How's Your Aim

Part 2

• Christians should expect to live a defeated, failing, sinning life.

• God’s exhortations to holy living are simply an impossible ideal: something to shoot for but impossible to hit.

• Man’s ability to please God was so irreversibly affected by his fall in the Garden, that despite the provisions of the work of Christ on the Cross, His present intercessions for the Church, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, no person can—nor should be expected to—live a life of spiritual victory in Christ.

• Romans 7 is the theological mantra and refuge for all who teach such untruth.

In that article I demonstrated how the low aim of so many Christians has become so much a part of the ecclesiastical landscape, as to become a convenient substitute for the biblical standard of living a life in the Spirit. Furthermore, I mentioned that even though one’s aim—intention to please God through the power of the Spirit—may be well-intentioned, he can still end up wide of the mark, which the Bible calls hamartia—sin—missing the mark.(1)

Now, although many popular pulpits and writers either explicitly or implicitly teach their disciples to aim too low—or teach that one should aim to hit the target of divine love but shouldn’t expect to hit it—there is also the possibility that one’s aim in the Christian life may be too high. That’s the issue I want us to consider in this article.

God’s goal for all Christians is to live a life of divine love (agape) as defined and described by the Word of God and revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order for the Christian to live such a life, God has given to him His Holy Spirit and made provisions for him to walk through life in the power of that same Spirit.(2)

But having said that, is it possible that some of us are aiming too high—that we have unrealistic expectations in this Christian pilgrimage? I believe so.

Allow me, my fellow pilgrim, to share with you some observations as one who has walked through many a mine field in this regard—and not always successfully at that—and hopefully God can help me to help you avoid some of the mines that I didn’t.

What are some of the unrealistic expectations that some Christians have about their walk with God?

Some Christians unrealistically expect that the “flesh” can be eradicated from their spiritual nature.

There are those who make this claim, and exhort all sincere followers of Christ to seek for the same: to be eradicated of their fallenness.

What is meant by “flesh” in the New Testament? The “flesh,” as used by the Apostle Paul, in a special moral/ethical sense, has reference to man’s fallen nature, a nature that has been weakened, vitiated and tainted by sin.

One passage alone will suffice to expose the error of such unrealistic expectations: Galatians 5. There the Christian is exhorted to walk—conduct the entire course of his life—in the Spirit, lest he act in the flesh: “Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”(3) Obviously, if a Christian has a choice to walk in the Spirit or to act in the flesh, it stands to reason that if the flesh were eradicated—or cleansed from our spiritual nature—such an exhortation would be unnecessary.

However one defines it, the flesh is capable of desiring that which is contrary to the will and ways of God. And if the flesh were eradicated, how could one ever “desire” to walk in the flesh?

Paul later affirms in verse 24, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Meaning, that decisive action has been taken by the believer, in the strength of the Spirit, against the flesh. But there is no suggestion here of eradication. Nowhere does the Bible, or the New Testament in particular, hold out such a possibility for the believer. While the believer is no longer flesh-oriented, but instead is Spirit-oriented (see Romans 8), Paul implies that it is always possible for the believer to act in the flesh if he fails to walk in the Spirit. Thus, the Christian is to live his life in the power of the Spirit so as not to give way to the flesh.

Some Christians unrealistically expect God to remove temptation from them.

Temptation by its very nature requires two components: a forbidden object of desire and desire for a proscribed object. To ask God to remove one or both is asking for the impossible. Why is that? If we ask God to remove the object of temptation—such as a sexually attractive person—we are asking Him to in effect take us out of this world. If we ask God to remove the desire for—to use our example—a sexually attractive person, we are asking God to remove a gift that he has given to every normal human being.

Just as God did not remove the tree of the knowledge of good and evil from the Garden of Eden, so he will not remove from us the capacity to be tempted of evil. What He does do, however, is to enable you and me, by the strength of His Spirit to resist temptation: “Be sober in spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him …”(4)

A final note on this point: Although God will not remove the possibility of temptation from us, we can—when it’s within our control— remove ourselves from temptation. Joseph did such when he fled Potipher’s wife’s seductive overtures.

Some Christians unrealistically expect God to make choices for them which He requires them to make.

Eugene Peterson speaks of discipleship as “a long road of obedience in the same direction.” If I am to obey my Teacher and Lord, then my personal pilgrimage consists of an entire life made up of daily choices.

