Keys to Successful Living: 12 Ways to Discover God's Best for Your Life (6 page)

A
RE
YOU
SEEING
the logical progression to the good decisions we are making? These benefit us individually, but, as we have seen, they also apply to our relationships with other believers, helping us hold fast our confession as we mature in the faith. We will learn more about the relational aspect of the keys in this chapter.

First, here are the seven keys we have studied thus far:

1. Let us fear
   
2. Let us be diligent
   
3. Let us hold fast our confession
   
4. Let us draw near to the throne of grace
   
5. Let us press on to maturity
   
6. Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place
   
7. Let us hold fast our confession without wavering
   

In this chapter, we move on to the eighth key. Like the two previous ones, it is also found in Hebrews 10. In order to get an understanding of the context, let’s look at these three verses.

The translation used above for these verses is a good one. In the original Greek, however, the order is reversed. In Greek, this reads: “Let us consider one another, how to stimulate to love and good deeds.” That brings out the true essence of this particular key. It is: “Let us consider one another.” We
are to consider one another from the point of view of how we can bring out the best in each other.

So many people today are shut up in the prison of self. Their basic problem is self-centeredness. I have never met a self-centered person who was truly happy, nor who enjoyed true peace. In fact, the more you concentrate on yourself, the more you worry about yourself, the more you seek to please yourself, the more your problems will increase.

You must first be released from that prison of self-centeredness. Would you like to know one scriptural way to be released? Here it is: Stop worrying about yourself. Stop caring for yourself all the time. Stop fighting for yourself. Instead, start to consider your fellow believers. “Let us consider one another.”

The Example of Jesus

In Philippians, Paul sets the example of Jesus before us as one we need to follow. Jesus’ example is applicable to this key, as we can see from all that Paul says in Philippians 2. He starts with this instruction:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3–4

What Paul recommends here is the exact opposite of looking out for your own personal interests. The release comes to you as you look out for the interests of others—as you become more concerned about others than yourself.

Then Paul talks about the need to follow the example of Jesus. He goes on to say:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant.

Philippians 2:5–7

At the beginning of this book, we talked about the vital role of attitude in the overall process. We said that our attitude determines our approach and our approach determines the outcome. Here, then, is an attitude that we need to cultivate: “Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus.”

What was His attitude? The Greek literally describes the attitude of Jesus as one of “a slave.” Jesus, who was Lord of all, emptied Himself of everything and was willing to become a servant—a bondservant, a slave. That is the attitude Paul says we need to imitate.

We find a very beautiful parallel passage in Galatians 5:13–14:

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh [that is, to gratify your own fleshly and selfish desires], but through
love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The way for us
not
to indulge our fleshly nature,
not
to yield to selfishness and
not
to become shut up in that prison of self is to look outward to others. “Through love serve one another” is exactly what the Holy Spirit is emphasizing to God’s people today.

Many people talk about serving the Lord, but they never serve their fellow believers. Can you really serve the Lord if you are not willing to serve your fellow believers? The Lord comes to us in the members of His Body—so our attitude toward those members is really our attitude toward the Lord Himself.

The Example of Paul

In this connection of being willing to serve others, let’s look at a statement Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians. Bear in mind, Paul was by background a strict, observant, orthodox Jew. He had the qualifications to be a rabbi. He was a Pharisee. His approach to righteousness was that it caused him to separate himself from other people, regarding others as on a lower level. Please bear in mind also that the Corinthians were regarded basically as the dregs of the earth. In his letters to them, Paul says that some of them had been homosexuals, some prostitutes, some drunkards and some
revilers (see 1 Corinthians 6:9–11). Corinth was one of the major seaports of the ancient world and, as so often happens in seaport towns, immorality was widespread.

Imagine how this “Pharisee of Pharisees” would have looked down upon these people! When he came to know Jesus, however, the most wonderful change took place in his nature. In that context, consider this astonishing statement by Paul: “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Here is a proud Pharisee saying, “We are your slaves for the sake of Jesus.” To the Corinthians—of all people!

Notice the three steps Paul outlines. First, dethrone self: “not ourselves.” Second, enthrone Christ: “Christ Jesus the Lord.” Third, serve others: “We are your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” How do we escape from self-centeredness? The process Paul describes is the answer to that question.

Serving Is a Skill

What does it mean for us to serve? I must point out here that serving is a skill we have to acquire. It does not just happen, and it is not ours by nature. Take the example of a waiter. A waiter is one who, in a sense, is called to serve. But a waiter needs to be trained.

I have a friend who was a waiter, and he explained to me once what is involved in being a good waiter. In his description
I saw a marvelous example of the training we need to serve one another. Serving is a skill we have to acquire. We must study others to find out what produces a positive or negative response. We have to find out what will provoke them to love and good deeds, not to the opposite. This requires practice, training and discipline.

It also requires the right environment. You see, after saying, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” Paul goes on to say, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). The right environment is expressed in the words
our own assembling together
. It means that close, committed, regular fellowship is the environment in which we can be trained to serve one another.

In the next verse, the writer of Hebrews states the disastrous alternative. Immediately after the warning against forsaking our own assembling together, he says this: “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrew 10:26).

