Why Do You Strive?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the "why" in the striving.  You hear many messages about "killing sin", "walking in obedience to the Lord", and "desiring to be conformed to the image of Christ".  Many times the motivation for living the life of faith seems to miss the mark.  I do not think that our motivation should be to gain personal assurance of our own salvation.  I do not think that we should be compelled by the desire for rewards in heaven.  Those things will be a result of our striving, no doubt, but, should they really be the reason?  When we make them our primary motivation, we begin to live a man-centered Christianity.  In other words, we strive for self gain.

Thomas Watson once said, "

God's glory is more worth than heaven, and more worth than the salvation of all men's souls.

Do you agree with that?  Is God's glory more important than your own salvation?  Let us think about that for awhile.  I believe that until we understand that very core truth, we will strive for the wrong reasons.  If we view our salvation from a self-centered perspective, we miss God's purpose in it.  Nothing brings dishonor to the name of Christ as does someone who works and strives to gain assurance or to gain rewards.  In fact, that is the twin sister of a works-righteousness salvation.  In other words, the message is, "Now that you are saved, work to prove it to yourself and to others".  That is quite different than, "Now that your are saved, put His Honor and Glory above your own life, i.e., as more important than your own salvation!

As I was pondering these things, I came across J.C. Ryle's "Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots".

You will find in his introduction very important statements.  How we live--why we strive after godliness, will either adorn the beauty of Christ and bring God Glory or it will be (as Ryle states) despised by keen-sighted and shrewd men of the world, as an unreal and hollow thing, and bring religion into contempt.

In his introduction he states:

I have had a deep conviction for many years, that practical holiness and entire self-consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians in this country. Politics, or controversy, or party-spirit, or worldliness — have eaten out the heart of vital piety in too many of us. The subject of personal godliness has fallen sadly into the background. The standard of Christian living has become painfully low in many quarters. The immense importance of "adorning the doctrine of God our Savior" (Titus 2:10), and making it lovely and beautiful by our daily habits and tempers — has been far too much overlooked.

Worldly people sometimes complain with reason that "religious" people, so-called, are not so amiable and unselfish and good-natured, as others who make no profession of religion. Yet sanctification, in its place and proportion, is quite as important as justification. Sound Protestant and Evangelical doctrine is useless — if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse then useless; it does positive harm. It is despised by keen-sighted and shrewd men of the world, as an unreal and hollow thing, and brings religion into contempt.

As you strive to bring God glory in and through your life on earth, J.C. Ryle offers the following counsel:

A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength--but he will also labor to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It will be his aim . . .

to bear with and forgive others--even as Christ forgave us;
to be unselfish--even as Christ pleased not Himself;
to walk in love--even as Christ loved us;
to be lowly-minded and humble--even as Christ humbled Himself.


A holy man will remember . . .
that Christ would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others;
that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults;
that He thought more of godly poor men, than of kings;
that He was full of love and compassion to sinners;
that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin;
that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it;
that He went about doing good;
that He was separate from worldly people;
that He continued instant in prayer;
that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way, when God's work was to be done.


All these things, a holy man will try to remember. By them, he will endeavor to shape his course in life.


He will lay to heart the saying of John: "He who says he abides in Christ, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6); and the saying of Peter, that "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).


Happy is he who has learned to make Christ his "all," both for salvation and example!