The right cross I never saw coming

After church this past Sunday, a group of us were talking and the pastor mentioned seeing a man we all knew. He related a little of the conversation he had with him. I know this man better than the others, so they asked me about his spiritual life. I said, “He grew up in church, went to church school, he knows the Bible pretty good, and if you asked if he believes in Jesus, that he is the Son of God who died and rose again, he would answer, Yes.” Then someone asked, “But is he living for the Lord?”

When I was a teenager, I used to box. I’ve been knocked down twice. Once, I was boxing a guy who weighed over 200 lbs. I was maybe 130. He knocked me into the bushes, but that was only because he got his weight behind a punch and pushed me down. Didn’t hurt. One time I was boxing a friend named Roy. Nobody around. He hit me with a right hand. I didn’t go down, but man was I in a daze! Good thing he was inexperienced, otherwise he would have pounced on me….

The point is, that’s how I felt when that question was asked. I don’t think anyone else noticed it, but boy was I dazed! I had several thoughts racing through my head all at once. Is he living for the Lord?

- how do I determine this?

- this isn’t a biblical phrase, what would I use instead?

- would someone say of me, Jeff is living for the Lord?

- I think I know what they mean, but what do we mean by this phrase?

Since that afternoon, I’ve searched for the phrase ‘living for the Lord’ in the Bible. Not there. What do we mean by this phrase? What is the criteria for determining this? But perhaps the better question is, How would Jesus have asked this? And another, How would the apostles have asked this?

Many times and in many places the apostles, in their exhortations, distinguish between real and bogus faith. For example, 1 John 2

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

So, how do we inquire about someone’s faith? Is he following the Lord? Is he walking in the Spirit? Is he walking in the way of the Lord? Is he keeping the commandments of the Lord?

I confess, I’m still a little dazed. First, by the question on Sunday and now, by my own questions!