How important is consistency in the Christian life?

The Lord never loses sight of His thoughts as to the place of the church, of what it is in Christ. In all the minute detail as to the conduct of the saint (1 Cor. 1:2) contained in the word, the highest principles are ever advanced. What the Lord looks for from the believer is, consistency with the place wherein he is set, the "adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." How different this from the thought of the natural man, that is ever - do such and such a thing, and you shall be put in this place. We know that He "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6), and having the knowledge of it, are addressed accordingly. This gives a very holy character to each direction; for inconsistency in the smallest circumstance is as unsuitable to the place in which the Christian is set as it would be in the greatest.

You may further ask, “If this is true that I, a poor inconsistent believer, have a perfect and inalienable position before God in Christ, is God therefore not concerned about my shortcomings?” He is indeed. The one concern of the Holy Spirit of God, given to indwell the believer, is to make the practical coincide with the positional, but the divergence between the two never impairs or alters the positional, once it is accorded by the grace of God. A professed believer, who is not exercised as to being consistent in life and ways with what he is in Christ, is in a sad and lamentable condition indeed, and one that would lead to doubt as to his being a Christian at all.

Sanctification in this sense, is a progressive work: it is a growth and result dependent, as to its measure, upon the degree of watchful and implicit devotedness with which the soul follows the Lord as He leads in the paths of righteousness. Holiness is practically attainable only by the absolute subjection of the members to righteousness. As a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, so the ripe fruit of sanctification cannot result from a partial obedience to the will of God. As we are separate in truth from the world, by virtue of our union with the risen and glorified Jesus, so are we called to be separate in fact, as those who are called, not by their own names any longer, but by His. His word, then, is "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7). Truly a rich and fruitful promise. Thus the measure of positive communion, and with it of realized joy, will ever be commensurate with the degree of watchful diligence which is manifested in the way of obedience.

(2 Thess. 3:4). Moreover, the Christian company is to be marked by obedience to the instructions of Scripture. It is true that the Lord alone can establish us in the truth and keep us from evil; nevertheless, on our side there is to be the readiness to obey; as the Apostle can say, "We have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we enjoin you." We may thank the Lord when His people do obey, but only deep confidence in the Lord will enable us to say that they "will do," and thus continue to obey. We need not only present obedience, but continuance in obedience come what may. Good for us to be found amongst those who "both do and will do."

This practical holiness is never perfect while we are in this body, but should be progressing more and more towards perfection. So we read "Follow after holiness" (or sanctification. It is the same word in the Greek that is translated sanctification in other places). We are to follow after—to grow in grace and knowledge—for there is ever a degree beyond that unto which we have attained.

If practical sanctification be in question it is another matter. That is progressive, and there should be increase in it to the end. We are to be "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1), and Paul prayed for the Thessalonians to the end that they might be sanctified "to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Holiness is not, of course, apart from faith, but to speak of holiness by faith, as though faith alone produced it, is to shut out elements of Christian living which ought by no means to be excluded.

Having the new nature, obedience is rendered in the power of the Spirit. It is as natural to the new nature to do as God loves, as it is for the old nature in us to do as the flesh likes. The principle of a perfect walk is obedience to God, and that principle should guide us. Spiritual progress is impossible, if attempted on a wrong road; obedience to God is the only road to practical holiness, and as we pursue this way, we, in our feeble manner, are walking as did Christ.

Holiness results from obedience. We have a holy nature given to us, and grow in practical holiness by obeying. The soul becomes clean by the word, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth." (1 Peter 1:22.)

But more than this. If sin is not overcome, it overcomes. Measures and degrees are not here the question, but the practical certainty of the successful rebellion of flesh against spirit, where the soul is not kept abidingly in the presence of God. There is nothing of which our wretched nature is capable (short of the deliberate renunciation of Christ), which may not be exemplified in the experience of a believer who is not watchfully abiding in Christ. The will of God is our sanctification, body, soul, and spirit. We are called to be holy, as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Further, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). And, lastly, the very seal of Divine election bears on its reverse, "Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 19). The commandments, then, of God are clear and express, and we are sanctified unto obedience.

You may say these are trivial matters; but allow me to remind you that there is hardly one of the inspired Epistles that does not enforce Christian consistency in such practical details of life; for it is by these ordinary matters that the world judges the believer, and where loyalty to Christ is seen thoroughly to permeate the whole conduct of a Christian it becomes a weightier testimony than the logical argument or the impassioned discourse.