The Seven Pillars of A Christian Life

I heard a great message at Church today in which the Pastor showed what he called the seven pillars of a Christian life, and the importance of all Christians practicing these seven pillars, otherwise they will fall. His text was from 2 Peter 1:5-8:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

And, I'm sure you can discern from the passage exactly what those seven pillars are that we should add to our faith. They are:

1. virtue

2. knowledge

3. temperance

4. patience

5. godliness

6. brotherly kindness

7. brotherly charity

VIRTUE

The Pastor then said each Christian should learn these things in order. And, as we started looking at each one, I suddenly realized I didn't really know what virtue was. I mean, I used it in sentences before, and I've read the word in the Bible, especially when it speaks of a virtuous woman. But if someone asked me to define the word, I wouldn't know how to define it. So I looked it up in the Webster's 1828 dictionary when I got home. I found it means:

1. Strength

2. Bravery; valor.

3. Moral Goodness The practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law. In this sense, virtue may be, and in many instances must be distinguished from RELIGION. The practice of moral duties merely from motives of conveniences, or from complusion, or from regard to reputation, is VIRTUE, as distinct from religion. The practice of moral duties from sincere love to God and his laws, is virtue... Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth.

As I thought on this, I gleaned a great truth. Religion is doing something for God because you are COMPELLED to do so, while virtue is doing right because you want to. What a great difference!

How sad to me in our day there are so few Christians there are out there in modern Fundamentalism who have true virtue. Many of them are instead religious, as they might serve God, but they do so because their Pastors force them to, or compel them to, browbeating them time and again for their lack of service for God. Whatever happened to just serving God because you love Him, and not because you are presssured to do so?

So many preachers nowdays have to visit people in their congregation every week, because if they don't they won't come to church. They have to lay guilt trips on their congregation to do visitation or soul winning, because if they don't, then the people won't do so. They have to start programs in which the congregation can earn stuff for each visitor they bring to church, because if they don't, they won't invite others.

The problem is a lack of virtue in the congregation. And the Pastor is too blind to see it. If only he would preach the Bible, preach Christ crucified, and preach the compassion of Jesus, then the congregation could do those things because they WANT TO, not because they are guilt tripped into doing them because they HAVE TO! If only people had a "want to" in themselves, then we could see real revival in America!

How sad there is such a lack of virtue in Christianity today.

KNOWLEDGE

Next, the scriptures speak of "knowledge." We know that this is learning the scriptures after one is saved so they might grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18). But in modern Christianity today we see very little sound bible doctrine being preached and taught from the pulpit, and very little growth in the lives of those we call "converts."

I believe it's because many pastors use "Christian psychology" or modern made up programs of man like the "Purpose Driven" programs. Instead of just teaching verse by verse from the Bible (which is the best way), Pastors often jump around from passage to passage pulling what they want from the scriptures to prove their own points, rather than letting God himself make the point he wants others to get from the context of His word.

Surely, we live in a time of spiritual drought, in which truth lieth in the streets, and people are spiritually anemic. Sure we have many who claim to be "Bible Believers" but very few are actually "Bible Readers." And even fewer still are "Bible Knowers" and "Bible Doers."

If only people would get in the book, and learn it and practice it, my how times would change!

TEMPERANCE

Temperance is our third pillar, and I must admit, I had to look that one up too. It basically means "self-control." I've heard it preached that temperance has to do with the way metal is tempered or heated to make it stronger, and how God often must put us through trials and tribulations to teach us how to deal with things we can't always control without exploding in anger and giving ourselves over to hatred, filthy communications (cussing), and brawling. It's all so we can learn to control ourselves in adversity.

But do modern Christians have temperance? Thankfully many do, but how often do you hear of a man who falls into sin? How often do you see those who name the name of Christ fall into adultery, or some other grevious sin? It's all too common. Their lack of self-control prove they haven't grown in the faith.

PATIENCE

This brings us to our fourth pillar--patience. This is something very few Christians truly have today, nor do they want. I've even heard preachers say things like, "That's one thing you should never pray for, because if you do, God will make you wait to get it!"

But how many today truly practice patience? How many are "longsuffering" with others and able to simply place things in God's hands without trying to fix things themselves? My, what a mess we can make of things when we impatienly do things our way instead of God's way!