It is no accident that these words follow. The implication is that if we do not stay in the right environment, if we are not in close, committed, regular fellowship, we will go back to sinning. The only safe way to learn to be servants as Paul taught and Jesus exemplified is to stay in fellowship, learn to serve and learn to consider other people. That is the essence of our eighth key: “Let us consider one another.”

H
OW
IS
YOUR
memorization process going? Here are the eight successive keys that we have addressed thus far:

1. Let us fear
   
2. Let us be diligent
   
3. Let us hold fast our confession
   
4. Let us draw near to the throne of grace
   
5. Let us press on to maturity
   
6. Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place
   
7. Let us hold fast our confession without wavering
   
8. Let us consider one another
   

We now come to the ninth key, which is found in the opening verses of Hebrews 12. We will begin by looking at the first two verses of that chapter.

This ninth key is found in verse 1: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Because of the circumstances of the English translation, I need to add a word of explanation about that verse. In the English translation, there are actually two
Let us
phrases in that one verse, which is a perfectly legitimate translation. In the original Greek, however, the first phrase
lay aside every encumbrance
is not in a form that includes
Let us
. Instead it reads like this: “Laying aside every encumbrance, let us run with endurance the race.” The real
Let us
phrase upon which we need to focus is: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Here and elsewhere in the New Testament, the Christian life is compared to a race. This analogy implies that there is a specific course marked out for us in advance, and success in the Christian life consists in completing the course in accordance with the rules of the competition. Since a race is set before us, I want to point out four conditions for success. Each one of these is found in the New Testament.

A Right Mental Attitude

The first condition for success in life’s race is exemplified by the words of Paul in Philippians 3:10–11 where, speaking about his relationship to Jesus Christ, he says: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

You see, Paul has a specific objective. Elsewhere he says that he does not run aimlessly (see 1 Corinthians 9:26–27). He has an aim before him. He knows what the goal is—and this determines his mental attitude. Then he goes on to say in Philippians 3:12: “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect [or complete], but I press on
in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

Paul has this clear vision: Christ laid hold of him for a purpose, and the fulfilling of that purpose means he must relate to the purpose. He has to be determined that Christ’s purpose for him will become his purpose. He continues:

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13–14

Please notice: The phrase
I press
on
occurs twice in these passages. I believe that is the mental attitude you and I need to share: “I press on. I have a goal. I haven’t arrived, but I know where I’m headed.” The last time Paul uses the phrase, he says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” There is a reward for those who successfully complete the race. It is important for us always to keep the goal in mind, reminding ourselves that we do not want to lose our God-appointed reward.

Self-Control

The second condition for success in this race is self-control. Again, this is illustrated by the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians. Here he compares the Christian life to competing in
an athletic contest. This is a really good parallel—one that is vivid for us today, because many of us follow sports. The same principle still applies.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath [that is, the prize], but we an imperishable [wreath].

1 Corinthians 9:24–25

The objective in racing is to win the prize. If we are going to win the race, we must meet the condition of self-control. It is obvious that athletes who wish to participate in world competitions today have to exercise the most rigorous self-control. They have to “go into training”—controlling what they eat, how much they sleep, the amount and type of exercise that they undergo. Controlling one’s psychology is also important, building up the right kind of attitude. Negative thoughts must be put aside to maintain a positive attitude in order to achieve victory.

All this is equally true for us as Christians in our race. We cannot win the race without self-control.

Endurance

The third condition for victory in this race is stated in the verse from Hebrews 12:1, which we have already cited.
What is that condition? Endurance. This is one quality that is essential in Christian character if we are going to achieve real spiritual success and fulfillment. Endurance must be cultivated.

The opposite of endurance is giving up or quitting. Christians cannot afford to be quitters. When God commits something to us, we must set our faces and go through with it.

There is a close relationship between self-control and endurance; that is why I put them in that order. In actual fact, without self-control we will not achieve endurance. We have to master our weaknesses. Otherwise, every time we are tested in the area of endurance, some weakness—emotional, psychological or physical—will get us down. What will be the result? We will give up just at the point where we should have been holding on and enduring.

Eyes Fixed on Jesus

The fourth condition for success is to have our eyes fixed on Jesus. This is stated in Hebrews 12:2: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of [our] faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.”

In other words, we cannot run the race in our own self-reliance.
Looking to Jesus
means that He is our example. We put our confidence in Him. Jesus is the author, the beginning of our faith. He is also the perfecter, the one who will bring us through to victory.

Testimony of a Victor

The apostle Paul was a victor. Here is his testimony in 2 Timothy 4:7–8:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul knows he has won the race, he has finished the course, and he knows the prize is there waiting for him. That is a glorious testimony, and it can be your testimony and my testimony if we will meet the conditions.

There are men and women in the world today—I have known a number of them—of whom the same testimony is true. They completed their course. They can say, like Paul, “I’ve fought the good fight. I’ve finished the course. I’ve kept the faith.” May we be able to say the same! That will be possible if we take hold of the ninth key: “Let us run with endurance the race.”