John Wesley’s Rule for Christian Living
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever...
You can!
A great list that all of us can apply! In fact I wonder if any of us have ever made such a list. I have!! It is found right here in God’s Word. And in God’s Word there are absolutes that I like to call Christian Absolutes. This morning I would like for us to look at 2 of them. The first relates to ourselves the second relates to others.
Our Personal Conduct
Towards God
We are to Believe God
The example of Noah
Noah’s favor - Gen.6:8
Noah’s character - Gen.6:9
Noah’s character displayed - Gen.6:22;7:5
The example of Abraham
Abraham’s call - Gen.12:1
God’s promise - Gen.12:2-3,7,14-17; 15:5
Abraham’s response
He went where God told him - Gen.12:4
He believed God (Gen.15:6; Rom.4:3; James 2:21-23)
Thomas Watson, Where reason cannot wade there faith may swim.(The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)
John Trapp, It is the nature of faith to believe God upon His bare word. . . . It will not be, saith sense; it cannot be, saith reason; it both can and will be, saith faith, for I have a promise for it. (Bible Illustrator, Quickverse)
We are to Fear God
Israel was told to fear God
"Fear" Heb.yare’ - "to revere" (Strong)
Deut.6:1-2 - "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, "that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
Deut.10:12-13 - "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, "and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?
Solomon concluded this to be true - Eccl.12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
The psalmist says this is what makes a man truly blessed - Ps.112:1 - Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
We are to Love God
Thomas Watson, Faith deals with invisibles, but God hates that love which is invisible. (The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)
Israel’s greatest command - Deut.6:5 -
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Jesus said this was the greatest commandment - Mat.22:37-38 -
Jesus said to him, " ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ "This is the first and great commandment.
Joseph Hall, If my respects to my Savior be for the loaves and fishes, my heart is carried away with those baskets of fragments; but, if I can love God for His goodness’ sake, this love shall out–last time, and over–match death.(The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)
We are to Obey God
Luke 6:46 - "But why do you call Me ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?"
Thomas Watson, God commands nothing but what is beneficial. "O Israel, what does the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to keep His statutes, which I command thee this day, for thy good?" To obey God, is not so much our duty as our privilege. (The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)
1 John 2:3-5; 5:3
The late Roland Q. Leavell in his book, Evangelism: Christ’s Imperative Commission, stated that of all the reported Church members:
5 per cent do not exist,
10 per cent cannot be found,
20 per cent never pray,
25 per cent never read the Bible,
30 per cent never attend Church services,
40 per cent never give any money to the church,
50 per cent never go to Sunday School,
60 per cent never go to Church Sunday night,
70 per cent never give to missions,
80 per cent never go to prayer meeting,
90 per cent never have family worship, and
95 per cent never win a soul to Christ.
If these statistics are correct, they simply mean that as far as evangelism is concerned only 5 per cent of the Church members are obedient to Christ. In my experience I would judge that this figure is actually high. (Bible Illustrator)
Larry Burkett Quoting William Bradford, William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony of pilgrims, insisted, "Those who believe in the Holy Scriptures are bound to observe its teachings. Those who do not are to be bound by its consequences." (Whatever Happened to the American Dream? Quoted in Bible Illustrator).
W.E. Vine says of the Greek word pistis (faith) that "obedience is the only visible evidence that we have to prove that we believe in God."
We are to Rejoice in God
Ps.33:1 - Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Phil.4:4 - This is what prompts our love and obedience. This is the epitome of believing in God.
Within Ourselves
We are to Walk Honestly - 1 Thess.4:12 (KJV)
That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
We are to Walk Worthy
Eph.4:1 - I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.
1 Thess.2:11-12 - as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
We are to Walk in the Spirit - Gal.5:16
We are to Walk after the Spirit - Rom.8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
We are to Walk in Newness of Life - Rom.6:4
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We are to Walk as Children of Light - Eph.5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
We are Walk differently than Unbelievers
Ps.1
1 Thess.5:22 - Abstain from every form of evil.
We are to Walk in Holiness
By putting away sin
Mat.5:48 - "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
2 Cor.7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Rom.6:1
By hating defilement - Jude 20-23 -
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
By following after good
1 Thess.5:15 - See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
1 Tim.6:11 - But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
By controlling the flesh - Col.3:5
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
What if God couldn’t take the time to bless us today because we couldn’t take the time to thank Him yesterday? What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow Him today? What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain? What if God didn’t walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day? What if God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today? What if God took away His message because we failed to listen to His messenger? What if the door of the church was closed because we did not open the door of our heart? What if God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others? What if God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday? What if God answered our prayers the way we answer His call for service? What if God met our needs the way we give Him our lives? O Lord, help us to be thankful that you have "not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities (Psa. 103:10). (Bible Illustrator)
Our Conduct Towards Others
Believers
We are to Love One Another (1 John 4:7-8)
John 13:35 - "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Richard Baxter, Think oft of heaven, and what a thing a saint will be in glory, when he shall shine as the stars, and be equal to the angels, and then you will quickly see cause to love them. (The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)
We are to be Kind to One Another
"Kind" Gr.chrestos, "serviceable, good, pleasant" (Vine)
Eph.4:32 - And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
It is translated:
"easy" - Mat.11:30
"better" - Luke 5:39
"goodness" - Rom.2:4
"good" - 1 Cor.15:33
"gracious" - 1 Pet.2:3
We are to Forgive One Another
"At a dinner party one night Lady Churchill was seated across the table from Sir Winston, who kept making his hand walk up and down -- two fingers bent at the knuckles. The fingers appeared to be walking toward Lady Churchill. Finally, her dinner partner asked, "Why is Sir Winston looking at you so wistfully, and whatever is he doing with those knuckles on the table?" "That’s simple," she replied. "We had a mild quarrel before we left home, and he is indicating it’s his fault and he’s on his knees to me in abject apology." -- The Romance Factor, by Alan McGinnis (Bible Illustrator)
Eph.4:32 - And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Mat.6:14 - "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
John Bunyan, No child of God sins to that degree as to make himself incapable of forgiveness.
Thomas Watson, God blots out not only the cloud but the thick cloud, enormities as well as infirmities.
Unbelievers
C.S. Lewis, "Putting on Christ" ... is not one among many jobs a Christian has to do; and it is not a sort of special exercise for the top class. It is the whole of Christianity. (Christian Reader, Vol. 33, no. 2.).
We are to Maintain a Good Testimony Before Unbelievers (1 Tim.3:7)
1 Thess.4:12 - That you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
We are to Live Peaceably with Unbelievers
Rom.12:18 - If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Mat.5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
W. Frank Harrington, I saw a Peanuts cartoon with Lucy saying to Charlie Brown, "I hate everything. I hate everybody. I hate the whole wide world!" Charlie says, "But I thought you had inner peace." Lucy replies, "I do have inner peace. But I still have outer obnoxiousness" (from Barbara Brokhoff, New and Improved Jesus? C.S.S., 1991, p. 53). ("When You Really Want to Quit," Preaching Today, Tape No. 138.)
We are to Bless and Not Curse Them (Rom.12:14)
Mat.5:11-12 - Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We are to Love Them to Christ
John 13:35 - "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Mat.26:47-50 - And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.
Thomas Merton, There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the ass understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today. (Thomas Merton in The Seven Storey Mountain. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 14.)
CONCLUSION
What is your conduct like? Have you given yourself to these absolutes in your personal life as well as in your relationships towards others?
