How does one actually live a good, wholesome, positive, loving, giving, honest life? As a Christian, the primary motive for doing so is because we SHOULD allow God, his Spirit, his Word, and the spiritually mature in the church – as a Christian we should allow these things to actually change our nature, our heart, our desires. We become, as the scriptures put it, sanctified or set-apart for a godly life and a godly purpose. It has, from a Christian perspective, eternal consequences.Other faith systems as well as misdirected “Christian” faith systems are motivated by avoiding hell, or avoiding punishment from the Devine being, or strictly by gaining rewards from the All Mighty. However, authentic Biblical Christianity promotes a character change from the inside out because God changes us. As it is written, “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Heb 8:10 – referring to Jeremiah 31:33-34). For the record, from an atheistic perspective, the motive for being good (and I won’t get into definitions here – just accept the general understanding of good verses evil) is some type of system of mutual benefit. That is, if most people are good, society and mankind will prosper… until the sun burns out… but that’s for another discussion.
The question then is this: how does God actually change us from the inside out so that we become inherently good and not bad by default – the way we are naturally? (By the way, non-Christians would not accept the idea of humans being naturally bad, and indeed, most people don’t like this idea at all!). Spiritually speaking there are only two ways this kind of change takes place: (1) Super Natural Change; and (2) Natural Change.
Supernatural Change is awesome and striking – it is when God literally takes away a bad or sinful behavior instantaneously. This is especially amazing if you know the before and after person on a personal level. For example, after a person believes and is baptized – according to the scriptures, they immediately stop using profanity, end and never look back on an illicit sexual relationship, or stop being angry or hateful or mean spirited, or instantly become brave and confident - no longer a coward. God has done this in the past and will do it again in the future for His own purpose and pleasure. However, blatant supernatural change is not normative or common. Even the scriptures have more natural events than supernatural, albeit, a great deal of supernatural events occurs in the written word – both Old and New Testament…. But most of the events and situations, especially from perspective of the rank-and-file populace referenced in scripture, are natural events.
Thus, Natural Change is what God calls for. I do believe, and the scriptures states, that God’s Spirit helps us even want to change as well as help us along with the changes, but the effort and practices that bring about the change are natural. (Thus, for the record, the only noticeable difference between the Christian and the atheist when it comes to being an inherently good person verses bad is the motive… but I digress.) To change from bad to good, from normal human to godly saint in behavior takes self disciple, hard work, conscious and proactive decisions, wise counsel, and a lot of effort. Yes, we must work in order to change from being bad to being good. Simply check out any of the following passages and see that effort, training, and old-fashioned hard work is required for the Christian to change from being bad to good: Luke 13:24, Romans 14:19, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Peter 1:10, Philippians 2:12, Gal 5:23, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Titus 2:2-5, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Col 2:5, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Timothy 4:7, Eph 6:4, 2 Tim 3:16-17. 2 Time 2:15).
Now, because bad is defined as sin in the scriptures, the things we train ourselves and discipline ourselves to change may not fit in with the broader society. If you fully buy into a Biblical world view, then certain sexual practices would be off-limits no matter what society says. Certain types of entertainment and the overt pursuit of wealth for the sake of being wealthy or hording wealth – i.e. greed – would also be considered off limits.
In addition, the training would look funny or strange to the broader society. If you are in training with a coach for any major skill, the practice sessions and drills will look funny to everyone NOT in that kind of training. The Karate Kids “wax on, wax off” comes to mind. Training and discipline is also individualized because people have different abilities. For example, below is a list of things that I learned (some editing on my part) that many Christians have actually done in order to foster training and self control, specifically dealing with pornography and other sexual sin, but the principles can be used to help us change from any bad behavior or habit into a good behavior or habit:
- Counseling with pastor
- Burned all pornographic magazines
- Called spouse from hotel to ensure avoidance of sin
- Changed jobs
- Changed stores they shop, for example, where pornography was not available
- Confessed to spouse, asked for assistance
- Cut off all Internet access
- Cut off relationships that promoted sin
- Cut up video store rental cards
- Drove a different route to work to avoid areas of temptation
- Installed Internet Filter software (such as Safe Eyes) and had override password controlled by some other person.
