Spending quality time in the Word of God Part 2
Introduction
In part one of spending quality time in the Word of God we learned about hearing God’s Word, reading God’s Word and studying God’s Word. In part two we will learn about memorizing God’s Word, Biblical Meditation, and applying God’s Word.
When it comes to memorizing God’s Word many Christians either think that it’s too much work or just not worth it. Today, we will explore what it means to memorize God’s Word and why it’s important for one’s spiritual growth, as well as ministry for Christ. Many people both inside and outside the Church are confused about what meditation is. Some think its emptying their minds or something else. Today, we will learn to meditate on the Word of God, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. To conclude our time today, we will explore briefly how to apply God’s Word to one’s life.
Memorizing God’s Word
Many Christians look on the spiritual discipline of memorizing God’s Word as something tantamount to modern day martyrdom. Memorizing Scripture is precious when viewed with the understanding of one depositing God’s Word within one’s mind. When Scripture is stored in the mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to one’s attention when they need it the most. Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” When the Holy Spirit brings a verse to mind in a specific situation it’s an illustration of Ephesians 6:17 “the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” A pertinent scriptural truth, brought to one’s awareness by the Holy Spirit at just the right moment can be the weapon that makes the difference in a spiritual battle. One of the ways one experiences more spiritual victories is to as Jesus did- memorize Scripture so that it’s available for the Holy Spirit to take and ignite within one when its need the most.
Every Christian ought to want to grow in their faith. One way to do this is to strength oneself to memorize Scripture. Proverbs 22:17-19, “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you. To apply your word to the words of the wise spoken here and to keep them within you pertains to Scriptural memory. The reason given here for keeping the wise words of Scripture within you and ready on your lips. It’s so that your trust may be in the Lord. Memorizing Scripture strengths your faith because it repeatedly reinforces the truth, often just when one needs to hear it again.
On the Day of Pentecost the Apostle Peter was suddenly inspired by God to stand and preach to the crowd about Jesus. Much of what he said consisted of quotations from the Old Testament (Acts 2:14-40). There’s a qualitative difference between Peter’s uniquely inspired sermon and our Spirit-led conversations, his experience illustrations how Scripture memory can prepare one for unexpected witnessing or counseling opportunities that come one’s way.
Psalm 119:24, “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.“ The Holy Spirit will use whatever scriptural truth one has in one’s memory bank for the use of ministry and also to provide timely guidance to ourselves.
Memorization fuels Meditation
One of the most underrated benefits of memorizing Scripture is that it provides fuel for meditation. When one memorizes a verse of Scripture one can meditate on it at anytime during the day of night. Psalm 119:97 provides a great example of this, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.“ The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, but the Holy Spirit cannot give you a weapon you have not stored in the armory of one’s mind.
The main issue with memorizing Scripture is not a lack of memory but a lack of motivation. If one knows your birthday phone number and address and can remember the names of family, friends, then you can memorize Scripture. The question becomes whether you are willing to discipline yourself to do it.
Having a plan for Scripture memory is crucial. There are several good prepackaged Scripture memory plans available in Christian bookstores. Memorizing Scripture on a topic of interest is helpful. Also, one can make a list of the verses on a sheet f paper or write each verse on a separate index card.
When memorizing Scripture do not lower your standard of getting a few words right. Make sure you are memorizing every word and can recite it word for word. Memorize it word for word and learn the reference, too. Without an objective standard of measurement, the goal is unclear and one may tend to continue lowering the standard until one quits entirely. Make sure you find an accountability partner to help you in your quest to scriptural memory.
Meditating on God’s Word- Benefits and Methods
Meditation in today’s culture is most identified as non-Christian systems of thought than with biblical Christianity. Even among Christians, the practice of meditation is often closely associated with yoga, transcendental meditation, relaxation therapy, or the New Age Movement. As a result of this many Christians are uncomfortable with the whole topic of meditation and suspicious of those who engage in it. Christians must remember that meditation is commanded by God and modeled by the godly in Scripture.
The kind of meditation encouraged in Scripture differs from other kinds of meditation in several ways. While some advocate a kind of meditation in which one empties their mind, Christian meditation involves filling your mind with God and truth. For some, meditation is an attempt to achieve complete mental passivity, but biblical meditation requires constructive mental activity. Worldly meditation employs visualization techniques intended to create one’s reality. Christian history has always had a place for the sanctified use of one’s God-given imagination in meditation, imagination is one’s servant to help one meditate on things that are true (Philippians 4:8). Instead of attempting to create one’s reality through visualization Christians link meditation with prayer to God and responsible, Spirit-filled human action to effect changes.