Without patience, it's easy to run around like a dead chickenswith their head cut off toiling in the service of the Lord, but doing so in the flesh, not in the Spirit of God. Sure, you can claim, "I'm doing something for God!" But even the Pharisees said the same! It's easy to DO something. But it's harder to first PRAY and then DO, because that takes patience.

Are you a GO AND DO Christian, or are you a PRAY, WAIT, and then GO DO TRUSTING GOD Christian?

The old saying is "Patience is a virtue." We should be patient, waiting on God as we pray and then go and do for Him, never rash and zealously doing something for God without first asking God to bless it!

GODLINESS

Godliness is our fifth pillar, and boy is it an important one. The word shows up in the scriptures only in the New Testament and is mentioned fifteen times. Godliness is living a holy, peaceable and honest life (1 Tim. 2:2) full of good works (1 Tim. 2:10), excercising yourself spiritually by being profitable to God (1 Tim. 4:7,8) consenting to sound doctrine and departing from strife, pride, envy, railings, disputings, and evil surmisings (1 Tim. 6:3-5). It is further fleeing foolish and hurtful lusts and sinful desires, instead following love, patience, meekness (1 Tim. 6:5-11), while acknowledging the truth (Titus. 1:1). For there be many who may hold a "form of godliness" but they deny the truth and the power therefore (See a list of such people in 2 Tim. 2:1-7).

Godliness is wanting to be more like God and to live your life trying to please God. Are all Christians like this today? Most certainly not! There are many who might act godly outwardly and around others, but if you were to follow them home, or see them outside of Church, they are just as worldly, fleshly, and carnal as they can be. They are modern day Pharisees who appear righteous before men, but inwardly are ravenous wolves! God help us! We need more godly Christians in our churches, pulpits, schools, political offices, and secular job force.

BROTHERLY LOVE AND BROTHERLY CHARITY

The next two pillars both are two words long each, and the first word of each is "brotherly." They are brotherly kindness and brotherly charity.

Why did the Holy Ghost use the word brotherly twice? I believe, like in many parts of the scripture, when God uses the same word twice there is a reason for it, and usually it is because it's so important, God chose to tell it to us more than once. It wasn't God being redundant it was for us to remember what he said!

Brotherly kindness and brotherly charity almost sound like the same thing, don't they? So what is the difference between kindness and charity? For you can be kind to someone without being charitable, and you can give charity to someone without being kind. So what's the difference?

Kindness in Webster's 1828 Dictionary is described as: "good will," "hospitality," or "an act of benevolence." And, the word Kind in Webster's is defined as: "Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature...Proceeding from the tenderness or goodness of heart."

In other words kindess, or benevolence, is the opposite of "violence." It's doing good towards and simply being nice to others who are also Christians (hence the word brotherly), compassionately and caringly as you help those in need.

Does this sound like modern Christianity to you? Are Christians nice to each other all the time practicing acts of goodness one to another? If you say yes, then you must not have been saved for a long time. My old Pastor used to say, "The people who will hurt you the most when you are saved are other Christians!" And, boy have I found that true.

Backbiting, gossip, bitterness of heart, church splits, threatenings, and more are common in Christian circles today, and it's only getting worse. Where is the love? It is a fallen pillar.

What's worse is the great lack of Christian Charity. Webster's defines charity as "...liberality to the poor, consisting in almsgiving or benefactions, or in gratuitous services to relieve them in distress. Alms...any act of kindness."

Charity, then, is more than just being nice. It's giving to those other brothers in need. It's helping those Christians who can't help themselves, and lending a hand to those who need a leg up.

Does this sound like how modern Christians help other Christians? Not on your life! Instead, many churches are more focused on giving to missions than to helping those saints within their own church. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with giving to missions. We should encourage the spread of the Gospel. But how can we care more about lost souls than we do about the souls that are already in the church?

I can't tell you how many empty church buildings I've been invited to preach in. There are far less numbers in Fundamentalits churches than ten, twenty, and even thirty years ago. Why is this?

From what I've seen, the reason most often that people who claim to be Christians are out of church is because instead of finding charity from others in a time of need, they are criticized for not being as rich or as strong or as full of faith as others in the congregation. Because of this, they leave the church because they are not helped, only hindered by self-concieted Christians who only care about themselves. Their attitude is "I got mine, now you go get yours and leave me alone!"

