There is a huge difference between good behavior, and conversion, and the two should never be mixed up by those who desire sanctification, according to the will of God. A person can behave well, by doing what is morally right, by abiding by the laws of the land, by paying their taxes on time, and maintaining a good credit score.
There are good citizens who manifest courtesy, and respect for others, who may speak perfect English, and are achievers, as they pursue stellar careers in different fields, who make meaningful contributions to society, who never use foul language, and they’re looked up to by others as role models.
There are very many Christians in our day, who fall into these categories, and to all appearances, some are in good and regular standing, according to what can be seen externally. These qualities ought to be commended, for a good Christian should also be a good citizen who tries his or her best to behave well and stay out of trouble. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.
14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.
15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
And Christians are encouraged, in both the old and new Testaments to behave ourselves in a becoming manner, for we are a spectacle unto the world, unto Angels and unto men, and therefore, it is a sacred and moral duty to do our best to live as though we are representatives of the kingdom. Let’s read:
1st Timothy 3: 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?
Titus 2: 1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
However, true conversion goes much deeper than mere good behavior, for the work that God desires to do in our hearts, is to entirely uproot the old man with all of its baggage, and then replace it with an entirely new heart and mind that’s aligned with God so that The Spirit of God may dwell on the throne of our hearts continually.
The problem with persons behaving well without being converted is that they can flip in an instant when the right set of circumstances converge. Even though the Bible repeatedly states that David was well- behaved, there were times when persons would touch a raw nerve, and a different individual would emerge from the shadows.
Latent tendencies David probably was not aware of and, and dormant characteristics would bubble up to the surface from time to time which revealed his need of conversion, but between all these contrary exhibitions, David was generally known to behave himself well.
The word “Latent” refers to something that is real and present, yet not generally visible for any person to see and this should concern us, for like David, we too may be inadvertently harboring latent tendency that we may not be aware of, until it bubbles up to the surface and shocks the daylights out of the one in question, as well as onlookers.
For instance, when Nabal refused to help out David with the food which he had requested, a switch that had lain dormant was flipped on internally, and the composure of such a well-behaved person, was reversed in an instant. It is usually the case that we may only realize we have dormant evil tendencies, when one treads on our proverbial toes. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 25:9 And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisses against the wall.
Just for some context, here are some of the psalms David wrote about dealing with others in situations that may not be favorable. We are observing them because when we put ourselves into David’s shoes, we too may discover a disconnect between what we preach and what we do, when others violate our rights or may tick us off for some reason. Let’s read:
Psalms 15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbites not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.
Apparently, good behavior versus conversion also was an issue with the disciples of Christ, for as a general rule of thumb, they would try to behave themselves when Christ was around, but at times when He was absent, different moods and attitudes would bubble up to the surface, when the right set of circumstances would converge.
Now it is often claimed that persons are in different stages of spiritual growth, and another maxim that is often touted is that “The Lord isn’t finished with me yet.” It is worthy of note that the disciples may not have been doing this deliberately, but it’s just a fact of life that the presence of a superior can cause or motivate a person to behave well.
Not long ago on my way to Orlando Florida, persons were driving well over the speed limit at a section of the I-75 where state troopers would most likely not be present. But suddenly, all the drivers seemed to slowing down, and driving at the speed limit, for no apparent reason so I wanted to know the reason for such good behavior, on the part of so many drivers, including myself.
It so happened that in one lane there was a trooper driving at the speed limit, and guess what, all of the other drivers immediately fell into line, even though some were not convicted in heart and mind.
Again, there’s a huge difference between driving through a school speed zone, fussing and fuming because one is late for work, and one driving at the stated speed limit, with the understanding that kids would be crossing at any given time.
Even though the two types of drivers may adhere to the rules and may actually behave well, one does so from the heart while the other does so because of the likely presence of cops with radar guns. It is too often the case with some Christians, that we might display a Sabbath persona, whilst during the week when no Elder or pastor is around, a completely different person might emerge.
In the case with the disciples, a storm was brewing over who should be accounted the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and from what the scriptures reveal, it had caused a division amongst them, as all strove to have the highest place, next to Christ.
But lo and behold, when Jesus was present, and had asked them about the situation, they all put on their best behavior, and remained silent. The presence of Christ put a different perspective on the matter and Jesus could have addressed the behavioral aspect of His disciple’s contention. But doing so would just be putting a temporary bandage on a problem, which would rupture at some future point.
Very often in the Christian church, the focus is put on behaviors which are indeed symptoms of a much deeper problem. Therefore, if folks focus too much on behavioral patterns, we would entirely miss the main point, for doing so is the equivalent of playing whack-a mole with behaviors.
In other words, what is addressed presently in some outburst of latent tendency, is the same as trying to fix this or that issue in one’s character, whereas an entire change of heart, would usually take care of the problem, for as was stated before in a previous study, there are certain things a converted person just does not do.