Meditation is the deep thinking on truths and scriptural realities as revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application and prayer. Meditation goes beyond hearing, reading, studying and even memorizing as a means of taking in God’s Word.
Joshua 1:8 and the Promise of Success
There is a scriptural connection between success and the practice of meditation found in Joshua 1:8. As the Lord was commissioning Joshua to succeed Moses as the leader of His people He told him, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. “
The prosperity and success the Lord speaks here is prosperity and success from God’s perspective not the world’s. From a New Testament perspective we know that the main application of this promise would be to the prosperity of the soul and spiritual success. True success is promised to those who meditate on God’s Word, who think deeply on Scripture not just as one time each day, but at moments throughout the day and night. They meditate so much that Scripture saturates their conversation. The fruit of their meditation is in action. They do what they find written in God’s Word and as a result God prospers their way and grants them success.
Psalm 39:3, “My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue“ The Hebrew word translated meditated here is related to the one rendered meditate in Joshua 1:8. When we hear, read, study or memorize the fire of God’s Word, the addition of meditation becomes like a bellows upon what we’ve taken in. As the fire blazes more brightly, it gives off more light (insight and understanding and heat (passion for obedient action). As a result of this one will be prosperous and successful. Why does the intake of God’s Word often leave one cold and why don’t we have more success in our spiritual life? Thomas Watson has the answer, “The reason we come away so cold from reading the word is, because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.”
Psalm 1:1-3- The Promises
God’s promises in Psalm 1:1-3 regarding meditation are every bit as generous as Psalm 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. “
We think about what we delight in. The tree of your spiritual life thrives best with meditation because it helps you absorb the water of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26). Merely hearing or reading God’s word can be like a short rainfall on hard ground. Regardless of the amount or intensity of the rain most runs off and little sinks in. Meditation opens the soil of the soul and lets the water of God’s Word percolate in deeply. The result in an extraordinary fruitfulness and spiritual prosperity.
The author of Psalm 119 was confident that he was wiser than all his enemies (Psalm 119:98). Moreover he said, “I have more insight than all my teachers” (verse 99). Is it because he heard or studied or memorized God’ Word more than every one of his enemies and his teacher? Probably not! The psalmist was wiser; not necessarily because o more input but because of more insight. Psalm 119:98-99 gives the answer to this issue, “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.”
It is possible to encounter a torrential amount of God’s Truth but without absorption one will be little better for the experience. Medication is the absorption. Meditation is important for spiritual fruitfulness and prosperity. Even if the total input of God’s Word were the same as it was in prior centuries, we today have experienced a flash flood of information that the psalmist could never have imagined. Combine this with some of the modern responsibilities and the result is a mental distraction and dissipation that choke one’s absorption of Scripture.
Select an appropriate passage
The easiest way to decide what to meditate on is to choose the verses, phrase or word that impressed one the most during the reading of Scripture. Meditation is essentially a subjective activity a fact that underscores the importance of basing it on Scripture the perfectly objective resource.
One’s understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit also leads one to believe that many times He, as Author of the book, will impress one with a certain part of Scripture because that is the very part He wants one to meditate on for that day. This approach can be misused or taken to an extreme. We must use wisdom to make sure we don’t fail to meditate on the Person and work of Jesus great and the great themes of the Bible.
Verses that relate to one’s concerns and personal needs are one’s that you should use for meditation. We should not approach the Bible as simply a digest of wise advice, a collection or promises or an “Answer book,” it is God’s will that we give our attention to those things He has written that directly pertain to one’s circumstances. If you’ve been struggling with your through life and read Philippians then one would read Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.”
One of the most consistent ways to select a passage for meditation is to discern the main message of the selection of your encounter with Scripture and meditate on its meaning and application. After one does this one should repeat the verse or phrase of Scripture by mulling it over. The point here is not to repeat vainly each word of the verse until they’ve been emphasized. The purpose is to think deeply upon the light (Truth) that flashes into your mind each time the verse is turned. After one does this look for application. Ask yourself, “How am I to respond to this text? What would God have me to as a result of my encounter with this part of His Word?” The outcome of meditation should be application. Like chewing without swallowing, so meditation is incomplete without some type of application. This is so important that we’ll spend the next section here applying God’s Word.
Pray through God’s Word. Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your life.” The Holy Spirit guides one into all truth (John 14:26). Meditation is more than just riveted human concentration or creative mental energy. Praying your way through a verse of Scripture submits the mind of the Holy Spirit’s illumination for the text and intensifies your spiritual perception. The Bible was written under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration; pray for His illumination in your mediation. Meditation always involves two people- the Christian and the Holy Spirit. Praying over a text is the invitation for the Holy Spirit to hold His divine light over the words o Scripture to show you what you cannot see without Him.
