How can asking the right question equip us, by God’s grace and through the Spirit’s power, to live a radical Christ-centered life?

Back in the early 2000’s, when I was working at my first real job out of college as a lowly marketing guy, our company’s leadership encouraged us to read and adopt many of the flavor-of-the-day inspirational business books of that era. I learned about Good to Great, KAIZEN, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. By adopting these principles, it was hoped that we’d be better workers. Or, as the Army’s 1980’s slogan trumpeted, these books are all a call to “Be all you can be” in the service of your career.   

Even in the Christian community, books like David’s Platt’s, Radical and John Piper’s, Don’t Waste Your Life, call Christians to maximize their lives for the cause of Christ. So too was the call some 400 years ago, when Puritan author, John Owen, penned The Mortification of Sin. But how exactly do we live in a way that makes the best use of our time? As Christians, is that even our calling?  I believe it is.  In this series, we’ll explore exactly why and how the Bible calls us to live life to the fullest – to look at every decision of life – every facet of our existence –  through the lens of one singular question: “Is it best?”

Is it Permissible?

How many times have you asked the question, “what’s wrong with it?” Or perhaps, more to the point, what we really want to know is if something is permissible – can we get away with it without offending God?  Is it okay to watch this movie, or go to that party, or have this drink, or go to that expensive restaurant, or have these close friends, or do this with my girlfriend, etc. Am I breaking one of God’s rules if I do these things or (as we suppose to be the flip side of that question coin) am I free to do this thing as I please because the Bible doesn’t expressly forbid it?       

“23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?  Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

1 Corinthians 10:23-31, NASB1995 

Context is important, and the context of the sweeping command in the last verse, is a passage addressing how we should exercise our Christian Freedom.  So, in verse 23, Paul says (perhaps quoting a cultural maxim) that “All things are lawful, BUT not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, BUT not all things edify.”  In other words – let’s not focus merely on what’s permissible, but on what’s best.  So, in the following verses, he unpacks an example of this.  He brings up food that’s been sacrificed to idols, noting both our freedom to eat this meat, and our need to only eat when it does not harm another.  And lest we misunderstand Paul and treat our freedom as license to do what we please, Paul gives us an incredibly high standard in verse 31 by which to measure all our actions. He tells us, whatever we do – even in little things like eating and drinking – we must purposefully and thoughtfully do it all to the glory of God. 

And you know what, that’s really convicting for me. Sure, I pray for the Lord to bless the food I consume – asking Him to somehow make the mounds of excess fat, salt and sugar on my plate somehow beneficial to me. Yet it is far too seldom that I consider God’s glory when choosing a meal or snack. It’s just not typically on my radar.  Yet, even if you don’t struggle with your weight, do you consider God’s glory when you eat?  Or is it about what you’re hungry for, what helps you stay fit, or a litany of other factors apart from how what you choose to eat glorifies God?  

Too Close?

There’s a video going around social media that shows a young man, just inches from the side of the road, trying to get a clip of superbikes going down a long, narrow straight during the Isle of Man TT race – the deadliest motorcycle race in the world.  You can see a bike approaching in the distance, and then in an instant, it flies by with a deafening roar, maybe an inch or two away from the spectator’s outstretched arm.  Understandably, the teenage spectator jumps back, and then scoots himself further from the road’s edge, no longer feeling quite so safe or cavalier.  

Oftentimes, this is the sort of approach we have to sin. By focusing on what’s permissible, we get ourselves as close to sin as possible, not realizing that the very desire to get close to sin is a sin (or at least a dangerous temptation) in and of itself.  In so doing, we cavalierly overestimate our strength and underestimate the deceptive and alluring power of sin.  

This sort of “what’s wrong with it” mentality has the appearance of godliness, but not unlike Paul’s caution to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:5, it’s a form of spirituality that denies the very power that transforms us.  The “what’s wrong with it” approach tends to make us difficult to distinguish from the world around us – watching the same things the world does, wearing the same clothes, talking about the same passions, living the same lives – and doing all of it for more or less the same selfish reasons as those who do not know Christ.  Sure, we may not watch movies with too much nudity or gratuitous violence in them, or wear clothes that are too revealing – but the differences are often in degrees, not in the fundamental otherness we are called to be.  

“14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

1 Peter 1:14-16, NASB1995

As defined by the Scriptures, to be holy is to be both separate and pure.  In this life, that separation is not to be like monks or insular communities that shun any interaction with the world.  Such an approach would deny the Great Commission, and make void both Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 and Christ’s words in John 17:11f to be in the world, but not of the world.  We are to associate with unbelievers, but not in a way that makes us indistinguishable from them, but rather as an expression of the purity of God lived out in our lives.  This second aspect of our holiness is the means by which others see and believe (1 Peter 2:12) and without which we will not, ourselves, see God (Hebrews 12:14).  This is not to say that works earn us a seat at God’s table, but that the good works we do, by God’s grace and through the Spirit’s empowering, are evidence of the genuineness of our faith.  Works are necessary fruit on the tree of God-given faith that prove that we’re connected to the right root.  

So then, the question begs to be asked – does the fruit of my life clearly display Christ to a fallen world – a world which looks to everything but Jesus for satisfaction, purpose and joy?  Or, is the life I lead so camouflaged to fit in with the culture around me that others can scarce see that I am any different from them?

Does it Help me Run?