- Locked up the VCR and gave the key to a family member
- Moved out of current residence where sinful, harmful activated was embraced (e.g. Moves out when roommates live a life of drinking, profanity, viewing pornography, using/abusing/taking advantage of women & boasting about it, etc…)
- Moved the computer from a private to a very public place
- Moved to a different city
- Reformatted hard drives
- Refused to go out of town except with spouse
- Refused to go where temptation has been strong
- Refused to take cash or credit cards with them – avoids the ability to buy/pay for sinful things
- Removed cable TV from home
- Removed TV from home and/or hotel room
- Slept with clothes on to help break an addition to masturbation
- Slept with curtains open in bunkroom to avoid privacy
- Spent all night in prayer, begging God for grace to overcome
- Started going to church each week.
- Started working with an accountability partner
- Stopped counseling with counselors who don't accept the Biblical definitions of good and bad
- Threw pornographic disks in the lake
No training or discipline should be used forever. Once the skill or ability is mastered, the training wheels can come off. I know of a man who had beat the struggle with pornography and sexual sin. One day years after his own victory, he saw a fellow church member going into an x-rated movie. This man, no longer trapped by such temptation, purchased a ticket, went in, found his fellow congregant, sat next to him, and quietly whispered, “what are we doing in here?”. They left together and he was able to help his brother and friend start to dig out of a damaging and destructive practice.
Once a behavior or skill or practice is mastered due to training and discipline, as Christians, we must continue to exercise. Just like in professional sports, training in the basics is always needed and fitness training days in the weight room are absolutely essential, we can’t simply stop "working out". It takes a lifetime of natural effort to become supernaturally holy, godly, and righteous. As Paul told Timothy regarding being deceived by words or ideas that are myths, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly”. (1 Tim 4:7)
Finally, we are all the same – public and private figures alike, the famous and the unknown all do bad things. This fact is consistent with the Biblical record’s witness regarding humanity. A sampling of the political powerful over the years include:
My own Prince Georges County Executive Jack Johnsons recent arrest for breaking the law due to greed; Congressman Charlie Rangel (D, NY) problems due to hypocritical ethics – not paying taxes; Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, amongst many others of Mr. Clintons sexual improprieties; Grover Cleveland fathered an illegitimate son with a widow named Maria Halpin – 1884; William Lorimer Senator (R-IL) expelled from the Senate in 1912 for accepting bribes; Rep Wilbur Mills found with a stripper named Annabella Battistella in 1974; Dan Crane (R-Ill.) had sex with a 17 year old congressional page – 1983; Gerry Studds (D-Mass) had sex with a 17 year old male congressional page... Yes, Mr. Studds admitted that he was gay – 1974; Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.) pressured sex from a 16 year old girl and was convicted for solicitation of child pornography among other things – 1994; etc…. there are hundreds more!
Of course, it’s not just the political but there are many financial giants like Jack Abramoff and Bernie Madoff who lie, cheat, and steal for greed and wealth. There are also millions of unknown people who cheat on their wives, are greedy hurtful people who are in small positions of authority. There are those with no authority at all accept over a child whom they damage because of their own "Badness". These folk harm people, they cause pain and suffering because of their own pride and arrogance mixed with human frailty and weakness, and so they sin and they fall and they cause pain. Greed and selfishness, uncontrolled passion, and unfulfilled desires that run out of control cause a great deal of harm. Being human “aint all it’s cracked up to be”! (Of course, I'm leaving out the spiritually deceived who kill and murder people "for God" that's for another time.)
Yet, all of this can be avoided if a person who claims to be a Christian would simply begin to take it seriously and actually start to change from the inside out by working hard and avoiding sin and becoming godly. I simply pray that I never give in to my own base temptations but I too, make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with God (2 Peter 3:14).