When meditating on Scripture take your time. Read less if necessary. Although many Christians need to find the time to increase their Bible reading, there may be some who are spending all the time they can or should be reading the Bible. If you could not possibly add more time to your devotional schedule for meditating on Scripture reading, read less in order to have some unhurried time for meditation. Even though you may find moments throughout the day when one can meditate on God’s Word (Psalm 119:97), the best meditation generally occurs when it’s part of one’s main daily encounter with the Bible.
Applying God’s Word- Benefits and Methods
The Bible promises the blessing of God on those who apply the Word of God to one’s daily life. The classic New Covenant statement on the value of integrating the spiritual with the concrete is James 1:22-25: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.“ Pithy and powerful is Jesus’ similar statement in John 13:17, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. “
These verses teach that there can be a delusion in hearing God’s Word. Without minimizing the sufficiency of Scripture nor the power of the Holy Spirit o work through even the most casual brush with the Bible, we can frequently be deluded about Scripture’s impact on one’s life. According to James, we can experience God’s truth so powerfully that what the Lord wants us to do becomes as plain as our face in the morning mirror. If we do not apply the truth as we meet it, we delude ourselves by thinking we have gained practical value, regardless of how wonderful the experience of discovering the truth has been. The one who will be blessed in what he does is the one who does what Scripture says.
For someone to be blessed in what he does is the equivalent of the promises of blessing, success and prosperity given in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 to those who meditate on God’s Word. That’s because meditation should ultimately lead to application. When God instructed Joshua to meditate on His word day and night, He told him the purpose for meditating was “so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” The promise “then you will be prosperous and successful” would be fulfilled, not as the result of meditation only, but as God’s blessing upon meditation-forged application.
The Lord wants you to be a doer of the Word. One should open the Bible with expectancy. Anticipate the discovery of a practical response to the truth of God. It makes a big difference to come to the Bible with the faith that you will find an application for it as opposed to believing you won’t. Thomas Watson was calling the nursing mother of the gigantic evangelical divines encouraged anticipation about application when he said, “Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders again sin, think thus: “God means my sins;” when it presents any duty, “God intends me I this.” Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word bring it home to yourselves a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied.”
Because of God’s inspiration of Scripture, believe that what you are reading was meant for you as well as for the first recipient of the message. Without that attitude you’ll rarely perceive the application of the passage of Scripture to your personal situation.
Meditation is not an end in itself. Deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities of Scripture is the key to putting them into practice. It is by means of meditation that the facts of biblical information are fleshed out into practical application.
If one reads, hears or studies God’s Word without meditating on it, no wonder “applying Scripture to concrete situations” is difficult. Perhaps we could even train a parrot to memorize ever verse of Scripture that we do, but if we don’t apply those verses to life they won’t be of much lasting value to us than the parrot. How does the Word memorized become the Word applied? It happens through meditation.
Most information, even biblical information, flows through our minds like water through a sieve. There’s usually so much information come in each day and it comes in so quickly that we retain very little. When we meditate the truth remains and percolates. We can smell its aroma more fully and taste it better. AS it brews in our brain the insights come. The heart is heated by meditation and cold truth is melted into passionate action.
Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.“ It was through meditation on God’s Word that the psalmist discerned how to regard God’s ways for living, that is, how to be a doer of them. The way to determine how any scripture applies to the concrete situations of life is to meditate on that scripture.
Asking questions is one of the ways to meditate. The more questions you ask and answer about a verse of Scripture the more you will understand it and the more clearly you will see how it applies. Here are some examples of this: Does this text reveal something I should believe about God? Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank or trust God for? Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others? Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about? Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about? Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others or myself?
There are times when a verse of Scripture will have such evident application for your life that it will virtually jump off the page and plead with you to do what it says. More often than not, however, you must interview the verse, patiently asking questions of it until a down-to-earth response becomes clear.
Respond specifically to Scripture. An encounter with God through His Word should result in at least one specific response. After you have concluded your time of Bible intake you should be able to name at least one definite response you have made or will make to what you have encountered. That response may be an explicitly act of faith, worship, praise, thanksgiving or prayer. It may take the form of asking someone’s forgiveness or speaking a word of encouragement. The response may involve the forsaking of sin or showing an act of love. Regardless of the nature of that response, consciously commit yourself to at least one action to take following the intake of God’s Word.
