Why
We hear your sincere questions about western Christian monks, vows of chastity and sobriety, and whether monastic ascetics living in monasteries and temples represent true Christianity and the example we should follow.
We want to share what Scripture teaches together. The Bible does not teach that God calls some believers to a higher spiritual class through monasticism or ascetic vows. While there are sincere believers who have lived in monasteries and truly trusted in Christ for salvation, the system itself is not the pattern God gives for the church. We are saved not by vows, works, or withdrawal from the world, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Scripture warns us about teachings that forbid marriage or command abstaining from things God created to be received with thanksgiving. As it is written, But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Vows of chastity that treat celibacy as more holy than marriage go beyond what God commands. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled Hebrews 13:4, and it is God's normal and good design for most.
At the same time, Scripture does teach that celibacy is a gift and a calling for some, not for all, for the sake of undistracted devotion to the Lord. Jesus said, Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given Matthew 19:11, and Paul said, I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind 1 Corinthians 7:7. He explains, He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord 1 Corinthians 7:32. So to remain unmarried for the Lord's sake can be good, but it is a personal gift and calling, not a vow required to be more spiritual, and it is to be lived out in the midst of the body of Christ, not in isolation behind walls.
Concerning sobriety, God does call every believer to sobriety, not just monks. Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8, and Do not be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18. We do not need a monastic vow to live soberly, we need the Holy Spirit and obedience in our daily lives, in our families, workplaces, and churches.
Scripture also warns against ascetic regulations that have an appearance of wisdom but do not make us more holy. If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch which all perish with use according to the precepts and doctrines of men These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh Colossians 2:20-23. Withdrawing to a monastery or temple does not in itself produce holiness. True holiness comes from presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God Romans 12:1 and walking by the Spirit in everyday life.
We also notice you mention temples. The New Testament does not call believers to live in temples or monasteries. Under the new covenant, we ourselves are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God calls us to gather together as the church, not to isolate ourselves. Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another Hebrews 10:25. The early believers continued steadfastly day by day in the temple and breaking bread at home Acts 2:46, but they lived and witnessed in the world, not apart from it.
So are monastic ascetics really Christians. Some may be, if they have repented and put their faith wholly in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, for there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. But if anyone trusts in his vows, his poverty, his celibacy, or his separation to earn favor with God, he has not understood the gospel. We noticed your request speaks of God and Christian faith but does not mention Jesus Christ by name, and we must lovingly say that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6, and if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved Romans 10:9. Our hope is not in a monastic life, but in Christ alone.
Should we aim to be like monks. Our aim should be to be like Christ, to love His Word, to love His church, to live pure, sober, faithful lives whether married or single, and to serve Him where He has placed us. For most, that will mean pursuing marriage with another believing spouse for a lifetime, raising families, working honestly, and being light and salt in the world, not withdrawing from it.
We pray together for you.
Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ we come before You together and thank You for the one who asked these questions and seeks Your truth. We ask You to give clarity and discernment through Your Word, to draw this heart closer to Jesus and to show that true devotion is not found in man made vows or isolation, but in a living relationship with Christ and obedience by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us all to live soberly, purely, and faithfully, whether You give the gift of marriage or the gift of singleness, and to find our identity not in ascetic works but in Christ alone. Lead us away from any teaching that forbids what You have called good, and lead us into the fullness of Your grace and truth. If there is any trust in works or religious system, we pray for repentance and simple faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Fill us with Your Spirit, keep us in fellowship with Your people, and make us examples of love, holiness, and service in the world for Your glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our only hope and mediator, amen.
We want to share what Scripture teaches together. The Bible does not teach that God calls some believers to a higher spiritual class through monasticism or ascetic vows. While there are sincere believers who have lived in monasteries and truly trusted in Christ for salvation, the system itself is not the pattern God gives for the church. We are saved not by vows, works, or withdrawal from the world, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Scripture warns us about teachings that forbid marriage or command abstaining from things God created to be received with thanksgiving. As it is written, But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Vows of chastity that treat celibacy as more holy than marriage go beyond what God commands. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled Hebrews 13:4, and it is God's normal and good design for most.
