" If you are not on the Christian path, you will find these Christian standards burdensome. However, if you are on the right path, you will find that His standards are actually not difficult to observe as quoted in 1 John 5:3. "

CHRISTIAN STANDARDS (Part 3b)

I often encounter people who are quite shy to be called a Christian. I have given the subject on why some Christians are shy to announce that they are Christians and come to certain conclusions that it has something to do with the subject of Christian standards.

In Merriam Webster, the word ‘standards’ can be defined as “something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example”. In our case, Christian Standards will be the model behaviour of a Christian established by the Bible. A Christian must indeed abide by the standards that the Lord Jesus Christ set out in the Bible. Naturally, when proclaimed Christians falls short of God’s standards, they are ashamed to bear His name. I have spent a considerable amount of time to provide some indicators on whether a person is on the Christian path in Part 3(a). If you are not on the Christian path, you will find these Christian standards burdensome. However, if you are on the right path, you will find that His standards are actually not difficult to observe as quoted in 1 John 5:3.

How the ‘Christian Path’ was made

Some people find Christian standards mentioned below difficult because they do not understand the labours expended by the Lord Jesus who makes the Christian path available to us. Experience and knowledge are two different things. For instance, reading about the famine faced by the underprivileged in the world today is knowledge but not experience. The physical experience of hunger will give you much more understanding of those suffering in a famine. If you do not have such an opportunity to experience hunger, try skipping lunch and dinner for a few days. It is the best experience available, but still a bit short as you know that food is just in the fridge.

Similarly, we can read about the Lord Jesus’ suffering on earth to provide us a path to eternal life and that is knowledge. However, for us to experience how He suffered for us, we have to spend some time to meditate on the subject. I encourage believers to allocate some quiet time each day to soberly consider the process of the Lord’s crucifixion. The Lord suffered the ridicule, torture, slow and excruciating pains each time He moved to breathe when nailed to the cross. Furthermore, He not only took one man’s sins but the sins of everyone on the planet: the past, present and future. The immensity of these sins laid on the Lord Jesus is beyond our comprehension and finally, because of our sins, He suffered the separation of fellowship from God His Father.

When these meditations prick your feelings and bring you to the brink of tears, then you would have experienced the price paid to create the Christian path. With this experiential understanding, the Lord’s Christian standards will not be difficult to keep. Isaac Watts in the hymn expressed it well when he writes:

Were the whole realm of nature mine

That were an offering far too small

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my heart, my life, my all!”

Christian’s Standards in relation to God

Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind;

Christians are commanded to love the Lord, manifested in Jesus Christ. The reason why I made mention of the Lord Jesus is to direct our focus to the Lord who has manifested Himself in the flesh. It is very difficult to love someone invisible. God, in His infinite wisdom, has sent the Lord Jesus (the second person in the Holy Trinity) to come as a man in helping us direct our love. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus has said, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake” (John 14:11).

When the Apostle Paul experienced how the price of his salvation was paid, he exclaimed in Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

Thankfully, God does not require all of us to make this difficult choice of giving our lives. Only for the privilege few did God take their bodies as a living sacrifice. For the majority of us, it is sufficient that we place the matter of God as our priority over all relationships in this world. In His condescension, He only sets minimal demands on us, which is to do the following for Him and as 1 John 5:3 states, “His commandments are not grievous.”

Baptism (Mark 16:16, Acts 8:35-39)

When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are asked to go through the ritual of baptism in accordance with the word of God. Baptism is just once in a lifetime and accordingly, Christians are exhorted to obey it.

Head covering of the women (1 Cor 11:1-16)

The cover over the woman’s head in the church is to recognize that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and not man. It is disrespectful to the Lord if women do not cover their heads in the church because the woman is the glory of man as explained in the above verses. The plain sad outcome of unveiled women in the church is that man is glorified― and not Christ.

Some people think that this is not important. I would not debate on the subject further, but remind those who think that it is not important to consider carefully why the Apostle has to use 16 verses to teach the believers if they thought that this was not a significant issue.

I believe God is a Person of few words! Christians always react with alacrity whenever their Lord speaks.

Weekly Breaking of Bread (Acts 20:7)

In Acts 20:7, the Apostle was in a hurry to continue his journey but he stayed behind to break bread with the believers. This is a strong reminder that we break bread on a regular basis with the believers to remember the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us. Our benefactor has offered His life for us and His commandment to set aside a bit of time to remember Him in the emblems of the bread and the cup is certainly not burdensome.

Christian Standards in relation to the humankind

Love should be directed to everyone.

Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

The Lord Jesus approved the above verbatim and we have no doubt over its veracity. In the Bible, the word neighbour is extended further to everyone and not limited to only your neighbour in the ordinary usage of this word. The extension is found in Matthew 5:43-44. In the verse, the Lord Jesus exhorts us to love not only our neighbours but also our enemies. Enemies are probably the last group of people you would want to love. Therefore when we extend our love towards our enemies, the Christian Standard of love extends to all mankind.

The exhortation to love our neighbours negates the need to confine our standards to “do not kill; do not commit adultery; etc.” When we love our neighbours we think no ill towards the one we love. When love is present, prohibitions towards the negative actions like stealing, fornication or coveting become non-issues.

The issue is a matter of how much we can do positively for others.

Christian Standards in relation to our church

Submission to the Church

In John 10:27 the Lord Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”.

The sheep's characteristic is submission and it is important to display submission to rules and regulations of the church. Christians must pay proper respect toward the institution of the church as the Bride of Christ. It is sad when Christians’ respect towards the church is so much less than what they pay towards their earthly employer. The following verses are instructive:

Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Christian’s prayer life

Some people comment that Christians always pray to God. Prayer is not a Christian obligation but is a privilege given to them to come before the throne of God. Christians delight in prayers as they are able to ask God for help and also request good things for their fellow believers who have needs. A prayer that is not answered is also a response from God because He only wants to give good things to His children (Matthew 7:11). Therefore it is an expected norm for Christians to be engaged in prayers individually and together with fellow believers in the church.

Christians dealings with the world

Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Christians have received the gift of eternal life which is so marvellous that they would like to share it with those that have not received it. We are also commissioned by the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel to every creature. Therefore, the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 5:20 calls us ‘ambassadors for Christ’. As an ambassador, we represent Christ in the world and we must be blameless and harmless as stipulated in the verse above. Our standard of conduct must be exemplary.

It is a sad fact that there exist those who are deluded by others or are self-deluded into thinking that they are on the Christian path. These people are creating a false image of Christianity. The Apostle Paul in the verses below has warned us over such people when he mentioned about worldly-minded people who claim to be Christians:

Php 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

But we are not dismayed by imitators! There is a saying that only very good things have imitations. The heavenly kingdom is so good and our Saviour is so mighty that the Apostle John in 21:25 says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written”.

We need not be troubled by imitators of the Gospel because God can be found by those that diligently seek Him.

Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

With God’s Blessings,

Wangsa Ukay Gospel Hall

Wangsa Ukay Gospel Hall