Conclusion
Will you begin a plan of memorizing God’s Word? If you’ve been a Christian very long you’ve probably memorized more Scripture than you realize. Will you cultivate the discipline o meditating on God’s Word? Occasional Godward thoughts are not meditation. William Bridge said, “A man may think on God every day and meditate on God no day. God calls us through the Scriptures to develop the practice of dwelling on Him in our thoughts. When you consider what the Scriptures say about meditation and when you weight the testimonies of some of the most godly men and women of Church history, the importance and value of Christian meditation for progress in Christian growth is undeniable.
Will you prove yourself an applier of the Word? You have read many verses from the Word of God in this post. What will you do in response to these passages of Scripture? The Discipline of Bible intake, especially the discipline of applying God’s Word will often be difficult but not the least of which is spiritual opposition. Dr. J.I. Packer said this, “If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible. Knowing that it is the Word of God, teaching men to know and love and serve the God of the Word, I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorn hedges and man traps, to frighten people off. At all costs I should want to keep them from using their minds in a disciplined way to get the measure of its message.” Despite the difficulty and spiritual opposition are you willing to at all costs use your mind in a disciplined way to feed on the Word of God for the purpose of godliness?
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Dave
Here is where you can find me online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103
Fan Page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nampa-ID/Servantsofgrace/53445848164
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ
Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace
Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastorDaveBlog
Spending quality time in the Word of God Part 1
Introduction
Today we continue our study of spiritual growth by looking at how to spend quality time in the Word of God. In part 1, we will learn about hearing God’s Word, reading God’s Word, and studying God’s Word. In part two we will learn memorizing God’s Word, biblical meditation, and applying God’s Word.
Many Christians rightly believe that they need to read the Bible. Such Christians have reading plans and study the Bible themselves. Many other Christians though, tend to focus on reading the Word of God without application. Finally, many Christians read the Bible more like it’s a book of stories than the inspired Word of God. Understanding how to hear the Word of God, read the Word of God and study the Word of God is vital.
Hearing God’s Word
The easiest of the spiritual discipline is the intake of God’s Word by hearing the Word of God preached. If one doesn’t discipline themselves to hear God’s Word regularly one may only hear it accidently or when one feels like it or not at all. Discipling oneself to hear God’s Word means developing the practice of steadfastly attending a New Testament Church where God’s Word is faithfully preached.
Luke 11:28, “But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Merely listening to God-inspired words is not the point. The purpose of spending quality time in the Bible is obedience to what God says and the development of Christlikeness. The method Jesus encourages this is hearing God’s Word.
Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. “ This passage doesn’t mean a person can come to faith in Christ only by hearing Scripture for multitudes have become believers as Jonathan Edwards did through reading the Bible. Most like Edwards were converted while reading the Scripture are also like him in that they heard the proclamation of God’s Word prior to conversion. Romans 10:17 teaches that initial faith in Christ comes from hearing the inspired Word about Jesus Christ which also means that the Christian day to day need is to hear the Bible. For example hearing about God’s provision may aid a family to trust God in the families’ difficult financial situation. Hearing a biblically based sermon on the love of Christ may be God’s meanings of granting assurance to a downcast believer. Gifts of faith are often given to those who discipline themselves to hear God’s Word.
There are other ways Christians may discipline themselves to hear God’s Word which is hearing it preached in one’s local church. The most obvious of these ways is through radio, podcasts or tapes. These can be used with one’s ipod, laptop, or other ways.
1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.“ The Apostle Paul instructs his young friend in the ministry here. Paul stresses to Timothy the importance of hearing God’s Word. The ongoing worship of God cannot be separated from the Word of God. A Christian is to discipline oneself to go and hear the Word of God.
How do I prepare to hear the Word of God? Jeremiah Burroughs wrote in 1648 the following counsel regarding preparation for the discipline of hearing God’s Word: First, when you come to hear the Word, if you would sanctify God’s name, you must possess your souls with what it is you are going to hear. That is, what you are going to hear is the Word of God. Therefore you find that the apostle, writing to the Thessalonians, gives them the reason why the Word did them so much good as it did; it was because they did hear it as the Word of God. 1 Thess. 2:13.[1] Hearing the Word of God is not merely passive listening, it is a discipline to be cultivated.
Reading God’s Word
Recent statistics regarding Christians regarding the Bible demonstrate the great need to not only hear the Word but also read the Word of God. Jesus often asked questions about people’s understand of the Scriptures, beginning with the words, “Have you not read?” He assumed that those claiming to be the people of God would have read the Word of God. A case can be made that this question implies a familiarity with the entire Word of God. Matthew 4:4, “But he answered, "It is written,” ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Jesus intends for His followers to read every Word of God. 2nd Timothy 3:16, “ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,“ Again every Word of God given by God is profitable which means every Christian should read every Word in the Word of God. Revelation 1:3, “ ‘ God promises that those who read and heed His Word will be blessed, but only those who discipline themselves to do so will receive these blessing.