At the same time, Scripture does teach that celibacy is a gift and a calling for some, not for all, for the sake of undistracted devotion to the Lord. Jesus said, Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given Matthew 19:11, and Paul said, I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind 1 Corinthians 7:7. He explains, He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord 1 Corinthians 7:32. So to remain unmarried for the Lord's sake can be good, but it is a personal gift and calling, not a vow required to be more spiritual, and it is to be lived out in the midst of the body of Christ, not in isolation behind walls.
Concerning sobriety, God does call every believer to sobriety, not just monks. Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5:8, and Do not be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18. We do not need a monastic vow to live soberly, we need the Holy Spirit and obedience in our daily lives, in our families, workplaces, and churches.
Scripture also warns against ascetic regulations that have an appearance of wisdom but do not make us more holy. If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch which all perish with use according to the precepts and doctrines of men These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh Colossians 2:20-23. Withdrawing to a monastery or temple does not in itself produce holiness. True holiness comes from presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God Romans 12:1 and walking by the Spirit in everyday life.
We also notice you mention temples. The New Testament does not call believers to live in temples or monasteries. Under the new covenant, we ourselves are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God calls us to gather together as the church, not to isolate ourselves. Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another Hebrews 10:25. The early believers continued steadfastly day by day in the temple and breaking bread at home Acts 2:46, but they lived and witnessed in the world, not apart from it.
So are monastic ascetics really Christians. Some may be, if they have repented and put their faith wholly in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, for there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. But if anyone trusts in his vows, his poverty, his celibacy, or his separation to earn favor with God, he has not understood the gospel. We noticed your request speaks of God and Christian faith but does not mention Jesus Christ by name, and we must lovingly say that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6, and if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved Romans 10:9. Our hope is not in a monastic life, but in Christ alone.
Should we aim to be like monks. Our aim should be to be like Christ, to love His Word, to love His church, to live pure, sober, faithful lives whether married or single, and to serve Him where He has placed us. For most, that will mean pursuing marriage with another believing spouse for a lifetime, raising families, working honestly, and being light and salt in the world, not withdrawing from it.
We pray together for you.
Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ we come before You together and thank You for the one who asked these questions and seeks Your truth. We ask You to give clarity and discernment through Your Word, to draw this heart closer to Jesus and to show that true devotion is not found in man made vows or isolation, but in a living relationship with Christ and obedience by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help us all to live soberly, purely, and faithfully, whether You give the gift of marriage or the gift of singleness, and to find our identity not in ascetic works but in Christ alone. Lead us away from any teaching that forbids what You have called good, and lead us into the fullness of Your grace and truth. If there is any trust in works or religious system, we pray for repentance and simple faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Fill us with Your Spirit, keep us in fellowship with Your people, and make us examples of love, holiness, and service in the world for Your glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our only hope and mediator, amen.
We hear how much you want to understand what pleases God and what a faithful life is really supposed to look like. Your questions about monks and vows are thoughtful ones.
From what we have seen in church history, some believers have felt drawn to a quiet, set apart life centered on prayer, work, study and serving others. For them, choosing not to marry and living simply, with clear boundaries around things like alcohol, has been a way to stay focused and available for that kind of service. That can be a genuine calling for a few people, but it is not taught as the required or more holy path for everyone. The same qualities we may admire in a monastery, like devotion, purity, self control and a life of prayer, are meant to be lived out by all believers in many different settings, in families, workplaces and neighborhoods.
Are those who live in monasteries truly Christian? A building or a rule of life does not make someone a Christian. Trust in Jesus does. Many monks through the centuries have loved Jesus deeply, while others have leaned more on rule keeping than on Christ himself. So we look to faith in Christ, not just the setting.
You do not need to become an ascetic to be faithful. God gives different callings within the body, and our calling is often discerned in community, through prayer, wise counsel and attention to the needs and responsibilities He has already placed before us.
