exemplify something different from the rest of the world. You will never reach or live out your potential by conforming to the world, specifically it's language. It is not okay for you to claim to be a Christian and make no effort to adjust what you say and the things you post online. The inconsistency not only reflects poorly on Christ, it will become a barrier to living the life you desire.

I'm bothered by Christians who think it is okay to post crude images, to use 4-letter words, or to make no effort at all to be distinctive from unbelievers. It's offensive, unbecoming of a Christian, and an insult to God. It erodes your foundation, your witness, and impedes your growth to become the man or woman God has called you to be. Stop it! Knock it off! I remember someone saying to me as a child, "foul language only shows the limits of your intelligence." In other words, you should be smart enough to find other words and ways to convey your feelings without stooping to the gutter-level of the world.

To go a step further, cleaning up your language ought to be one of the first things you attack after becoming a Christian.

Foundational to your success is how you define it. Depending on your definition, you may or may not achieve success. The Bible defines success and successful living in dramatically different terms than the world. It is important for your definition to be consistent with God's views of a successful life.

The Base

While your definition of success must correspond to God's, so your spiritual development must be built on your relationship to Him. Nurturing your spiritual life is imperative to living a successful life. This episode offers seven other areas which will help you build the life you desire. That said, and returning to the initial point, none of it will matter unless and until your relationship with the Lord is firmly established and growing.

The general things to keep in mind when planning and working toward the successful life you desire include but aren't limited to:

Doing what you love - starting as a hobby and building up

Seeking balance in your life - body, mind, spirit, emotional, etc.

Focus on your personal growth - specifically in the area of spiritual development

Write out your goals - iv you can't articulate you likely won't achieve

Control your thinking - living without fear or regret is a byproduct of having a right relationship with the Lord

Surround yourself with people who will help you achieve your goals

Have an accountability partner - your spouse, close friend, or personal coach can meet this need

Build it all on a Christian foundation and biblical worldview

Your life is going to go through regular ebbs and flows - ups and downs - keeping your self focused will help you overcome and find success. It is interesting to think about these things and see how they are interrelated. You might be surprised by how working in one are will help you in another, and vice versa. Keeping your eyes on the prize and making regular effort to move in a positive direction will often lead to successes you never imagined.

________________________________

Related Podcasts

Understanding God's Universal Will For Your Life

Understanding God'Specific Will For Your Life

Integrity is a matter of honesty and being a person who keeps their word. It's a matter of dependability. Are you someone others can depend on? This trait is valuable in literally every single relationship you have or will ever have. When you make a promise or otherwise fail to live up to your word, you jeopardize that relationship and let others down. Keeping your word and being a person of integrity builds trust and strengthens the relationship.

It Is A Matter of Integrity

Many people may be challenged by the idea that word-keeping is a matter of overall integrity. But tell me, how can a person have integrity if they routinely fail to keep the promises they have made? In the New Testament, integrity means "honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works." Keeping your word is a good work that rightly follows those who seek to live by God's standards. As a Christian, you are called to be a person of integrity.

Think about these passages of Scripture:

33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. - Matthew 5:33-37

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. - James 5:12

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. - Colossians 3:17

(...and there a multitude of others...)

As a Christian, your life is to honor God in everything you do. Keeping your word is a fundamental aspect of living a life of faith that is pleasing to the Lord.

Integrity is Necessary

Keeping your word is the essence of integrity. Integrity is required for trust. Therefore, keeping your word is the basis of every relationship you will ever have. As Stephen Covey points out, it applies to business as well: “honesty is making your words conform to reality. Integrity is making reality conform to your words.”

Trust is necessary for influence and if you want to impact the lives of others...if you want to live a life of impact...you must build it on integrity.

Keeping your word can be difficult. It can be expensive. Keeping your word can be inconvenient. But above all, keeping your word can reflect Christ and the person you desire to be.

Go Live Your Potential!

Motivation - staying motivated to reach your fitness goals - this is where the rubber meets the road.

How To Stay Motivated

The way you stay motivated to reach your fitness goals - or any goals for that matter - is an issue of focus. What are you focusing on? Do you focus on the things that are likely to push you toward giving in and giving up or are do you focus on what you can achieve...today?! Your answer will have a lot to do with your success. This episode is recorded six weeks into the new year - about the time when many people give up on their resolutions and goals.

Motivation is the result of focus, intentional focus. While it's great, and necessary, to have big goals, you must also have goals small enough to achieve on a regular and consistent basis. Taking your bigger goals and shrinking them into manageable, bite-size pieces increases your odds of success. Because we are impatient, we tend to only desire the bigger achievements, which causes us to miss the smaller ones that keep us going.

Specific Steps to Take

Obviously, the first step is shrink your large goals into smaller ones. These smaller goals should be achievable within a week or so. For instance, having a goal to lose 50 pounds is great but shrinking that goal to 2-to-3 pounds per week makes it realistic and something you can maintain over a longer period. Or maybe your goal is to increase your weights on your lifts - curls, bench press, squats, etc. - the same principle holds true. Increasing your load by 2-5 pounds allows you to get stronger while experiencing consistent success.

Having a partner or a group to share with is also an important key to success. One of the reasons why Weight Watchers® is so successful is because of the group concept built into the program. There is strength in numbers as well as accountability and consistent challenges to do better. The importance of your goal is also significant, as is the ease with which you can reasonably accomplish your goal. These are just a few of the highlights discussed in today's podcast.

 

_________________________

Related Podcasts

Setting Realistic Fitness Goals

Setting Goals You Will Actually Accomplish