The spiritual disciplines are scriptural paths where we encounter the transforming grace of God. The most critical discipline is one’s intake of Scripture. If one wants to be changed, if one wants to become like Christ, disciplining oneself to read the Word of God is vital. First one needs to find time to read the Bible. One of the reasons never read the entire Bible is discouragement. The primary reason why people don’t read the Bible is because they don’t discipline themselves and aren’t motivated to do it.
Discipline yourself to find the time to read the Word of God. Make a habit of getting up early if you go into work early, or at the very least when you wake up to read the Word of God. The second suggestion is to find a good Bible reading plan. Many Christians just open up their Bible and play Russian roulette with the Bible. Many study Bibles contain a reading schedule somewhere within their pages. There are inexpensive Bible reading plans in every Christian bookstore. Most local churches can provide you with a daily reading schedule also. Apart from a specific plan, reading three chapters everyday and five on Sunday’s will take one through the Bible in a year‘s time. Read three in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament everyday, and one will finish the Old Testament once and the New Testament four times in a twelve-month span. At the beginning of the year my own Bible plan begins in Matthew 1, and I read one chapter in Matthew and the preceding Gospels till I finish with the Gospels, and start over with Matthew. Secondly at the beginning of the year I begin by reading one chapter on Acts and then go through the read through the rest of the New Testament. At the beginning o the year I begin with the book of Psalms and read through the wisdom books- Psalms, Proverbs, Job and Song of Solomon. Finally I begin with Genesis and work my way through the rest of the Old Testament till the end of the year.
Regardless of the plan one uses I encourage you to read in more than one place at a time to keep up the momentum. Even if you don’t read through the Biel in a year’s time, keep a record of which books you read. Put a check beside a chapter when you read it or the title of that book in the table of contents when you’ve completed. Regardless of how long it takes or in what order they are read, you’ll know when you’ve completed reading the Bible.
The third suggestion on reading the Bible is to find at least one word, phrase or verse to mediate on each time you read. We will explore meditation in part two of this blog post but if one does not meditate on Scripture your Bible reading will become another chore your doing than a discipline of joy it should be. Take at least one thing you’ve read and think deeply about it for a few moments. Your insights into Scripture will deepen and you’ll better understand how it applies to your life. The more you apply the truth of Scripture the more you’ll become like Jesus.
Studying God’s Word
Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.“ There’s an instructive signifance to the sequence in this verse. Ezra 1) “devoted himself,” 2) “to the study,” 3) “and observant of the Law of the Lord,”, 4) “and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Before he taught the Word of God to the people of God, he practiced what he learned. Ezra’s learning came from the Scriptures. Before he studied he first devoted himself to study. Ezra is an example of disciplining himself to study God’s Word.
The second example comes from Acts 17:11. Missionaries Paul and Silas has barely escaped from Thessalonica after their successful evangelistic work had provoked the Jews there to jealousy. When they repeated the same course of action in Berea, the Jews there responded different: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with greater eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The willingness to examine the Scripture is commended as noble character here.
2nd Timothy 4:13, “13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. “ The Apostle Paul is in prison writing the last chapter of his last New Testament letter. Anticipating the coming of his younger friend, he writes, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.” The scrolls and parchments Paul requested included copies of the Scriptures. In his cold and miserable confinement, the godly apostle asked for two things: a cloak to wear so his body could be warned and God’s Word to study so his mind and heart could be warmed. Paul had seen heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-6) and the resurrection Christ (Acts 9:5), he had experienced the Holy Spirit’s power for miracles (Acts 14:10) and even for writing Holy Scripture (2 Peter 3:16); nevertheless, he continued to study God’s Word until he died. If Paul needed it, surely you and I need it and should discipline ourselves to do it.
Why do so many Christians neglect the study of God’s Word? Dr. R.C. Sproul said: “Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring but because its work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.”[2]
For some the problem may be and security about how to study or how to begin to study. The basic difference between Bible reading and Bible study is as simple as a pencil and a piece of paper (one can even use a laptop and word to write down observations). Write down your observations about the text as you read and record questions that come to your mind. If your Bible has cross-references, look up the ones that relate to the verses that prompt your questions, then record your insights. Find a key word in your reading and use the concordance found in the back of most Bibles to review the other references that use the word, and again note your findings. Another way to begin is to outline a chapter, one paragraph at a time. When you read that chapter, move on to the next until you’ve outlined the rest of the book. Before long you’ll have a far stronger grasp on a section of Scripture than you had by just reading it.
