Decoding Discipleship Myths: Good Behavior Causes Growth
A little note about the series: This article is part of a multi-part series regarding myths relating to discipleship and spiritual growth. While each article will be able to stand alone it will be important to read all in the series. Far too many myths exist within the church about what it means to grow spiritually and how a church facilitates that growth. The goal of these articles is to identify those myths and give thought to how to possibly overcome those myths within your organization.
Good Behavior Causes growth
Understanding the Myth
Multiple ways exist for the understanding of this myth. It is too easy to suggest that this is only about good behavior causing salvation. That is not it at all, although there are plenty of people in church who believe their salvation is tied to their own belief that they are a “good person.” It is the companion to this false idea that needs to be addressed. The vast majority of people in church today will tell you that it is only grace that provides salvation, but so few will understand what Galatians 3:3 is saying in that it is also grace through the Holy Spirit that perfects. Meaning, it is only by grace that a person is saved and it is only by grace that person grows. Good behavior does not cause spiritual growth. You cannot work your way to spiritual maturity. However, good behavior/works is the byproduct of internal heart change and internal heart change is caused by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. “Good behavior” (in quotes because there is a lot to debate about what exactly is good behavior in a biblical sense) is a result, the evidence, of the Holy Spirit. It is not the catalyst. Many church-goers believe that if they would just read the Bible more, pray longer, pray more eloquently, serve in a ministry, or more of some other action then they will grow towards maturity. Churches even hold up these people as prime examples of faithful stewards in the church. This person is here every time the door is open. But isn’t the call of the gospel to go out? Salvation becomes, in this myth, a debt to be paid off to God rather than a blessing from God. Faith becomes basic moralism and following Jesus is more burden than anything else. It is modern religious pharisaicalism. Today’s church is comprised of religious Pharisees who think that if everyone would just behave correctly then God’s kingdom will come. But God’s kingdom is already here in Christ. Another topic another day perhaps.
The Path of the Pharisee
The Pharisees were a religious leadership group that formed during the intertestamental period of the Bible. Much of Jesus’ debates, criticism, and interactions were with this group. The Pharisees believed that absolute obedience to God, i.e. good behavior, would bring about His Kingdom and the salvation of Israel from Roman oppression. They formulated hundreds of rules that defined that obedience and saddled the people with these endless unmeetable expectations. Actually sounds a lot like many churches today. The primary criticism from Jesus is that they had ignored the more important matters of the Law, which are compassion, mercy, grace, and justice. They majored on the minors and developed a cold, heartless religion. In their quest for perfected behavior they became the very nation that was taken into exile by the Babylonian empire. That exile ultimately produced the sect of the Pharisees. And the Pharisees, in their attempt to not repeat the same things, became the very thing they were trying not to be. Far from God.
The Cart and the Horse
Proverbially, this myth is putting the cart before the horse. Spiritual maturing is not caused by good behavior. Good behavior is a result of spiritual growth. There is no debt to be paid to God, nor does God expect a person to be totally cleaned up before coming to Him for grace. If you could be perfect through your own good efforts there would be no reason for grace. God is not in the business of karma. God tells you to stop striving and know that He is the one and only true God. Trust His story and not your own efforts. Good behavior as a means to spiritual growth moves the center of focus back to the self rather than God. Trusting God leads to heart change and heart change leads to greater spiritual maturity and greater spiritual maturity is seen in the good works evident in life. Understand, though, that the good works will be evidenced more in the gracious fruits of the Spirit. You will find greater love, compassion, and mercy being more and more a part of life.
It is a question of where your own self exists in the equation. The spiritual practices of bible study, prayer, service, and others are not bad things. They should be a part of the spiritual growing person’s life. But what drives the practice of those things matters too. If it is ultimately your own self pushing your practice of the disciplines you are little more than a whitewashed tomb as Jesus challenged the Pharisees. Good behavior devoid of love is just clanging cymbals and gongs. It isn’t the root of growth. It is the result of growth.