Following Christ is More than What We Don't Do

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to live for Christ? Some people believe that Christianity is about saying the "sinner's prayer" once in your life. For example, when President Donald Trump was supposedly converted by prosperity gospel preacher and televangelist Paula White, many evangelical Christians accepted that story as proof of Trump's faith.

Others seek to live out their faith by avoiding various things, so as to prevent becoming polluted by them. Try Googling the phrase "Why Christians should..." and the first option that comes up is "Why Christians Shouldn't Do Yoga." Type in "Why Christians Shouldn't..." and you get things like "Why Christians Shouldn't Smoke," "Why Christians Shouldn't Cuss," and "Why Christians Shouldn't Drink." Intermixed with these are some encouraging articles like, "Why Christians Shouldn't Fear Judgment," but overall the message is clear: Many people think that living for Christ is about NOT doing things.

Although it is true that the beginning of our faith is to surrender our lives to Christ, which may involve something like the "sinner's prayer," our lives should demonstrate that our faith is genuine. And while it is also true that Christ has called us out of a life of sin, that is not the whole story: He has also called us to actively pursue holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only by doing this can we combat sin.

Why is it Important to Combat Sin?

Let's start by acknowledging that there are "Do not's" in Christianity, and that this is a good thing. Throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments, God commands that his people not do or not participate in certain things. For example, in Ephesians 5:3-6, Paul writes:

"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."

Why are Christians being called away from sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness? This is not just because that's the rule, and if you avoid these things you get to be a Christian. In fact, Paul is writing to people who are already Christians, whose sins are covered by the blood of Jesus because they believe that he is the Son of God, and that in believing in him they have eternal life. He is not giving them the formula for salvation, but showing them the way that God's people behave.

Notice the phrase, "as is proper among saints." A saint in the Bible is a term for any true Christian, as can be seen in the beginning of nearly all of Paul's letters, where he consistently addresses the members of the church as saints. Paul explains that Christians should not be defined by sin, not because by doing so they earn their right to be Christians, but because they are already Christians.

Fighting Sin is Active!

If this was where Paul stopped, we would have a pretty weird idea of Christian living. Imagine a person living alone in a tree. This person has avoided sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness. This person also has no one to talk to, so they can't participate in foolish talk or crude joking. Let's have fun with this and add that this person is the perfect internet Christian: They don't do yoga, and they don't drink, cuss, or smoke. In fact, all this person does is sit in a tree.

Is this how Christians are called to live? Every time Paul writes about what Christians should not be doing, he follows it up with a list of things they should be doing. In the same passage in Ephesians that we just looked at, Paul develops these pairs of "should not's" and "should's":

"Not as unwise, but as wise..."

"Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is..."

"Do not get drunk with wine,...but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in your heart, giving thanks to God the Father...submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:15-21).

If we had simply been commanded to not be unwise, not be foolish, and not get drunk, there would be no power in these mandates. But these commands are in place so that they can be replaced with wisdom, understanding of God's will for us, and, ultimately, complete satisfaction and joy in the Holy Spirit, which results in singing, thankfulness, and submission.

We fight foolishness with wisdom and understanding what God really wants for us by reading his Word. We fight drunkenness by being satisfied in our relationship with Christ and our joy in His Spirit.

In other words, we are not called to be lonely tree-dwellers. The Christian life is active, and we fight sins with the weapons God has placed in our hands—our knowledge of His Word in the Bible, and the work of His Spirit in our hearts producing faith, joy, and thankfulness.

Fighting Sin Can't Be Done Alone

We can't fight sin without the work of the Spirit. Paul writes, "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). This shows that the Spirit opposes the evil that our sinful nature wants to do. Enabling us to live lives that honor God is a critical function of the Spirit. We cannot do it on our own strength.

So, is Christianity all about NOT sinning? Christians, who have a restored relationship with God, should have an active interest in opposing sin, because sin opposes God. But how do they oppose sin? By actively living for Christ!

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife,... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh along with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:19-24).