As you advance in the study of the Bible you will learn the value of in-depth word studies, character studies, topical studies, and book studies. You’ll discover a new richness in the Scripture as your understanding grows of how the grammar, history, culture, and geography surrounding a text affects its interpretation.
Don’t’ let a feeling of inadequacy keep you from the delight of learning the Bible on your own. Books, thick and thin, abound on how to study the Bible. They can provide more guidance regarding methods and tools that we can delve into in this blog post. Don’t settle only for spiritual food that has been “predigested” by others. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights firsthand through your own Bible study.
Conclusion
If one could measure the quality of growth in godliness by the quality of one’s Bible intake what would be the result? One’s growth in godliness is greatly affected by your Bible intake. Jesus in John 17:17 said this, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. God’s plan for sanctifying us, that is, for making us holy and godly, is accomplished by means of “the truth”- His Word. If we settle for a poor quality of intake of hearing, reading and studying God’s Word we restrict the main flow of God’s sanctifying grace to us.
What is one thing I can do to improve my intake of God’s Word? Joining a group of like-mined believers to hear god’s Word preached each week should be a minimum. Many Bible-believing churches provide more than one opportunity each week to hear God’s Word. You may want to consider tapes of the Bible, sermon tapes, podcasts or Bible exposition on radio as options for increased hearing of God’s Word Also inexpensive workbooks and study guides on every book in the Bible and a multitude of topics are available in Christian bookstores. Besides launching out individually, join a Bible study group in your church or community or even start a group study.
Whatever way you choose, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness by committing to at least one way of improving your intake of God’s Word. Those who use their Bibles little are really not much better off than those who have no Bible at all.
In Christ Alone, Pastor Dave
Here is where you can find me online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103
Fan Page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nampa-ID/Servantsofgrace/53445848164
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ
Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace
Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastorDaveBlog
Bibliography
Lewis, Peter, The Genius of Puritanism (Haywards Heath, Sussex, England: Carey Publications, 1979), page 54.
Sproul , R.C., Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977), 17.
[1] Peter Lewis, The Genius of Puritanism (Haywards Heath, Sussex, England: Carey Publications, 1979), page 54.
[2] R.C. Sproul ,Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977), 17.
The role of spiritual warfare in spiritual growth
Introduction
The role of spiritual warfare in spiritual growth is vitally important to understand in the world we live in today. With the increase of new age thinking, atheism, Satanism, and a growing interest in the occult worldwide the need for the Christian to understand what spiritual warfare is has never been greater. Moreover, understanding spiritual warfare is increasingly becoming a confusing topic to study as Christians have a variety of views on the topic some of which are biblical, but most of which are not.
The classic view of spiritual warfare is defined by repentance, faith and obedience. The classic mode of warfare of evangelism, discipleship and personal growth follows the pattern of Jesus facing Satan in the desert. The textbooks for spiritual warfare in this mode have been Proverbs, Psalms, the way Jesus addressed moral evil and the teaching of the New Testament epistles. Puritan pastoral theologians wrote frequently and with great depth on spiritual warfare. As they wrote about Scripture, the devil, and human nature, they were alert to the incredible evil and deceptive strategies of Satan. At the same time they made a heart-searching analysis of the human condition. The Puritans were not demythologized moderns; they lived in a spirit-filled world and were well aware of spiritual warfare. They saw the combat, snares, deceits and schemes of Satan. Books in print from Puritans after over three hundred years include Thomas Brook’s Precious Remedies against Satan’s devices, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and Holy War, and William Gurnall’s The Christian in Complete Armor.
Ephesians 6:10-20 gives the best explanation of the classic mode of spiritual warfare: reliance on the power and protection of God, embracing the Word of God, specific obedience, fervent and focused prayer, and the aid of fellow believers. Spiritual warfare with the power of evil is a matter of consistently and repeatedly turning from darkness to light in the midst of assailing darkness. Christians fight spiritual warfare by repentance, faith and obedience. Recognizing the powerful influence of Satan within the human heart, classic- mode pastoral theologians call for biblical sanctification.
Explanation of Ephesians 6:10-18
Ephesians 6:10-18 gives the best instruction in the New Testament on spiritual warfare. Today, we continue our study on spiritual growth by looking at the role of spiritual warfare in spiritual growth.
Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the whole armor of God. Paul in this section concludes his exhortations with instructions for all Christians. His imagery is a sustained portrayal of the Christian life as spiritual warfare using the Lord’s resources. Paul opens this section in Ephesians 6:10-13 by introduces the armor of God by focusing on the strength it gives. Ephesians 6:10 the word be strong emphasizes that the Christian cannot stand against supernatural human powers, but they must rely on the strength of the Lord’s own might (Ephesians 1:19), which the Lord supplies through prayer (6:18).