Where is the love? It used to be Christian character was so strong that it dictated to the world how they should behave. People worldwide in the Victorian Era prided themselves on being civil, charitable, and courageous. But today the church has adopted the world's attitude of "Me first, you next, maybe!"

I remember, and it wasn't that long ago, when a member of the church was suffering financial difficulties, other members would anonymously buy him groceries and leave them on his door step. But now it's hard to find Christians with that same spirit of charity. Why is this? Could it be because modern day Pharisees have entered the ranks are are only interested in what they can get from others rather than what they can give?

SUMMARY

In closing, let me say that the message I heard that Pastor preach today really led me to thinking, and really showed me some things that I need to do in my life to strengthen those pillars so that I will not "fall" as the Apostle Peter says.

However, it also exposed to me the reason that modern Fundamentalist Christianity today is so powerless amid an evil and ungodly world. It has given heed to the world, and has chosen wordliness over godliness. It's lack of virtue has lead to it becoming a political, religious system which tries to control men, rather than encourage men to serve God of a pure heart. Rather than teach sound Bible doctrine, it seeks to replace it with tradition and the programs of men. Rather than being temperant and patience, it has become so anxious to appear godly, it does all it can for God in the flesh, without first seeking God's face and striving to serve Him in the power of God. Because of its carnality, the church has turned from true kindness and charity to strife, envying, backbiting, and attacking one another. Their pillars have fallen, and rather than rebuild, they are tearing them down even further.

The Pastor said it well when he said: "The world is getting darker, and did you know that the darker it gets the brighter a light is? We are the light of the world, and the only light this dark world will ever see!" But he then added sadly, "But as the world is getting darker, I fear that the church is getting dimmer. It's because they have allowed the pillars to fall. We need to set them up again!"

Do I really need to say anymore? How is your Christian life? How are your pillars?

As the Pastor said, "Heads bowed and eyes closed..."

IMMORALITY DESTROYS A FREE SOCIETY

It used to be that a person prided themself upon how moral he or she was. But those days are long gone!

People today don't use, much less think about the words "moral" and "morality." They are "outdated" principles, and therefore forgotten. But what are they, and what do they mean?

Webster's 1828 define them thusly,

MORALITY:

The doctrine or system of moral duties, or the duties of men in their social character; ethics...The quality of an action which renders it good; the conformity of an act to the divine law, or to the principles of rectitude. This conformity implies that the act must be performed by a free agent, and from a motivfe of obedience to the divine will. This is the strict theological and scriptural sense of morality.

MORALS

The practice of the duties of life; as a man of correct morals. Conduct, behavior; course of life, in regard to good and evil.

We see then, morals come from a healthy fear of God, which leads to a person wanting to do right and live right. A moral person looks at good and evil based upon God's divine law (the Bible), and not based upon their own opinion of what they think is right and wrong. And a person who is moral wishes to be free to practice his morality. While an immoral person wishes a more debased system which allows him to prosper by doing WRONG, instead of working hard and doing RIGHT in order to get ahead. This is just a simple basic truth. And if you'll think about it, you'll see immorality not only destroys the soul, but destroys society.

America as a nation was founded on God and the Bible. It therefore for the most part was very moral, and has even been called a "Christian Nation" for centuries because of this.

These Bible-based "morals" also led to the founding of its system of government, or to the belief in the FREEDOM of an individual to live and practice his good morals as he pleases. The founding documents speak of men's GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

But what about today? Are people really as moral as those of days gone by? I think you know the answer to that question. America is no longer a Christian nation, rather it has become a Pagan nation full of rampant IMMORALITY!

People today no longer desire to follow the morals of their parents who followed the morals of their parents who usually tried to live a good, MORAL LIFE, because their parents taught them the Bible.

Just a few examples of modern immorality will do:

My grandmother says that when she was a kid, the word "divorce" was a bad word, and you could get your mouth washed out with soap for saying it! Now, the national average is 8 out of 10 marriages end in divorce in America.

To have a child out of wedlock in America was a shame and a disgrace, and the child was branded a "bastard." Now it is common place, and no one says anything against it.

Fornication was preached against in our land, but now it is common practice and very few cry against it.

