Moderator’s Challenge Four Characteristics of a Rich Christian Life
ALAN BROYLES Moderator
1. Fruitful Living work” (Col. 1:10). Christians who bear fruit are those who display the righ- and neighbor.
As the people of God, we are united to Christ, and this union is our sole H
ow we choose to live out our lives can (and will) take many forms, but for us as Chris- tians, our lives must be marked by par- ticular traits: humility, thankfulness, joy, service, and perseverance to name just a few. Allow me to share with you part of a daily devotional from Rev. Allistair Begg; in this short text, he details four charac- teristics of a rich Christian life. “Have you ever considered what pleases God? In Ephesians 5:10, Paul charges his readers with this very task: “Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Jesus Christ is not merely someone to believe in; He is Lord and Master over His people. He has saved us by grace through faith, and He has called us to serve, love, trust, and obey Him (Eph. 2:8–10; James 2:14– 26). In other words, we shouldn’t think of faith as a basic package of salvation with optional add-ons for devotion. Part of God’s purpose in salvation is that we will live in a way that is pleasing to our Savior. Thank- fully, Paul does not leave us on our Colossians 1:10–12, as he recounts his prayers for the Colossian church, he unpacks what it looks like to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.” Such a walk is com- prehensive, touching every dimen- sion of our lives. Yet Paul prays about four ways of living in particular that will help us to please God.
source of spiritual vitality. Jesus said, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). If we would bear fruit, we must remain intimately connected to Christ through all the means of grace available to us—prayer, God’s Word, the fellowship of believers, and so on. Even when we feel useless, inadequate, and incompetent, Christ works through us when we abide in Him. Indeed, He specializes in bear- ing fruit through weak people. The inverse is also true: there is no amount of innate gifting or personal goodness of heart that can produce lasting fruit in someone who is not abiding in Christ. Neither is there fruit to be found in those who treat the Lord Jesus as an add-on to their lives. Claims of faith in Christ from people who do not truly abide in Him are simply—and sadly—empty professions, with the result being lives that are indistinguishable from the world and its ways. But for those who cling to Christ, the Spirit will indeed bear fruit (Gal. 5:22–25).
2. Knowledgeable Living Paul also prays that his readers would please the Lord by “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). What kind of knowledge is this? It is “to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may - phies can be very important, but personal knowledge of the deep riches of Jesus Christ is indispensable. When the Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse of who God is, we should want to “increase” our knowledge of God because we love Him. We should want to enjoy hearing His word because that’s how we know Him. We should want to enjoy engaging in conversation with Him in prayer, pouring out our hearts before Him.
3. Powerful Living Paul prays further that his readers might be “strengthened with all power,
according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11). How do you know if you’re living according to this power? Does it mani- fest in great deeds of strength and miraculous works? No, it is found in “endur- ance and patience with joy.” This is the kind of power that Christ modeled for us when, “for the joy that was set before him,” He “endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2, emphasis added). The power of God that continued on page 28
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