The Greek word for whole armor (panoplia) refers to the complete equipment of a fully armed solider, consisting of both shields and weapons like those described in vv.16, 16-17. Paul’s description here draws primarily on Old Testament allusions, yet the terms used also overlap well with Roman weaponry (especially the terms for the large, door-shaped shield and the short stabbing sword). Visible portrays of such weaponry can be found on numerous military reliefs throughout the Roman Empire. The word schemes in Ephesians 6:11 exposes the diabolical origin of the deceitful schemes of those teaching false doctrine (4:14; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7).
Ephesians 6:12 gives a list of spiritual rulers, authorities, cosmic powers and gives a sobering glimpse into the devil’s allies, the spiritual forces of evil who are powerful in their exercise of cosmic powers over this present darkness. Scripture makes it clear that the enemy host is not match for the Lord who has “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2:15; Eph. 1:19-21).
Ephesians 6:13 the therefore points to the fact that the Christian’s enemies are superhuman spiritual forces. As a result of this mere human resources will not work, but one must take up the whole armor of God. The divine armor and the sword of the Spirit which belong to the Lord himself and to his Messiah (Isa. 11:4-5; 59:17) are made available for believers. Along with the stand in Ephesians 6:11 believers are to withstand the enemy and to stand firm. Later in v.13 Paul portrays Christians as soldiers in the battle line holding fast against the enemy’s charge. In Ephesians 6:16 Paul identifies this whole age as evil days (v.13 “evil day), yet the outbreak of the Satanic onslaught against Christ’s people ebbs and flows throughout this era until the final day when the Lord of Hosts will return in power and great glory (Luke 21:27) to rend the heavens and rescue his people forever.
Ephesians 6:1-17 teaches the Christian what it means to stand firm. Paul reiterates the charge to stand in the face of dreaded spiritual enemies because the Lord has not left his people defenseless. They have the complete armor of God from head to foot, which consists of the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword. These are metaphors for the spiritual resources given to them in Christ, namely, the truth, righteousness (V.14), gospel (V.15), faith (v.16), salvation, and the Word of God (v.17). These aspects of God’s and the Messiah’s own character and work (as depicted in Isaiah) with which Christians are now equipped. The Lord aw no one to deliver his oppressed people, so he put on his own “breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation (Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:14, 17) before coming in wrath against his enemies.
Paul in Ephesians 6:14 with the simple, rousing order, stand urges the Ephesians to withstand the enemy (vv.11, 13), and not give I to fear. Paul exhorts his readers to always be ready to proclaim the Gospel in Ephesians 6:15. In Ephesians 6:17 the flaming darts are burning arrows designed to destroy wooden shields and other defenses but the shield of faith is able to extinguish the devil’s attacks. The spiritual nature of the church’s resource is nowhere more plain than in its reliance upon God’s Word which is the only offensive weapon mentioned in this list of spiritual armor. The Word of God is to be wielded like a sharp two-edged sword, in the mighty power of God’s Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
Paul in Ephesians 6:18-20 is teaching about being constant in prayer. This section offers instruction on prayer (the main weapon in spiritual warfare) and explains when, how and for whom to pray. The weapons for warfare are spiritual because they are rooted in prayer, which is the Christ’s most powerful resource. Prayer is to permeate believers’ lives as a universal practice, as seen by the use of “all” four times in this verse: at all times, with all prayer, with all perseverance, and for all the saints. Prayer in the Spirit is a form of worship (John 4:23-24) enabled by the Spirit of God, who intercedes on behalf o the person praying.
The general character of the believer’s prayer life is described in the following way in Ephesians 6:18. First “all prayer and supplication” focus on the variety; second “always” focuses on the frequency (Rom. 12:12; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:17); 3) “in the Spirit” focuses on submission, as we line up with the will of God (Rom. 8:26-27), 4) “being watchful” focuses on the manner (Matt. 26:41; Mark 13:33); 5) “all perseverance” focuses on the persistence (Luke 11:9; 18:7-8), and 6) “all saints” focuses on the objects (1. Sam 12:23).
The role of spiritual warfare in spiritual growth
Understanding the role spiritual warfare plays in spiritual growth is vital. As technology continue to increase, along with the growing interest in atheism, Satanism and every other ism- the Christian needs to learn that he/she lives in a world that is not only rapidly changing, but that one is in a war for the souls of mankind. The reality of this war has already been described in the previous section when we examined Ephesians 6:10-18. The reality is that many Christians rely too much on themselves and not enough on the grace of God. Paul clearly calls believers in Ephesians 6:10-18 to stand firm not in their own effort or ability but in the grace of God. The reality for the Christian is that as today’s culture increasingly becomes less identified as Christian and more identified with the secular philosophy, the believer will need to learn the importance of the role of spiritual warfare in spiritual growth.
