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 The Jackson Heights church of Christ, Columbia, TN

             Kingdom Living 2008

Living for the Lord - by Andrew Roberts

“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23).

 Christianity is at times peculiar in our day and age.

It is odd for some to conceive that there is a higher power than Man. Many scoff at the notion of a Designer and Creator of the universe.

Still, more are perplexed by the notion of sacrifice for another. Selfishness, self-preservation and self-indulgence are ever more en vogue than selflessness, self-sacrifice and self-control.

Yet, probably most foreign to the sensibilities of our post-modern age, is the idea of living for another. How could a person allow another to dictate their morality?  How could one allow another to dictate what is an acceptable expression of worship? What sane person permits another to make mandates about their families, finances or future?  But a Christian resigns all of this and more to their Lord.  By pledging to be “Christ-like,” a disciple commits to respect and obey the authority of Jesus.

The Lord exercises His authority and teaches His followers through His Word.  By respecting the pattern set forth in the New Testament we confidently live according to the covenant of Christ (2 Pet. 3:1-2; 2 Thess. 2:15).

1.   The Word Teaches Us By Direct Commands.
God expressly declares something by statements of Truth (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:17; 13:8) and positive commands or negative prohibitions (Acts 17:30; Col. 3:9).

2.   The Word Teaches Us By Apostolic Examples.
These are the practices of apostles and the church described in the New Testament that met with God’s approval. Examples such as meeting on the 1st day of the week (Acts 20:7) or having a plurality of elders overseeing a church (Acts 14:23; 1 Pet. 5:1-2) merit our imitation.

3.   The Word Teaches Us By Necessary Inference.
Necessary Inference is that which is though neither expressly stated nor specifically exemplified, yet is necessarily implied by the clear import, meaning and language of the text. Consider: Lot went with Abram to Egypt (Gen. 12:10; 13:1); Jesus went down into the water to be baptized (Matt. 3:16).

These principles for establishing the authority of God come from the biblical record (Acts 15:1-31). Thus, Christians live for the Lord by taking His word as their standard of faith and practice in all things.

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