Zoeology: Some Basics to Living the Christian Life

There’s a line in a song by Jason Gray that goes, “It’s good to be alive.” Sometimes it can be challenging to think that way. What exactly makes it good to be alive? It’s not because we have a lot of things. But it may be because we have good relationships. This, of course, should begin with the most important relationship in life, our relationship with the Lord. It is a relationship like no other. But it is a relationship that must be pursued, cultivated, and nurtured throughout our lives. 

Our relationship with God can be, and should be, the most rewarding one we will ever have. It is one that will be for eternity and it impacts every other relationship we have on earth. So we would be foolish not to evaluate this relationship frequently, to know where we stand and if we are walking in the Spirit, and if there’s anything we’re missing to live the Christian life the way God purposefully intended. Here are just three of the many truths that are basic to the Christian life. 

1.  The Christian life is a life of repentance and faith. 

This is the starting point for living life as a believer in Christ. Jesus has done everything necessary to reconcile and redeem us to God our Father. Our response is to repent and put our trust in Him. To repent simply means to reverse your decision, to think differently, and to change your mind. We no longer are to think in worldly ways that are hostile to a holy God. When we think differently, we act differently. 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to put on Christ (Rom. 13:14), have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), and walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). Even the faith we exercise is a gift of God, so we humbly respond to God’s grace by acknowledging our sinfulness and trusting in the substitutionary work of Christ on our behalf. Repentance is also an ongoing practice, as we continually battle with temptations and confess our sins so that He can cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). 

2.  The Christian life is a life of commitment and purpose. 

Psalm 37:3–5, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” We can commit our way to the Lord when we trust in His promises and His faithfulness. We can delight ourselves in the Lord because He loves us and delivers on His promises. It doesn’t mean He will give you everything you want, but He will give you everything you need and everything He has promised. In that, we can enjoy God Himself and serve Him with joy. 

Romans 12:1–2 gives us a charge, in view of God’s mercy, “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” The manner in which this is practiced is given in verse 2, as both a negative and a positive… “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

We are to be transformed rather than conformed. That is God’s purpose for us and we need to be committed to it. Paul often gave examples of soldiers and athletes as those who were committed to the race, the fight, or winning the prize. For the Christian, our commitment is to the Lord Himself; and the race, the fight, and the prize all culminate with our future face-to-face meeting with our Savior in glory.

3.  The Christian life is a life of growth and grace. 

The Apostle Peter finished his second epistle with these words: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18a). The two “G” words he used are very important in living the Christian life. We must grow spiritually and in faith, but Peter narrows the focus of our growth down to two things. The first is grace. We grow in grace by reading God’s Word daily and letting it “dwell in us richly” (Col. 3:16). We grow also by having frequent fellowship with the saints (Phil. 1:7). And we especially grow in grace by personal, persistent prayer, as we continually commune with our Lord (Heb. 4:16). God uses these spiritual disciplines to help us grow. But maturing in our Christian life is really not about what we do, but about what God does in us, by His grace.  

The second thing we are to grow in is the knowledge of Christ, our Savior. This knowledge is not simply knowing about Him but knowing Him in personal, relational experience. The disciplines of the Christian life are necessary to lead us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him, which is the ultimate goal that brings honor and glory to God. 

Those are just three of many truths that apply to living the Christian life. What would you personally add to the list? 

Several have asked for a link to my books, so here is a link to my author page for anyone interested: 

If you are interested in further study on the Christian life, here are a few additional resources: 

• Practical Christian Theology: Examining the Great Doctrines of the Faith, Fourth Edition, by Floyd H. Barackman. The section on Zoeology is in Chapter 11, pages 373–411 (Publisher: Kregel Academic)    

• The Christian Life by Sinclair B. Ferguson (Publisher: The Banner of Truth Trust)