If this is stirring something in you, it may help to sit down with a trusted pastor and talk through how you sense God leading you, and to learn a little about how the church has understood vocation and spiritual disciplines over time.
Father, we ask You to give our friend wisdom and peace as they seek Your will. Show them how You have gifted them to love and serve You right where they are, and draw them closer to Jesus each day. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
From what we have seen in church history, some believers have felt drawn to a quiet, set apart life centered on prayer, work, study and serving others. For them, choosing not to marry and living simply, with clear boundaries around things like alcohol, has been a way to stay focused and available for that kind of service. That can be a genuine calling for a few people, but it is not taught as the required or more holy path for everyone. The same qualities we may admire in a monastery, like devotion, purity, self control and a life of prayer, are meant to be lived out by all believers in many different settings, in families, workplaces and neighborhoods.
Are those who live in monasteries truly Christian? A building or a rule of life does not make someone a Christian. Trust in Jesus does. Many monks through the centuries have loved Jesus deeply, while others have leaned more on rule keeping than on Christ himself. So we look to faith in Christ, not just the setting.
You do not need to become an ascetic to be faithful. God gives different callings within the body, and our calling is often discerned in community, through prayer, wise counsel and attention to the needs and responsibilities He has already placed before us.
If this is stirring something in you, it may help to sit down with a trusted pastor and talk through how you sense God leading you, and to learn a little about how the church has understood vocation and spiritual disciplines over time.
Father, we ask You to give our friend wisdom and peace as they seek Your will. Show them how You have gifted them to love and serve You right where they are, and draw them closer to Jesus each day. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
The Encourager
The Encourager
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.
God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
Your question touches a matter where many sincere souls have been led into confusion, and it is well to bring it to the light of Scripture.
The Word of God speaks of calling, but not as men often use the word. There is an effectual calling by the Holy Spirit, and it is a gracious truth. As Zaccheus was called, not because he was worthy but because Christ looked upon him and said, come down, so every sinner who is saved is called by Christ Himself. This calling is described in Scripture as a holy calling, a high calling, and a heavenly calling. It is holy, for He who calls us has saved us and called us to holiness, not to merit by our own works. It is high, for it lifts the heart to heavenly things, to eternity and holiness. It is heavenly, for it is a call from heaven and a call to heaven, known by the voice of God and not merely the voice of man. The question for each of us is not whether we have felt a drawing to a particular manner of life, but whether we have heard Christ say, come unto me, and have come to Him by faith.
For this reason Scripture does not teach that God effectually calls some believers to become monks as a higher order of Christians. A man may, for the sake of the kingdom, choose to remain unmarried, and the Apostle speaks of this in Matthew 19 and in 1 Corinthians 7 as a gift that allows undivided devotion to the Lord, yet it is never commanded as a vow that makes one more holy, and it is never to be imposed. The Spirit expressly warns that forbidding to marry is a doctrine that leads away from the truth. Marriage itself is honorable, a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman ordained by God, and singleness is honorable when lived in chastity unto the Lord. In both estates the believer is called to sobriety and purity, for soberness of mind and body is commanded to all Christians, not to a few behind walls.
So concerning chastity and sobriety, God requires of every believer a chaste life, whether in marriage where the bed is undefiled, or in singleness where the body is kept in purity before Him, and He requires of every believer a sober life, free from drunkenness and from excess. These are not counsels for ascetics alone but the ordinary fruit of the holy calling.
Are those who live as ascetics in monasteries and what some call temples truly Christians. Here we must be careful. A monastery does not make a man a Christian, nor does a habit or a vow. There have been and are men in such places who have truly trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God alone for salvation, and though they have been entangled in a system that is not according to Scripture, their souls belong to Christ because they have heard His voice and followed Him. Yet the system itself, which teaches that withdrawal, austerity, and vows add merit before God, is contrary to the gospel. It says in effect that Christ's work is not sufficient and that holiness is found by severity to the body, of which the Apostle says such things have a show of wisdom but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. The Christian meeting place is not a temple after the old pattern, for we have no temple but Christ Himself, and His people are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
You ask if these are the examples we should aim to achieve. The example set before us is not the monk in his cell but Christ Himself, and those who walk as He walked in the midst of this world. David declared the wondrous works of God not by leaving the world but by being taught of God from his youth and then declaring what God had wrought in him and for him. You are called to be God's witness where He has placed you, in the family, in labor, in the congregation of His people, showing forth His holiness and His love. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus is to press forward in faith, in love, in obedience, whether married or single, whether your work is public or hidden.
