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[Peter]

Think Right. Do Right (James 4:17)
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Some time ago I heard a believer make the statement, “I am conservative in my beliefs but liberal in my lifestyle.” 

What he was really saying is, “I am a compromiser. I am a backslider”. And he was comfortable with that! But it bothered me. 

It bothered me because I have come to realize that this is the philosophy of far too many Christians today.  And it is a dangerous way to think!

You have heard me preach on the difference between religious people and true believers many times.  

And I have pointed out that the difference between the two groups is not so much what they do.  But what they are! The difference is in the heart.

The true believer not only seeks to learn more about Christ but wants to use his knowledge to live a holier life.

The church attendee’s heart is more focused on what pleases himself - what makes him happy. But he is not very concerned with what pleases Christ.

They may well be saved, yet they live by a humanistic, self-serving philosophy.

I once heard a poem that has stuck with me for many years.  It helps me to see the difference between the selfishness of man and the heart of Christ:

Man-like it is to fall into sin

Devil-like it is to dwell therein

Saint-like it is for sin to grieve

But Christlike it is for sin to leave

It is not enough to simply believe the right things.  We must begin to live what we believe!

What we are talking about is personal integrity. Or I guess you could also call it character. They speak as believers yet live as the world.

Although I love them, they cannot be trusted because they have no integrity.

Brethren, no matter what the situation, no matter how tempted we are to compromise, no matter how convenient it may be to sin. . .

No matter how self-pleasing it may be…say no to sin and be a person of integrity!

But I want to take it a step further and help you understand some principles which will help you think right so that you can do right.

There are three truths that we need to come to grips with:

• The Christian Life Is Not A Life of Worldly Comfort
• The Christian Life is Not a Life of Complacency
• The Christian Life is Not a Life of Cowardice

So let’s take a look at each truth and try to make some application to our lives:
 

The Christian Life Is Not A Life of Worldly Comfort

The system of the world is built around the philosophy of personal comfort and satisfaction.  

Everyone from automakers to airlines understand that the consumer must be comfortable or he will not buy the product.

But comfort is not always what we need. A nice two-seated BMW sports car might be comfortable but it will never help a farmer get his pigs to the market.

On the other hand, a big old cattle truck will not help a race car driver win his next race!

Our decisions in the purchase of material things should be made based upon the need - not the comfort.

What amazes me is that we are so smart when it comes to our material needs and yet we don’t see how the same kind of simple reasoning applies to our spiritual lives.

How often do we seek to claim the temporary comforts of this life at the price of our spiritual strength and integrity!

How often do we focus on obtaining the temporary when God wants us to focus on that which is eternal! Notice these passages:

Matthew 6:19-21  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1 Timothy 6:9-11  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

There is nothing wrong with being comfortable.  I’m certainly not saying that we must live an ascetic life.  

But what I am saying is that the Bible teaches us to focus on that which is eternal; not on the comforts of this life!  James 4:13 tells us what our perspective must be:

James 4:13-14  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Life is not all about living for the moment.  Life is not about making money or being liked.  Life is about preparing for eternity.

The people in James 4:13 were getting prepared for tomorrow but they should have been thinking about eternity instead.

It really all comes down to what you are most committed to. Are you committed to your own comfort in this life?  Or, are you seeking spiritual things?

The Christian life is not a life of worldly comfort. . .

The Christian Life is Not a Life of Complacency

What is another word for complacency? Apathy. We must never become apathetic in our Christian lives.

There is no room for spiritual indifference, laziness, or lack of concern in a believer’s life.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.  7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

We are frequently warned in the Scriptures to be ready, to watch, to be diligent.  

God does not want us to become complacent in our lives. You know what the right thing to do is!  Just do it!

Have you ever noticed the words of Zephaniah 1:12-13?

Zephaniah 1:12-13  And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.  13  Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

What does “settled on their lees” mean?  It means to be complacent or apathetic.

Some people think that God is passive. They think that they can continue in sin and the LORD will do nothing.  But nothing is further from the truth!

We get this silly idea that just because nothing has happened yet, that nothing will. But Galatians 6:7 says:

Galatians 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Some of us know we need to change but for some crazy reason, we seem to think there is always time to change.  But Luke 19:41-444 says:

Luke 19:41-44  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,  42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.  43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,  44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Although we know that we should be working for the Lord, we assume that a minimum effort will be enough! But Luke 12:47 says:

Luke 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

How many times did the Lord warn the Jews in the Old Testament and yet they did not heed God’s warning?

Jesus, God in the flesh, came and walked among them.  He began his ministry by saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  Yet they didn’t see the need to change.

Today, some of you will remain in  your sinful condition.  Although God is speaking to your hearts, you will ASSUME that you can deal with your sins later!

