What is good about practical religion? Why and how do we need to strive for practical holiness-"fruit of the Spirit"? I hope at this point you don't think I have a negative view of the practical side of living for God here on Earth. On the contrary, I love to see wisely taught practical godliness. Remember, the book of Romans may have eleven chapters of theology, but it still has five chapters of wise counsel. I cherish the moments when I see a godly man, through the wisdom God has given him, give wise, sound understanding in how to express one's love to God or fight sin. Why? Because it is a testimony of God's wisdom! It glorifies God. Seasoned and wise understanding in how to seek God in godliness, if taught rightly, will show to the believer the wisdom and glory of God. God's mercy is displayed in wise teaching in that God has given this wisdom to sinners who don't deserve to have it. Wise application is needed for us to better pursue God and glorify Jesus Christ. This will happen when practical application is done the right way. As with most things in life, the trick is in trying to find that appropriate amount, the right balance. Though it might not be easy, by God's grace, this balance attainable for the legitimate saint.

            As best as the Lord will allow me, I want to tell you the place for practical religion and wise counsel in the life of a Christian. I have already made the point that the heart is the fountain of love which moves the true believer to true holiness in a way that gives God His honor. Once a person loves Jesus Christ, then wise understanding instructs that person in how to express and live this love. When I love God, I will by nature produce good fruit, but I will not have all the wisdom I need to express this or live this out. I need to have some wisdom in my fight against sin. Again, I must already have love in my heart to even want to pursue this for the right reasons in the first place. According to the scripture, it is doctrine and knowledge of the glorious Christ imparted to the heart by the divine working of the Holy Spirit which accomplishes and sustains our pursuit of God. Thus, practical wisdom will strengthen and help this pursuit of God greatly.

            Let me give an example. If a man is dealing with lust as a true believer, what should he do? If he had perfect love for God, he would be perfect in his life toward God. In heaven we will love God perfectly and so we will live perfectly before God as well. Both of these gifts were bought for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. So then, the reason he is struggling with lust is that he lacks love toward God in this particular area of his life. Now, should he say, "Well, I can't make myself love God, so I will just wait and do nothing until God works in me"? This kind of answer is one that suggests the man is likely not saved in the first place. Paul accuses this kind of person in Romans 6 as an infidel, so please don't say such a thing and put yourself in this category! If the man is saved, he will already have a desire to love God and fight this sin that has him. Now, this is where some practical and God-centered wisdom is needed. It is wisdom which says, "Since only God can impart His truth to my heart and thus make me love God so that lust will no longer be desirable, then I need to fight to put up guards and barriers which will protect this heart of mine until God, in His abundant mercy, will change my heart." Wisdom might move such a man to get rid of the TV or computer and have good accountability with a fellow believer. But this will not change the heart! You can put a lustful man or woman on an island alone, and he or she will still have lustful thoughts and dreams. Therefore, wisdom says, "Since the heart is in God's hands, we need to do exactly what the Father has already commanded us to do: humbly pray without ceasing." Then, when we fight to put up guards in our lives, those who see us will see that we have true faith and hope that God will make good on His promise to finish what He has begun, thus magnifying His worth for all in this world to see. This will show others that they are in need of a mighty, merciful Savior.

            Here is another way in which God-centered application will be a great benefit to the saint. What if a person is dealing with a particular sin and now comes to the point in his or her life that he or she desires to change? It is here that a seasoned word from the Bible will help. Godly direction can give this person the extra motivation he or she was looking for. Such a person desires to defeat the lust or pride out of his life, but has failed at accomplishing it and so become slightly discouraged in heart. Wisdom to apply some needed understanding which the person had not considered will now uplift his heart, giving hope that God is with him and has offered His help. These struggling saints desire to be with their God, and any hope of this is worth fighting for.

