Doxis & Praxis

Unbelievers often charge Christians with hypocrisy: an inconsistency between our talk (doctrine, doxis, attitude) and our walk (practice, praxis, action). They are right: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Ro 3:23). However, a Christian is no longer a slave to sin and is a "…new creation…" (2Co 5:17); he has a new desire and direction in life: to glorify God, not self.

Ironically, the world desires believers to be hypocritical. They like the actions of Christians that involve volunteering, being polite, paying taxes… but they want the action separated from the attitude: good works, but don't talk about Jesus! However, when praxis is tried in our own strength, apart from doxis, the society "slouches toward Gomorrah."

This legalism is a veneer, an appearance of godliness. A Christian must be a hearer and doer of the Word (Jas 1:22). As for the effect on the surrounding society... Alexis de Toqueville, author of Democracy in America (1835, 1840) wrote, "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good [doxis], America will cease to be great [praxis]" (ed.: brackets added).

Complete Your Creation!

The physical Creation was "formless and void" (Ge 1:2); no emptying was needed. After three days of forming by separating—the light from the darkness, the waters below from the waters above, and the dry land from the gathered waters—there were three days of filling. We celebrated the physical Creation day of rest with the Sabbath: Saturday. Israel and the Church are also separated, called out groups from the world.

The Fall of Man required a spiritual Re-creation. Believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the new believer separates from the world. No physical forming needs to be done again, but he needs to be emptied to self/his flesh (Php 2:7) by denying himself (Lk 9:23), so he may be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18; cf. Gal 5:16, 17) and transformed into the image of Christ (Ro 8:29; Col 3:10). We celebrate the day of the First Resurrection, final rest: Sunday.

The Righteous: Persecuted by Men, but Preserved by God

Tom White, Director of Voice of the Martyrs writes [12/2010 issue; p. 3] that having the new nature Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-9), "The natural result will be the persecution and rejoicing described in verses 10-12." This was Paul's point: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2Ti 3:12; cf. Php 3:10; Col 1:24; 1Pe 4:13). White adds, "We learn that ultimately our safety is not where we are; safety is staying in God's will no matter the consequences."

Pursue Christ's Humility for Life & Ministry

Speaking of the Lord and humility, Bob Provost (Slavic Gospel Association President) writes [SGA InSight, 12/2010, p. 7]: "Having perfect humility, He would never be offended. Being complete in His Father, He had no need to be appreciated. He was the perfect embodiment of grace, peace, and truth, and when oppressed and afflicted, He did not open His mouth." Speaking later of a faithful man in the Ukraine, Pastor Yakov Kuzmich Dukhonchenko, Dr. Provost wrote that his legacy of life "has helped sustain humility as the cardinal, essential qualification for leadership as a deacon or a pastor."

Repent from Your Repentance

George Whitefield, in his sermon "The Method of Grace" (Jer 6:14), says that before we can speak peace to our hearts we must see that "God may damn you for the very best prayer you've ever put out.... My repentance wants to be repented of." To be saved we must repent not only of overt sin, but any so-called righteousness of our own. Later he remarks that before he was saved, "I was obligated to sin in order to stifle conviction." What an excellent description of hardness of heart.

A New Opportunity to Serve the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ

Our last Sunday church service was today. We long for the next good work "...which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph 2:10).