The Christian life is not a life of worldly comfort.  The Christian Life is not a life of complacency.

The Christian Life is Not a Life of Cowardice

Another reason why we can know the right thing to do, and yet not do it, is because we can be afraid to do it.

But that is where integrity begins. A man must do right always. He cannot compromise simply to get what he wants. 

He cannot compromise simply to take the easy road out. We cannot rationalize our sins away.  If you know what is right, do it!

It amazes me how quickly we will try to justify ourselves. If we sin, we try to find a way to excuse it.  But if someone else sins, we don’t mind calling it sin!

Ever since the sin of Adam, we have been trying to justify our sins by trying to blame others.

Do you know what else Adam's sin did?  It brought fear.  And man has been in fear of the holiness of God ever since!

The sad thing is, for some reason, some Christians get so focused on this life that they are afraid to do right because it might cost them something!

Well, you might as well settle it now. Doing right will cost you something! It is always easy to do wrong but often very difficult to do right.

There is a price to pay for integrity.  And those that want to truly follow the Lord will pay that price.

Mark 10:17-22  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  22  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The reason why we are afraid to do right is because we don’t want to lose our worldly status or possessions!

But Jesus made it clear.  If we want to truly follow him, we must take up the cross of suffering.  

But many of us make excuses for why we cannot carry the cross, don’t we? What does Jesus say about this?

John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

A famous preacher once said:  

The measure of a Christian’s tribulation, persecution, and opposition in this world is exactly equal to the measure of his uncompromising stand against that which is wrong and for that which is right.

Why should a man risk persecution?  Because often, that’s what it takes in order to take a stand.  

Why should we risk becoming an outcast and being hated by the world?  Because that’s what it takes in order to be a true follower of Christ. 

 Remember what Jesus said,

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Consider some of the saints of old.

Samuel stood up against King Saul when didn’t completely obey the LORD.  Nathan stood up against King David when he committed adultery.

Elijah stood up against King Ahab as he followed his wicked idolatrous wife.  John the Baptist stood up against Herod as he committed adultery.

Peter and John stood up against the Sanhedrin as they rejected the Saviour.  

Paul stood up against Nero himself, and according to church history, laid his head on a chopping block because of it.

But the best example is Jesus himself. Jesus went to the cross!

Hebrews 12:3-4  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Not many believers are taking a stand today.  And the results on our society are obvious.

According to recent statistics, only 3.1% of America is atheist. But the atheists have gotten God thrown out of almost every public facet of society.

In 1973, when abortion we made legal in America, less than 30% of all Americans were in support of abortion.  But a small group of people pushed it on us!

On the other hand, one little boy gave his lunch to Jesus and Jesus fed a multitude! 

One little girl, Esther, spoke with the king and saved her nation from destruction.

One man built an ark and saved his family and as a result saved all of mankind from extinction. One little boy killed a giant and protected God’s people.

Notice Joshua 23:10-11:

Joshua 23:10-11  One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.  11  Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

The power of one!  There is great power to the believer that walks with God. Why?  Because God fights our battles and gives us the victory.  

Therefore we are commanded to do two simple things – take heed to ourselves (watch out for your spiritual walk with the Lord) and love God.

Conclusion

Sometimes the opportunity to express our courage and faith in Christ brings great difficulty and sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we would not choose for ourselves.  

Jenni was a young woman who was in love with life.  She was active and energetic. Everyone liked to be around her because she was an interesting person.  But she started to get migraine headaches.  They became so intense that her mother took her to a doctor, who diagnosed her brain cancer.  Even with treatment, Jenni only had a 30 percent chance of living. 

She started aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  After several months, the tumors had started to shrink. But then Jenni began throwing up a lot and had sharp abdominal pains.  She learned she was pregnant, and the baby was 10 weeks old.

The doctor told Jenni and her husband that they had to make a choice.  She would either have to terminate the pregnancy and continue the treatments or stop the treatments.  If she stopped the treatments, the cancerous tumors would continue to grow and she would die. 

Jenni stopped the treatments.  A baby boy was born on November 9, 2011.  After the baby was born, Jenni stayed six more days in the hospital, and then returned home.  She died one week after returning home.  Jenni’s last verbal request, was to have her baby laid beside her, as she  slowly slipped away.  The tumors had damaged her eyesight.  As she felt the baby, Jenni’s last words were “I can almost see him.”

When Jenni had gone to the hospital to give birth, she pulled her nurse down to her bed level and whispered in her ear.  Later, the nurse told Jenni’s mother and father what Jenni had said.  “I’m done.  I did what I was supposed to do.  My baby is going be safe.”

You and I probably will never be called upon to make a decision as dramatic as Jenni’s. But when those hard choices come, if we think right then we can do right.