God does not obey for me. He will energize my will and give me a heart inclined to do His will, but He will not do my choosing. Sanctification is not automatic. I cannot be progressively conformed to the image of Christ apart from my own personal involvement. God requires the cooperation of my will in discipleship.

God will not pray, fast, or pay our tithes and offerings for us. He will not mortify the flesh or resist the devil for us. He will not keep the unity of the Spirit in the body of Christ or make us accept our brothers and sisters in Christ. He will not confess our sin or apologize for us. He will not witness to the sinner or attend the means of grace in our place. We must choose to be honest, courteous, grateful, helpful, industrious, diligent, to live wisely, etc.

Now mind you, none of this can be done—nor should we try to do it—in our own strength: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”(5) “… apart from Me you can do nothing,” so warned our Lord.(6) But having said that, it is still true that God requires the cooperation of my will in order to do His will. “...work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”(7)

Similar to this unrealistic expectation, but somewhat different, is the following:

Some Christians unrealistically expect God to accomplish a desired end without their supplying the means.

In short, this is called fanaticism.

A good many years ago while teaching in the New Testament department of a Bible college, I came across an apt illustration of this matter. At the close of semester exams one day, I overheard a dejected student say to his teacher in an adjoining classroom, “Well, Dr. Emery, I guess I should have prayed more.” Dr. Emery’s rejoinder came through loud and clear: “It could be that you should have studied more, Brother.”

God has placed certain laws in the very foundation of His universe, and if we try to circumvent these laws we do so at our own expense. One such law is the law of sowing and reaping. This law holds true in the spiritual world as well as in the natural: God says we will reap whatever we sow. “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”(8) Nothing will change this law; it’s a fixed principle of God’s kingdom.

The same holds true in every area of the Christian life. There are those Christians who try to use prayer as a substitute for hard work and study. There are those who try to use faith as a substitute for practical wisdom and decision-making. God requires man to build the altar; He sends the fire. God opens the Red Sea, but Moses must raise the rod. God gave Paul a vision for Macedonia, but Paul had to go. To ask God to do what He requires us to do is asking for the end without applying the means. This God won’t allow.

Some Christians unrealistically expect the Christian life to be free from hardships.

Preachers, we must share much of the responsibility for this unrealistic expectation in many of our new converts. Not a few of our pulpits are consistently telling the people that when one comes to Christ life will be all joy and peace. And some of our converts are shocked when they find out differently.

When a recently converted delivery man has to quit his job because he can no longer make deliveries to an adult theater; when a wife leaves her newly converted husband because he will no longer go to the local casino with her; when a newly converted teenager has to quit the cheerleading squad because of its immodest attire—this is not necessarily all joy and peace. It is carrying one’s cross; it is suffering for Jesus’ sake. “In the world you have tribulation,” so said the Master.(9) Life can be very tough. Ask the Christians in Moslem countries. Ask the pastor who is faithfully preaching the Word of God in a cold church. Ask the employee who is passed over for a promotion because of her stand for Christ in the work place.

We do well to remember that the servant is not above the Master, and if Christ was rejected, betrayed and crucified, His followers need not expect to be treated any differently.

Some Christians unrealistically expect they will never sin.

One of the best pieces of advice I received as a new convert was given to me by my brother Gordon. He said to me, “Ralph, whenever you sin, simply confess it to God.” Thanks, brother! I have been doing that for 40 years now.

If there is an experience of grace this side of Heaven that can enable one never to fail in their walk with God, I have never had such an experience, and I’m quite sure no one else has either. While no earnest Christian ever intends to displease God and fail in His love, it is the height of spiritual presumption for any Christian to testify that he never fails in his walk with God. If we would all be honest, there have been sprinkled among our string of glorious victories in Christ, some regretful failures, momentary lapses, and heart-wrenching shortcomings. After all, have any of us ever graduated from having to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses”? I think not. Sinless perfection is not to be realized in this world.

And now, dear reader, I pray that you will so steadfastly gaze upon Christ, be so continually filled with His all-conquering love, be so strengthened daily by His indwelling Holy Spirit, that your aim to please God will become stronger and stronger, so that you will neither aim too low nor aim too high in your walk with God, but, instead, that you will strive with the very energy of God to aim at nothing but divine love to the glory of God.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible.

1. John 2:1
2. See Romans 8
3. Galatians 5:16
4. 1 Peter 5:8-9a
5. Zechariah 4:6
6. John 15:5
7. Philippians 2:12
8. Galatians 6:8
9. John 3:3