A truly converted person would never seek for the highest place, for such an one would gladly prefer a lower position, so that someone else could get the promotion in question, if there happened to be any dispute over the matter.
Furthermore, a converted person will genuinely be happy, and merry for the person who got promoted and the converted one will do all they can to make life easier, not miserable for the promoted person. It all has to do with “Good behavior versus true conversion.
In the plan of salvation, God does not desire to deal merely with the symptoms of some underlying issue in our hearts; He instead seeks to perform an entire transformation that will fundamentally change who we are at the core for it’s only by so doing that folks would be rendered safe for the kingdom, where it is stated that sin would not arise a second time. Let’s read:
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up into a high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.
The other disciples who were not made privy to the experience on the mount were probably wondering, and grumbling about why they were left out of the loop. If inside information was going to be disclosed why would Jesus leave them out, and apparently only favor these three?
Thus, they reasoned until great darkness came over their minds, for they made their personal grievance the main point of concern, while the interests of the kingdom were subordinated. Therefore, when Jesus addresses the issue, He would not deal as we too often do with the periphery, with mixed up moods and attitudes.
Christ will go for the jugular, the issue of conversion which if and when accomplished in His disciples, will take care of not only the current issue but any other problem that may or may not arise. But if He was to only address the behavioral aspects, the same issue would certainly flare up again, under favorable, or under trying circumstances, as the case might be. Let’s read:
Mark 9:14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he takes him, he tears him, and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
Note well, that the disagreement amongst the other disciples hamstrung their efforts to cast out demons for God is A Spirit, and wherever our minds may be consumed with fussing and fighting over a plethora none-essentials, Christ’s vital power, to engage and conquer hosts of darkness will be eerily absent in us. Let’s read:
Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?
34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Matthew 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[The Desire of Ages pp 435>437] The Savior gathered His disciples about Him, and said to them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which the disciples were far from comprehending.
They did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom, and this ignorance was the apparent cause of their contention. But the real cause lay deeper. By explaining the nature of the kingdom, Christ might for the time have quelled their strife; but this would not have touched the underlying cause.
Even after they had received the fullest knowledge, any question of precedence might have renewed the trouble. Thus, disaster would’ve been brought to the church after Christ's departure.
The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die. Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character.
He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. Thus alienation, discord and strife will be inevitable. Dominion becomes the prize of the strongest.
The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force. Every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a stepping- stone on which he himself may climb to a higher place.
Very tenderly, yet with solemn emphasis, Jesus tried to correct the evil. He showed what is the principle that bears sway in the kingdom of heaven, and in what true greatness consists, as estimated by the standard of the courts above.
It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles.
In the third chapter of Revelation, Laodicea seems to suffer with the same problem of “Good Behavior Versus True Conversion” for the right things are being done, and for all intents and purposes, it may seem to the casual observer that the church is on a roll to glory.
But when The True Witness drills down a bit deeper He discovers something disturbing happening with many church members, for like the disciples of old, some are behaving really well, others have become contended with the status quo, and stagnation has taken a toll on growth, because our good behaviors have usurped the place that true conversion should have. Let’s read:
Revelation 3: 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
Some may now be wondering if those words might pertain to me and you personally, and rightly so, for The Lord is addressing the church, not only as the corporate body, but he is speaking to me and you in the present tense, and on an individual level.
To answer our unspoken questions, there are some basic tendencies, which if we see in ourselves, are to raise a red flag, as far as the issue of behaviors versus conversion is concerned. If we know we have the tendency to seek strict justice from those who may offend us, then it’s time to go have a talk with God.
If we feel good when our enemies are punished for the wrongs they have done, then it is time for us to go have a talk with God. the truly converted person takes delight in pardoning those who may trespass against us, and thus seeks his or her restoration as quickly as possible.
The tendency to rupture relationships with those who may despitefully use and persecute us, is not in harmony with the mind of God for there are several very important passages of scripture which do show the mind of God in such situations. Let’s read:
Proverbs 24: 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbles.
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retains not his anger forever, because he delights in mercy.
1st Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.
4 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Charity never fails.
The only reason why it can never fail in a Christian is because it has become an integral part of a person’s character through conversion and thus, if and when such a person is shaken inside up and upside down, nothing but charity will bubble to the surface.
Like the disciples in days of yore, there is hope for us, for when we read the last verses of Revelation 13, the Lord invites us to change. It’s not merely the of behavior that is too often touted, but a deep and enduring change that would convert us from the inside out.
Let us therefore not be discouraged by what we may see in ourselves from time to time, but let us rather seek The Lord while He may be found so that He can take us from one level of spiritual growth to the next, for this is His good and perfect will for us, even our conversion.
We will end with two passages of scripture which would confirm this sacred truth, and may God’s grace and mercy enable and sustain us through the process. Let’s read:
Revelation 3: 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
1st Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.
God Bless!