Christianity Exemplified

Christianity Exemplified

2 Cor. 3:1-3

Intro.

A. There are two sides of Christianity - doctrinal and practical.

1. Doctrine is important (2 Jn. 9; Jude 3).

2. Teaching the truth does no good - unless it is applied in my life.

3. Preacher and soap salesman - “your preaching does no good, look at all the immoral things in the world; people who listen to you continue in sin.” Dirty boy appeared - “your soap does no good, look at that dirty boy.” But, “it has to be applied,” same with doctrine.

B. “I can’t hear what you say, because I see what you do” - emphasizes the importance of exemplifying the doctrine, rather than just believing/teaching it.

C. Suppose I want to tell you what RED is - “One of three primary colors in pigments (red, yellow, green) - one which cannot be made by mixing other colors. Light travels in waves; Scientists can measure the lengths of these waves, each color has its own wave lengths - red has the longest visible waves - 33,000 per inch.” Now you know! If you want to tell me what red is - just show me red! If you want to tell me what a Christian is - just show me!

 

Body:

A. Exemplified in attitude toward truth.

1. The parable of the soils (Lk. 8:4-15) - hearts represented by: wayside, rock, thorns, good.

a. Each determines his own reaction to truth (Mt. 13:14-16).

b. Paul arrested in Jerusalem, the commander (Claudius Lysias, Acts 23:25), gave him permission to speak to the mob (Acts 21:40) - told about his background - conversion and consented to death of Stephen (v. 20). Said Jesus told him “I will send you far from here to the Gentiles” (v. 21).  “And they listened to him until this word...” (v. 22)  Prejudice got in their way - emotion took over (vs. 22-24).

2. Do we “hear until this word” - when truth hits me? (Man said “he preaches on it, but I just smile and go and do as I please.”) Many who do it would not say it!

3. We are examples - by our reception of truth (2 Cor. 3:1-3).

a. Jewish travelers often carried letters of recommendation indicating they could be trusted in a person’s home.

b. Paul did not need letters of recommendation in Corinth - his converts were adequate -

“you are an epistle...known and read by all men.” People can judge me - and ultimately Christ by what they see in believers.

c. When the pulpit says - adultery, fornication and uncleanness are wrong (Gal. 5:19) - but the pew engages in those activities, which will people believe?

d. When the pulpit says - drunkenness, revelries (half-drunken and frolicsome fellows... feasts and drinking-parties), witchcraft (pharmakeia) - “the use or the administering of drugs” - one who used drugs to give feeling of euphoria, practice “black magic,” and otherwise pretend that he was someone great - but the pew engages in these?

4. Phil. 2:14-16 - “holding forth” - Daniel said: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (12:3). The picture is of holding the truth up - like a torch!

 

 

B. Exemplified in growth (1 Cor. 16:13,14).

1. The first four - watch, stand fast, be brave (act like men) and be strong - military commander’s orders; the fifth - with love, shows that whatever is done in defending the faith must be done with love for the brethren.

a. Watch - be vigilant/on guard - “originally referred to the work of an army sentinel” (Mt. 24:43), lest you be surprised and fall victim to adversary.

b. Stand fast - soldier stands firm, holding his ground; Christian takes his stand for Christ.

c. Be brave (act like men) - “emphasizes the idea of courageous, heroic conduct in the midst of battle. Similarly, the Christian is to lay aside childish bickering and petty strife and demonstrate manly courage” (Willis, p. 501).

d. Be strong - he conquers the enemy and wins the victory (Eph. 6:10-16).

2. It takes maturity to take criticism (Gal. 2:11-14). We are not told Peter’s attitude, but from his life, we can conclude that he accepted the criticism. He didn’t quit.

3. It takes maturity to forgive (Rom. 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil...”).

a. Clara Barton (founder of American Red Cross) - was reminded of a cruelty done to her, replied “I distinctly remember forgetting that!” (Phil. 3:13,14)

b. Abraham Lincoln - maturity seen in appointing Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War, though he had publicly called him “a low cunning clown...the original gorilla.” A friend reported that even as a cabinet member Stanton had called the President a fool. Lincoln calmly replied “Well, I reckon it must be true, for Stanton is generally right.” At Lincoln’s death, a repentant Stanton said “There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.”

4. It takes maturity to lead in right when others are doing wrong (1 Tim. 4:12).

a. Example of Robert E. Lee, who led the South in the Civil War, although he did not agree with slavery. After the war, a black man entered a Richmond church building and knelt at the altar. A rustle of shock and anger swept through the congregation. Then, a member arose, stepped forward and knelt beside the man. Captured by his spirit, the whole congregation followed. The man who set the example was Lee!

b. “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ” (Eph. 4:14,15).  When others compromise error - don’t; when others compromise with ungodliness - don’t. That exemplifies Christianity.

 

Concl.

All the watching, standing and bravery will be of no avail - unless it is done in love. “Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Cor. 16:14). Faith must work through love (Gal. 5:6). If not, all the truth we stand for and all the morality we defend will be for nought. The doctrinal side is important, but vain without the practical side. The soap has to be applied. Show me RED!