As I go through this Christian walk, I'm often reminded that my life is incomplete without God's grace, mercy, and love. I'm so very thankful that he chose to save me back in May of 1993 during my Cursillo weekend (a weekend of Christian renewal; more on Cursillo in a later blog). But after I got saved, I spent lots of time just basking in the glow of God's love. I used to walk around with this great big grin, because I now BELIEVED, and knew I had been plucked out of darkness. I was SAVED, y'all!
But there's more to living a Christian life. Much, much more. We're told we need to tell our testimonies to others, so they too can know that the God of the Bible is true, living, and loves them far more than they could ever comprehend. But we're also told we're to study God's Word, so that we don't have to rely on our big grins to start conversations with intelligent folk.
Hebrews 5:11-6:3 (The Message) I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one--baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong. So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!
Soon after coming to Christ, we should be studying the Bible so much that we will be prepared to TEACH it to other Christians. I didn't realize I had an obligation to learn the Bible, but after reading Hebrews, it became apparent. I must dedicate the time to learn the Bible. Church sermons, group Bible study, Sunday School and Our Daily Bread are all well and good, but they're INSUFFICIENT to teach me enough so that I can teach it to others.
I've got to READ THE BIBLE. That's the only way I'll grow to be a complete and mature witness.
Now, instead of picking up the Bible and reading a verse or two, I read whole chapters. And recently, I told my prayer partner that "the verses are coming together", which was my way of saying I was finding verse after verse after verse that I recognized. And they were coming more and more frequently. I guess that's one indicator that I'm "growing up"!
Are you allowing yourself to "grow" as much as you should, by taking the time to read the Bible? If reading isn't your "thing", then skip over to http://www.firefighters.org/ and download the entire Bible on MP3. It's a wonderful ministry offering from Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, and was released to the internet without royalty restrictions. Burn it to a couple CDs and play it in your MP3 player or MP3-capable CD player. Keep it running, day and night. Listen to it as you go to sleep, and listen to it as you awake. After a while, it'll get into you. And then you'll always have your "sword" (Ephesians 6:17).
If you don't like reading, you DO have alternatives.
2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) - But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
And Amen.
© 2008 Scotty Ward
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