In the Bible, and even hundreds of years ago in this continent, adultery was punishable by death. Now it is so common, we hear talk of "key parties" in which men exchange keys to each others home so that each may willingly commit adultery with the others wife.

Why do these anti-biblical, IMMORAL practices flourish so much today with hardly a word spoken against them? The answer is that as a nation, our once great and moral country has departed from the BIBLE.

Thus, we see this pattern: Following the Bible leads to MORAL PRACTICES, departing from the Bible leads to IMMORAL acts.

With this in mind, let's put two and two together and discern why our country is headed the way it is, and so many of our liberties are being assaulted. For when IMMORALITY reigns, people are enslaved to sin and ultimately deceived, but when MORALITY rules people are freed from the chains of darkness to follow the way of truth. Better said, "Live right, expect righteousness and blessings; live wickedly, expect judgment and oppression!"

As I read through the Declaration of Independence again, I saw this principle in motion. The founding fathers, who strained to live a truly upright life, were the ones who gave us FREEDOM, and they did so because they honored GOD.

They even told us GOD himself is who gave them our freedom:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable Rights..."

What I'm trying to say is: "Their morality dictated their policy!" Or as one old preacher put it, "A man's lifestyle affects his doctrine."

The Declaration of Indepence continues by denouncing the King of England as a TYRANT for his corruption and abuse of power (i.e. his immoral political practices).

This is why the first paragraph of the document says, "When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's GOD entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinon of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation."

The founding fathers were so moral, they wanted to SEPARATE THEMSELVES from IMMORAL MEN who practiced IMMORALITY! They were so adamant in their hatred towards evil trespasses and injustice, that they were willing to die if need be, and even go to war, by stating in the very same document: "We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War..."

They close the Declaration by appealing to God, whom they call, "The Supreme Judge of the World," and sware "their Lives...Fortunes...and Sacred Honor," to Him with, "a firm Reliance on the Protection of [his] divine Providence."

They not only believed in God, but they wanted to live for him, and live a good moral life. And if they couldn't, they'd rather die!

They did not want to be brought under the power of a tyrannical system that was immoral and would seek to make them immoral as well. So they fought the immoral "despot" and won their freedom to serve God as they pleased. And, what an awesome story it is. They gave us a system of government of "We the people." And it was a great government and it lasted a while, because the majority of the people were good, upstanding, moral citizens.

Now back to our day, over 200 years later. What we find now are very little MORALS left in society. Individuals are not only IMMORAL, but so are most politicians. Because of this, public schools and universities no longer teach the constitutution, and many times attack it. Why? Because they have become so immoral they no longer want to retain God in their memories. They no longer want to be in a system that was founded by good moral men who wanted to route out immorality. They earnestly want immorality, and injustice. They want to get something for nothing. They want to live wickedly. They want to do whatever they want without any biblical restraints! And their immorality has destroyed our once free society and system of a government.

Very plainly and simply stated, "Immorality destroys a free society."

SUMMARY

The founding fathers have been branded "rebels" by modernistics re-writers of history. In a sense they were. They rebeled against immorality. But modern revolutionaries are rebelling against God and Bible-based morals. Their revolution is not against evil but is against good.

And their immorality has led them to hate the very God and the very principles that founded our once great nation.

Some Christians believe America will have revival and be great again. But this will never happen until people turn from their wicked ways. For how can a government "Of the people and by the people" be any good if all the people are bad?

All we can do is say, "Even so come, Lord Jesus!"

