A Measure of Success

When you and I came to Jesus – we were capable of making reasonably good decisions and had a good idea of what was right and wrong. BUT when push came to shove, we realized we were sinners. Part of the reason God gave us His word - was to change us…
John 17:17 "Sanctify them by your word…"

What is the measure of success of a Christian’s life? Let me give you a few of the top measurements that WE have today. We parade them around as honors to be achieved, medals to be won and glories to be had. Here are a few of our measurements:

1. Tithes: If a person tithes to the Church, to us, they are good Christians.
2. Church attendance: Unless you attend Church every Sunday you are not a good Christian
3. Dress Code: Now we tell people to come as you are to Church, but we don’t really mean it. If they don’t look right, if they don’t smell right, if they have bad breath, or if they just don’t look like we do, then they cannot be a good Christian
4. Misc. Service: Miscellaneous service includes feeding the poor (when it doesn’t interfere with the other things you have going on – like watching the game or going shopping); visiting someone in the hospital, making food for the elderly, etc.

By our standards, if a person did these well – they are a good Christian and will get into heaven. When we stand up and say all of the things about a “good Christian”, how they served, how they “did things” for others we are basing those comments on an action – not the heart.

This is our measurement of a good Christian, what they do – not their motivation or their hearts. We will parade someone around as a good Christian because of their ability to sing, teach or preach, even though everyone knows they are a cheat, liar and chasing every man or woman they come across. But if they are doing good works we tend to overlook their “mistakes”. We can overlook their little mishaps. Besides, aren’t we all just sinners saved by grace?
Your works will not save you. If you’re doing things to be doing them, for the approval of man, you’re wasting your time. If you’re doing them because you’re motivated by love, then it will last.

Want to know a secret, I woke up and sinned. I lit a cigarette before I read the Word of God and prayed this morning. I know, doesn’t sound too bad and God still loves and forgives me. How do you see this? When you read these last 2 sentences, did it make you think of ”Paul, the son of God” or “Paul the Smoker son of God?”

We must get away from this vision of what a real Christian should be. We must not use our own rulers to measure others; only God has that accurate measurement.

1 John 3:23-24: “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in Him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John 4:7-8: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love, does not know God, for God is love.

God measures our life by our love. 1 Corinthians 13 talks about love and how perfect it is. What I love about that chapter is that it plainly states that our measurements mean nothing if we are not motivated by love, walk in and do all things in love.

We must realize everyone is important, each individual person. You don’t judge people based on their circumstances; you treat them, as you’d want to be treated. This is a quality of love in action. A quality of love for Men of Action!

Some people can be the most holy, sanctified and righteous people on Sunday. These same Christians can be the biggest devils Monday through Saturday. Some of you have not spoken to a family member in years because of something. If we treat family like that I can only imagine how we treat non-family members. And when I use the term “family”, I mean the family of Christ, which includes your blood and non-blood relatives.

Jesus told the disciples that we would be known as His disciples if we have love for one another. 1 John 4:20 says If someone says “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

You will be known by something. If you are not known as His disciple what are you known for? What measurements are you using?

The decision is yours and I pray that you make the right one.