The Christian Life
What are the core elements of the Christian life?
If you met a man who knew his Bible very well, had extensive knowledge of church history, theology, and philosophy; if he prayed passionately and worshiped fervently; but he was harsh and cruel to those who disagreed with him, arrogant toward fellow believers, and abusive to his wife; you would rightfully recognize that something is greatly deficient in this man’s life.
If you met a man who had memorized several passages in the Bible, had a great love for the Reformed creeds and confessions; if he was demonstrably charitable, kind, respectful, wise, and above reproach; but his prayer life was forced and feeble, and he was unmoved by God-glorifying music and worship; you would rightfully recognize that something is greatly deficient in this man’s life.
If you met a man who was noble, honest, humble, and forgiving; if he had a fiery zeal for evangelism, prayer, missions, and worship; but his explanation of the gospel was thin and undeveloped, and he believed that Jesus was only a powerful man and not God, he had vast ignorance of the Old Testament, and he knew next to nothing about the roots of his Reformed denomination; you would rightfully recognize that something is greatly deficient in this man’s life.
Each of these three men have significant problems in their Christian life. But each man has a distinctly different problem.
The first man has a moral lack.
The second man has an emotional lack.
The third man has an intellectual lack.
From this, it is easy to see that there are at least three core elements of the Christian life:
A Christian mind
A Christian heart
A Christian will
With our minds, we reason. With our hearts, we feel. And with our wills, we act. This has direct correspondence to the three transcendentals: truth, goodness, and beauty. As Christians, we should defend truth with our minds. As Christians, we should enjoy beauty with our hearts. As Christians, we should pursue goodness with our wills. Scripture tells us that reasoning, feeling, and acting are all key components of the Christian life.
Proverbs 19 warns us of an intellectual lack: “Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.”
1 Corinthians 13 warns us of an emotional lack: “If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
James 2 warns us of a moral lack: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? … But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe – and they shudder. Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? … For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
Based on these verses, it is fair to conclude three things:
The grace of the gospel doesn’t give us the excuse to be worldly.
The precision and depth of the gospel doesn’t give us the excuse to be cold toward God and his people.
And, the simplicity of the gospel doesn’t give us the excuse to be ignorant.
Each of us should strive to the fullest to think critically, feel deeply, and act righteously.