If you desire to please God, do not seek a vow to make yourself more acceptable, but come to Christ as a poor sinner and rest wholly upon His finished work. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin, and God justifies freely those who trust in Him. Then, being called with that holy and heavenly calling, walk worthy of it in purity, in sobriety, in love to all men, and in faithful service in the church where Christ is preached.
The Word of God speaks of calling, but not as men often use the word. There is an effectual calling by the Holy Spirit, and it is a gracious truth. As Zaccheus was called, not because he was worthy but because Christ looked upon him and said, come down, so every sinner who is saved is called by Christ Himself. This calling is described in Scripture as a holy calling, a high calling, and a heavenly calling. It is holy, for He who calls us has saved us and called us to holiness, not to merit by our own works. It is high, for it lifts the heart to heavenly things, to eternity and holiness. It is heavenly, for it is a call from heaven and a call to heaven, known by the voice of God and not merely the voice of man. The question for each of us is not whether we have felt a drawing to a particular manner of life, but whether we have heard Christ say, come unto me, and have come to Him by faith.
For this reason Scripture does not teach that God effectually calls some believers to become monks as a higher order of Christians. A man may, for the sake of the kingdom, choose to remain unmarried, and the Apostle speaks of this in Matthew 19 and in 1 Corinthians 7 as a gift that allows undivided devotion to the Lord, yet it is never commanded as a vow that makes one more holy, and it is never to be imposed. The Spirit expressly warns that forbidding to marry is a doctrine that leads away from the truth. Marriage itself is honorable, a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman ordained by God, and singleness is honorable when lived in chastity unto the Lord. In both estates the believer is called to sobriety and purity, for soberness of mind and body is commanded to all Christians, not to a few behind walls.
So concerning chastity and sobriety, God requires of every believer a chaste life, whether in marriage where the bed is undefiled, or in singleness where the body is kept in purity before Him, and He requires of every believer a sober life, free from drunkenness and from excess. These are not counsels for ascetics alone but the ordinary fruit of the holy calling.
Are those who live as ascetics in monasteries and what some call temples truly Christians. Here we must be careful. A monastery does not make a man a Christian, nor does a habit or a vow. There have been and are men in such places who have truly trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God alone for salvation, and though they have been entangled in a system that is not according to Scripture, their souls belong to Christ because they have heard His voice and followed Him. Yet the system itself, which teaches that withdrawal, austerity, and vows add merit before God, is contrary to the gospel. It says in effect that Christ's work is not sufficient and that holiness is found by severity to the body, of which the Apostle says such things have a show of wisdom but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. The Christian meeting place is not a temple after the old pattern, for we have no temple but Christ Himself, and His people are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
You ask if these are the examples we should aim to achieve. The example set before us is not the monk in his cell but Christ Himself, and those who walk as He walked in the midst of this world. David declared the wondrous works of God not by leaving the world but by being taught of God from his youth and then declaring what God had wrought in him and for him. You are called to be God's witness where He has placed you, in the family, in labor, in the congregation of His people, showing forth His holiness and His love. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus is to press forward in faith, in love, in obedience, whether married or single, whether your work is public or hidden.
If you desire to please God, do not seek a vow to make yourself more acceptable, but come to Christ as a poor sinner and rest wholly upon His finished work. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin, and God justifies freely those who trust in Him. Then, being called with that holy and heavenly calling, walk worthy of it in purity, in sobriety, in love to all men, and in faithful service in the church where Christ is preached.
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