“24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NASB1995

Let’s return to 1 Corinthians as we unpack what it means to live a life to the glory of God.  just before our passage in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul gives us this encouragement, above. In it, he paints the picture of a runner.   Paul calls us to run with all our might, that we might win the race of faith – not by competing against other people for the prize of best faith, but in exercising self control in all things, that we might finish our own race with every sinew of our spiritual muscles working at their full potential. And what’s to be our motivation?  We see in this passage that it’s an imperishable prize (see 2 Corinthians 5:1f). But is that it? Let’s look at a familiar parallel passage in Hebrews 12: 

“1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Hebrews 12:1,2, NASB1995

Here, we see clearly that Christ Himself is the prize we’re running toward.  Above all the wonderful blessings of eternity that will be ours to enjoy, it is Christ who is our greatest prize and ultimate pursuit.  We are called, by the power God provides, to not only forsake sin in our pursuit of Christ, but to lay aside even the things that hold us back from a full-out spiritual sprint after Jesus!  

One way we do this is by evaluating all our decisions through the lens of the question, “Does this help me glorify God?”  Or, as we could glean from Hebrews 12, “Does it help me run?”  

In the Olympics, countries invest tens of millions of dollars into research and development of clothing that will give their athletes a competitive edge – often measured in hundredths of a second. What if we looked at our all our decisions with such purposed scrutiny – not to improve our earthly performance, but to help us (and all those around us – 1 Corinthians 10:24) run the race of faith with all our might – free from distraction of worldly competition that takes our eyes off of Jesus. How might such a God-centered mindset change the way you and I live our lives?

Is it Best?

“15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15,16, ESV

Coming full circle, let’s examine what it means to live our lives by the question, “what is best?” How can we take a rather simple, vague, and potentially confusing question and apply it to our lives?  Here’s some broader principles we can glean from Scripture about what it means to seek to do what is best:

• It is for every decision: From 1 Corinthians 10:31, we see that this is a question that we should ask in everything we do, even in the seemingly insignificant decisions of life
• It is God-focused: 1 Corinthians 10:31 also makes it clear that our end goal is to glorify God in the decisions we make, therefore our decisions should be ones that help us to love, obey and make much of Him – and ones that help others to do the same
• It is others-centered: the broader context of 1 Corinthians 10 teaches us that what is best is to consider the wellbeing of others
• It is often sacrificial: 1 Corinthians 10 also teaches us that what is best is to sacrifice our personal liberty for the good of others, even when it is costly 
• It is pure and holy: 1 Corinthians 9 and Hebrews 12 remind us that what is best must include a vigorous pursuit of holy sanctification that kills sin and lays aside even good things that hold us back from pursuing Christ with all our might
• It is Spirit-empowered: Ephesians 3:16-20 and Philippians 2:12,13 teach us that any and all power to live for what is best is a gift of God’s grace through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit within us
• It is totally worth it: 2 Corinthians 4:16f reminds us that every ounce of blood, sweat and tears suffered in the pursuit of Christ has a wonderful result which we will receive as a glorious, eternal prize beyond all comparison. 

A Difficult Gospel Calling

And finally, we ought to ask how this call connects with the Gospel.  How does living our lives in the pursuit of what’s best, help us to see, savor and share the Gospel?  

The call to pursue what is best for the sake of Christ is no easy call.  Anyone who’s trained for a race knows how hard it is.  Those who are the very best devote their entire lives to one singular pursuit. This is our call.  It is a call to difficulty (Matthew 7:13f).  It is a call to suffering (Matthew 16:24).  It is a call to persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).  It is a call to make a practice of killing our sin (Romans 8:13).  It is a call to hard work (Philippians 2:12f).  It is not easy.

Have you ever tried to do only what is best – maybe in a specific area like your diet, devotions or spending habits, for example?  Perhaps a day or two goes by, maybe even a week – or even a month goes by with considerable success. But almost without exception, we come to a point where we fall flat on our face.  We miss a day of Bible reading, get busy and forget to pray, cheat on our diet, stumble on the internet, splurge on an item we can’t really afford – and before long, we find ourselves right back in the same ditch we tried so hard to climb out of. Only this time we’re feeling all the more defeated, guilty, and perhaps even worthless.  It can be a place of profound despair.  But, by God’s grace, it can be a needed turning point of profound hope as well.

It’s humbling to realize we don’t have it in us!  But, even in this, there is grace – though this grace tastes bitter – which points us to our undeniable need for a savior. It drives us to the arms of Christ. Likewise, seeing not only our sin, but our difficulty to consistently resist temptation, helps us to not just academically believe in the Gospel, but to emotionally embrace it as precious and sweet.  The fact that Christ would come and die for me when I was His enemy is a glorious, humbling, and beautiful reality that our failures, rightly seen, help us to savor.  And finally, as we seek, though imperfectly, yet through the Spirit’s power, to do what is best, no matter the cost, it displays the beauty of the Gospel to a world obsessed with self.  Self denial and a commitment to lovingly serve others – even our enemies – is a bullhorn of a way for others, by God’s grace, to notice something not just different, but desirable in us.  May we be that bullhorn to a culture in desperate need of the Gospel! 

For additional passages that encourage us to pursue what’s best, consider reading Acts 24:16, Romans 12:9-13, Ephesians 5:15,16, Colossians 3:23,24, 4:5, Philippians 4:8, and 2 Timothy 2:15. 

To The Specifics!

Below is a growing list of links to each article in this series, updated as we post additional content. If you’re curious how asking the question, “What is Best?”, might apply to matters of modesty, alcohol consumption, relationships, money, and more, check out the articles below. Want us to address another topic? Leave a note in the comments, and we’ll do our best to tackle it!

By the will of the Lord and the transforming work of the Spirit, made possible through the Gospel of Christ, might He strengthen us to pursue what is best in all facets of life – for our joy, others’ good, and the glory of God!