Correct beliefs are critical to correct behavior. Tenets of faith are of little account if they do not impact our lives. As I bring this series of essays to an end, in a way, these on the Christian life are the most important.
We believe that to be a Christian is the highest privilege, and being a Christian makes us more special to God than anyone else. We constitute the family of God[1], the salt of the earth, the light of the world[2], and the pillar and ground of truth [3]. There is no higher calling. To underscore our special status, God calls us “priests.”[4]
We didn’t attain this status on our own. We were given it when we placed our faith in Christ and aligned our lives with His in His death.
The Old Testament priesthood serves as the model for our own. The standard for their behavior was higher than that of the rest of Israel; they set the bar. They were to teach this behavior to others and nothing on earth was to come between them and their devotion to the Lord. Jesus said the same thing of us: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”[5] Priests modeled dignity and honor and the life they lived was to be completely devoted to the Lord.
We believe this response of life to God should proceed from our hearts, for if it does not, it will not be genuine, nor will it last.[6]
It is to be a life totally dependent on God, and that brings me to the final point this time: The Christian life is a faithful one. It is full of faith, trust in God that He will transform us if we will desire it and allow it. Faithful also means “trustworthy.” God is trustworthy, that’s why we believe in Him. As his children, we must be trustworthy too. The world must trust that we will not lead them astray, that it can count on us to be the great people we’ve been called to be.
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Footnotes:
[1] Ephesians 2:19
[2] Matthew 5:14-19
[3] 1 Timothy 3:15
[4] 1 Peter 2:9
[5] Matthew 10:37