Bible Commentaries

THE POWER OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE

‘Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.’

1 Thessalonians 2:10

St. Paul felt that it was incumbent upon him to bear witness for the Lord Jesus Christ by his life as well as by his lips, and he therefore felt that there were circumstances in which it was imperative upon him to vindicate and to assert the excellence of his life, as well as the truth of his doctrine. His life, he knew and felt, had its great work to perform in the world, as well as his doctrine. His life had a great power in it. So has every Christian life in all ages and in all places.

I. The power of a Christian’s life, as it serves to vindicate and recommend a Christian’s doctrine.—The life of the Christian is taken as a kind of representation of the doctrine of Christians; the life of the Christian is taken very commonly by the world as a kind of incarnation of the faith of the Christian. And we cannot at all wonder at that, for it is so very much easier for all to judge of a doctrine as they see it in a man’s life, than it is for them to judge of it as they see it in abstract forms presented to them; and we cannot wonder at it in reference to the gospel.

II. The power of a Christian life as it serves to enforce a Christian speech.—There are some in every Christian man’s sphere to whom he ought to speak on the subject of a Christian faith and a Christian practice. Every Christian man has a work in this respect in the world. There are some whom he needs to instruct, to exhort, to admonish, to warn, or to rebuke. To do this effectually it is necessary that there should be some wisdom in the choice of time, and in the choice of circumstances, and in the choice of subject, and in the manner of speaking; and it is more than all necessary, to speak effectually to others, that there should be a life more or less in harmony with what is spoken. This is the reason why many professing Christians speak so little to others on the subject of Christian faith and on the subject of Christian practice; this is the reason—a want of harmony between their own life and that which they would have to speak.

III. Seeing that the power of a Christian’s life is great, it becomes us

(a) To inquire very earnestly whether we have experienced it and yielded to it.

(b) To inquire whether we are putting forth Christian influence. Are we commending Christ’s doctrine by our lives? Are those who know us in our daily walk and conversation likely to have some doubts about Christianity removed from their minds, likely to have a weak faith made a strong faith, from what they see daily manifested in our spirit and conduct?

Illustration

‘The only way of getting to heaven, the only way of being participators in Christ hereafter, in His glory and felicity, is by being associated in life with Him here. He said Himself it should be so; that they who served with Him should reign with Him; that they who confessed Him here should be acknowledged by Him there; that they who lived with Him here should live with Him there. He said so: He cannot deny Himself! He cannot recall His word! He cannot violate His promise! He would not do it if He could; He could not do it if He would! He cannot and would not because of His own nature! “Heaven and earth may pass away, but His Word cannot pass away.”’