Following Christ Faithfully: Unexpected Insights from Psychology

Week 3: Showing Faith By Our WorksFollowing Christ Faithfully:Unexpected Insights from PsychologyA Major Tension in the Christian LifeSaved by Faith, not WorksYet Faith Inevitably Bears WorksGalatians 2:16We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

James 2:18But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Balancing Faith and WorksWe are undoubtedly saved by faith and can never earn our salvationBut this is more than fire insuranceChristian faith should shape our lives every moment of every daywe live by faith, not just have life by faithThen what is the nature of the life of faith? What are its goals and the means to reach those ends?Are we doing the works of faith?

Means and EndsFaulty Goals for Faith:Pragmatic faith:God as a means to our personal endsHelps us reach goals non-Christians shareSuccess, comfort, moneyPsychological Use of FaithBelieving merely eases us from fear of hellOr sense of guiltOr provides sense of belonging

Genuine Goals (or Ends)Religious goals should:Unite all of life (Kierkegaards Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing)End in Gods glory, not our ownIndeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11 ESV) More Genuine GoalsWestminster Shorter Catechism, Q1:What is the chief end of man?To glorify God, and to enjoy him foreverInvolves growing in Christlikeness in our natureVivification and mortification as the Puritans might saySeeking God for Gods sakeAnd doing the deeds Christ would have us doIn ShortStrivings to BEProjects to DO

Spiritual Goals and Well-BeingInterestingly, faith promotes our well-being (psychologically) if it is aimed beyond ourselvesThus, better in community of other believersIn places where faith is under fire, spiritual goals thrive more when there is solid leadershipEconomic growth actually works against spiritual growthMore likely to seek personal good from secular sources And seek Gods help in pursuing itThe meaning of faith is strongest in adversitySO: Is affluence a blessing or curse?Three BEING GoalsForgivingnessGratitudeCompassion

ForgivingnessClearly a characteristic of a Christian as seen in the Lords PrayerSome struggle to forgive God (cp. Imprecatory Psalms)Some struggle to forgive self (more spiritual than God)While we value forgivingness, research showsChristians are no more likely to forgive others than Buddhists, Hindus, and the non-religious!Predictors of forgivenessOnes relationship with GodDesire to imitate the qualities of GodExtent to which one believes faith should be pervasive in lifeBeing socialized into forgiveness in adolescenceForgivingnessKEY to forgiveness:Empathy with the offenderRecall the Amish response to the murder of their children in 2006Consider ourselves:Who do we need to forgive?What is keeping us from it?

GratitudeBeing consistently grateful to God and others as a disposition (trait or virtue)Such a disposition makes us more alert to be grateful in specific instancesCounting our blessings thus makes us more likely to notice and be thankful for our new blessingsContrast those who compare themselves to others better offGrateful peopleLess depressed and have more positive emotionBetter social relationshipsBetter healthyLess materialisticHandle stress betterWhat do we really believe and practice about gratitude?CompassionBeing moved by anothers sufferings and wanting to helpResearch shows people of faith tend to be compassionatebut mostly only to other believers So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10 ESV)

Projects to Do: Prosocial Behavior

For Instance: Honesty and Other ThingsCheating in school?Christian students less likely to say they cheat when surveyedBut no different when actually observed

Christians do tend to have lower rates of substance abuse and sexual misbehavior

Self-Control is KeyGalatians 5 shows this as fruit of the SpiritResearch studies show it to be comprised ofStandards of behaviorFrom religion not spiritualityMonitoringWatching ones behavior and comparing to standardsBeing aware God is watchingHabit can prevent this, if were not carefulWillpowerLike a muscle; tires yet strengthened by useAvoiding temptation (2 Timothy 2:22)MotivationReasons to do the right thingComes from receiving grace and wanting to shareDoing Christian WorksKEY QUESTION:Why do we show more grace to those who are in the faith than to those who are outside?

Possible answers1. We believe those who arent Christians deserve their troubles (e.g., the poor)Fail in loving the sinner and hating the sinStudy of attitudes about helping a homosexual with visiting grandmother versus in a gay rallyWhence Compassion?Being religious does NOT predict compassionDanger here is that one can have accurate beliefs but not compassionSpirituality, though, DOES predict compassion as mentioned aboveThis should not surprise us:

Luke 10:30 Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.

Applying What Weve LearnedHave you really thought through your goals in life?Is God an end or means for your pursuits?Do we need to prayerfully seek to know who we need to forgive, and then do so?Do we need to cultivate gratitude in our lives?Prayerfully reflect on where we have a conflict in our beliefs about caring for others versus our actual behaviorsAnd for parents, what are we showing our children?While doctrine is vital, does our walk with Christ produce the spiritual fruit of compassion toward those in, and OUTSIDE the faith?Our good works ideally flow from our character, not something we are forced to do out of obligation or guilt.