The SIN OF DEFRAUDING

There is way too much fraud in our world today. There is also too many people defrauding others. When someone uses the term "DEFRAUD" what do you think of? Usually you think of MONEY, right? Well, I thought about that and looked up how many times the word DEFRAUD shows up in the King James Bible, and it was interesting what I found, as it doesn't always talk about money. First mention: Lev 19:13 Thou shalt not DEFRAUD thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. This applies to the JEWS in the Old Testament. Here it does speak of of defrauding one's NEIGHBOR of his money or his wages. How about you? Have you ever defrauded anyone of their wages? Or do you know anyone or maybe I should say, any "organization," that tries to defraud you of your wages? Defrauding one's neighbor is not only sin against them, but is sin against GOD! Second mention: Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, DEFRAUD not, Honour thy father and mother. Here we see Jesus speaking about some of the ten commandments. "Defraud not" is mentioned with them. This has to do with taking away something that doesn't belong to you! If that's not a verse about private property, I don't know what is! Notice how DEFRAUDING is put right between DON'T LIE and HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER. Could it be that those who usually defraud others are often disobedient children who have lied to their parents, and then learned how to lie for the rest of their lives? Could it be that lying and disrespect are the root of defrauding? Third mention: 1 Cor 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and DEFRAUD, and that your brethren. Here's a very sad verse. Paul is talking to CHRISTIANS, and he says they are DEFRAUDING other Christians. How horrible! You would think if there is anyone you could trust in this world it'd be another Christian, but not so! Sometimes Christians are the worst people in the world. Why is this? I believe it's because of two reasons: 1. They aren't really CHRISTIANS, as they have never truly been born again, or 2. They are Christians, but they are very worldly, carnal, and backslidden. Which one are you? It's not too late to repent. If you've defrauded another Christian, why not make it right? Give back to them what you've stolen, or apologize to them for what evil you've done to them. 'Cause if you don't, you'll have to give account to God for it at the Judgment Seat of Christ! 1 Cor 7:5 DEFRAUD ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. This verse deals with the marriage relationship. It says that husband and wife should not DEFRAUD one another SEXUALLY. That is to say, they both need to be willing to give their body to their spouse when it comes to the act of SEX. The only way not to is to consent to fast and pray together instead of having sex. Now, I've got a question, "How many Christians actually practice this today?" As a Missionary Evangelist, I've traveled all over and met a lot of ministers of the Gospel. Very few of them practice this as they travel all over preaching without their wives. In fact, they certainly don't FAST, as most of them are "Gospel blimps." (i.e They are a bunch of fat cows!) I've been blessed to take my wife with me everywhere I go. Only once we had to separate for three weeks while I went to preach in California without her. During that time we both fasted, just as the verse tells us to. So why don't other ministers do the same? There's been so many preachers and pastors fall into the sin of adultery, pornography, fornication, and more. Usually, it all starts with the sin of defrauding their wife, or their wife defrauding them sexually. That then leads to one of the spouses leaving and finding another to fulfill their needs. These things ought not to be so! Fifth mention: 1 Th 4:6 That no man go beyond and DEFRAUD his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. Again, this verse is written to Christians. We are told they should not only "defraud" other brothers, but they should not go "beyond" in doing so. That is to say plotting and planning how to defraud another brother in Christ. We then read of the reprocussions of defrauding another brother in Christ. The Bible says THE LORD is the AVENGER of all defrauders! Paul further says he has "forewarned" and "testified" about the importance of not DEFRAUDING anyone. So how about it? Are you guilty of the sin of DEFRAUDING? As a minister of the Gospel, I've been defrauded many times by other Christians. Sometimes in offerings (monetarily), other times in lack of prayers, other times in others gossiping about me, and lying about me and my ministry, which has led to others believing lies about me and loss of support. But I forgive them all, and put it in God's hands. I only hope they will realize their sin of DEFRAUDING, and repent, for if they don't, one day they will give account to God. Paul says in 1 Cor 6:7, "Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather SUFFER YOURSELVES TO BE DEFRAUDED?" We should never get bitter when someone defrauds us. We should rather "suffer" it, knowing God will one day right the wrongs against us. How about you? Have you learned how to forgive? Or do you still harbor bitterness in your heart against someone who has defrauded you? The prophet Samuel had a great testimony. In 1 Sam. 12:3 he states, "Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I DEFRAUDED? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you." The Children of Israel responded in 1 Sam. 12:4, "And they said, THOU HAST NOT DEFRAUDED US, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand." What an excellent testimony to have! Paul too boldly stated in 2 Cor 7:2 "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, WE HAVE DEFRAUDED NO MAN." Paul was a true Christian! He defrauded no one! Once again, how about you? Are you a DEFRAUDER or a DEFRAUDEE? If you've defrauded someone that's a heinous sin! And, you need to REPENT and make it right! If you have been defrauded, how have you taken it? Do you harbour bitterness, or have you forgiven? Don't let the sin of anyone else make you fall into sin yourself. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. (Heb 12:14-15)