            Another example is if you don't have a cheerful heart when it comes to giving your tithe at church. The Bible says that "God loves a cheerful giver." What if your heart is not cheerful when the offering plate starts to come down your row? What should you do to be active in your pursuit of godliness? Here is a suggestion: you should pray-"Lord, forgive me for not having a giving heart when it comes to my tithe, knowing that You have given Your life to suffer on a cross for my sins. As I give my tithe this morning, please work in my heart more and more every day by the power of Your grace and truth pressed on my heart, so that one day soon, by Your grace, I will have become a cheerful giver. And so let it be evident to all, when this does happen, that You have done the mighty work in my life. Thus all glory will be given to You. Amen."

            God is honored when we desire to love Him more and then pray and act to show that our desire is more than just a feeling, but is a strong desire-so strong that we would give all we had to see what we long for come into being. Notice, even here, that the ability to even pray this prayer is a pointer that God has first worked a small miracle in our wills (Prov. 21:1, Phil. 2:13). Every prayer that every saint has prayed is credited only because the Holy Spirit put it in their hearts to pray it in the first place (Ps. 10:16-17). Once we see this, we can see that God's glory and power truly have no end, so God gets all the boasting and praise. Therefore, we are inspired to run after godliness even more, knowing what we will get to see "face to face" on the day our great God and Savior Jesus Christ appears. He is rightfully called "The Lord of Glory."

            Thus, as you desire to be changed by God, you put up wisely-placed fences to guard your heart. Here is the other side of the story. While you have these guards in place, you do something else. You "give yourself entirely to...reading and doctrine" ( 1Tim. 4:12,15). Knowing that it is beholding the glory of the Lord that changes the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit you humbly give yourself to this, because you desire Him more than the pleasure of lust. This is a prayer He loves to give. It might be a long time before He chooses to work His sovereign grace in your heart in the way you are praying for. Short or long, if you want to give your crucified Savior honor, then you must live your life in a way that shows you "hope in His mercy" (Ps. 147:11). It just might be that your good Savior is fulfilling His wonderful promise when He sovereignly delays changing your heart-that promise to "refine" (Zech. 13:9, Dan. 11:35) you in the fire seven times, to "sanctify completely" (1 Thess. 5:23) your whole soul, mind, and body. Even the small desire to fight and put up fences in your life has to be given to you by God's freely given grace when He wishes to give it. Again, in everything it is God who has "shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

            One of the reasons God has set it up this way is this: it puts the Christian in the place where he must rely on God totally. This is the only safe and sure place from which the Christian can pursue God. Why? Because it is here, in total dependence, that the Christian sees most clearly the great power, faithfulness, mercy, supremacy, and beauty of God. Here, we can see Him as the only place where we may find true satisfaction and peace. Here, we don't see ourselves. Instead, we see the greatness of our Savior. When we see life this way, there is only one thing left for us to do: totally throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus Christ, hoping, trusting only in the mercy that comes through Him. This is the pure firewood that burns in a Christian's life to fuel the pursuit of God, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

            A. W. Pink put it this way.

"Divine preservation is not only in a safe state, but also in a holy course of disposition and conduct. We are ‘kept by the power of God through faith.' We are kept by the Spirit working in us a spirit of entire dependency, renouncing our own wisdom and strength. The only place from which we cannot fall is one down in the dust. It is there the Lord brings His own people, weaning them from all confidence in the flesh, and giving them to experience that it is when they are weak they are strong. Such, and such only, are saved and safe forever."

 In light of all this, I plead with anyone who teaches others of God to teach of the great doctrines of the glories of Jesus Christ. If the hearts of your hearers hear this knowledge by the power of the Holy Spirit, they will desire to pursue this God the way you want them to. Then, showing them practical steps will have its place. Showing people biblical wise steps in how to follow God will not cause the heart to love God more. Truth that reveals the greatness, the mercy, and the supremacy of God will. Please note that it is doctrine which tells the sinner of sin, of the wrath of God, the mercy of God, and the finished work of Christ. Herein lies the truth that honors God and brings sinners to repentance. True saints don't pursue God because it's practical. They pursue God because they love Him. If they did not, then God would not be glorified in it (Deut. 28:47). Admittedly, we are all weak. We need help, edification, and encouragement in doctrine and biblical wisdom daily. This is where we find the balance. This is how we find the diamonds of truth which previous saints have passed down, even with their lives, but which have often been lost in the muck of tradition and false teachings.