The only way to fight against Satan, Satan’s minions and sin is through the classic mode of spiritual warfare which is by repentance, faith and obedience. In today’s culture that rejects truth and abandoned its moral foundation there is even more reason today for Christians to stand in the grace of God. Being a Christian means that it’s not about them, but it is about Jesus, His mission of reaching a lost and broken culture. The Christian is engaged in a war because of the identity one has in Christ. Satan despises, rejects and counters every single action God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit take to redeem man from sin. The truth then is that the Christian is engaged in a war; the Lord has not left His children without tools to fight against Satan, his minions and sin. The tools Jesus has given the Christian are His Word, the Holy Spirit, the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, and the ability to come to God in prayer.
Conclusion
Ultimately one’s view of sanctification will affect one’s view of spiritual warfare. The reality of the war for the souls of mankind is real, and so is the tools the Lord has given His children. When the believer stands firm in the grace of God, because of the work of Jesus on the Cross- no weapon formed against them will prosper. Satan is a defeated foe because of Christ, which means as Paul says in Colossians 1- Jesus has disarmed the forces of Satan through His death, burial and resurrection. The Gospel is good news, because as Christians engage a sinful world, Christ is with them. Christians are not attacked as if they are on an island- they are attacked because of one’s identity with their Lord, Savior and God. The believer then can rest in the fact that as they rely on the grace of God, and stand firm in His grace that the Lord will guard, and protect them. The Lord will use His children as they rely on Him, because true effectiveness for Jesus and His glory rests in reliance upon the grace of God in all things.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Dave
Here is where you can find me online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103
Fan Page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nampa-ID/Servantsofgrace/53445848164
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ
Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace
Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastorDaveBlog
Developing a doctrinal framework for discernment
In the first blog (http://servantsofgrace.net/PastorDave/2010/01/28/the-role-of-discernment-in-spiritual-growth/) I discussed the importance of doctrinal discernment. In this second installment, I will discuss the importance of building a doctrinal framework for the purpose of knowing which theological hills to die on. Every Christian should develop the ability to think rightly about spiritual matters. Every Christian should be like the Bereans of Acts 17 who examined the Scriptures to see what is true and what is false.
In this post, I want to explain the sessential issues that Christians should think about when choosing a church, buying a book, tuning into a sermon or listening in to Christian radio. In other words, I will explore in this post what Christians should focus on in terms of non-negotiables when evaluating a Christian ministry, philosophy or program.
There are three basic doctrines that should motivate believers in order to build a basic framework for discernment. The first of these is a high view of God’s Word. Second, is to have a high view of God’s Person. Obeying God is far more important than obeying man (Acts 5:29). The allegiance of the Christian should be to the Sovereign Creator of the universe. The result of this is to please god, even if it displease one’s neighbors. The third is to have a high view of God’s salvation and the gospel.
It is these three elements- a high view of God’s Word, a high view of God Himself, and a high view of the gospel that comprise the biblical framework for determining what hills Christians should die on. Because these three categories are of primary importance, believers should be careful to evaluate every ministry and every message they encounter through this theological grid. What books you buy, where you go to church, how you respond to the sermons you hear, and with whom you associate and minister- each of these should be primarily evaluated on this basis. With this in mind, let’s consider each of these three theological categories.
A high view of God’s Word
Crucial to developing biblical discernment is having a high view of Scripture. After all Scriptures constitutes God’s written revelation to man. Without them, we would know nothing about God’s specific desires for us or about His plan of salvation. We would be unable to please Him, to know Him, or to follow Him- being destined instead to spiritual ignorance, decay and death. Yet God, in His mercy, revealed Himself to us in this one book we call the Bible.
For this reason, God’s Word to the Christian should be like bread to the hungry man (Matthew 4:4) or like water to the thirsty deer (Psalm 42:1). By keeping its commands, we keep ourselves pure (Psalm 119:9). By following its guidance, we have a light for our paths (Psalm 119:105). By meditating on it, we find blessing and joy (Psalm 1:1-2). By wrestling with the Scriptures, we find our own lives being changed and sanctified (Hebrews 4:12). It is our perfect guide and our ultimate authority (Psalm 19:7-11- because it is the very Word of God.
Churches, sermons, books, and articles may claim to be Christian. But if they undermine or contradict god’s Word in anyway, you can be certain they do not meet God’s approval. Sometimes these errors take away from what God has taught (like the Jesus Seminar, which denies the historical authenticity of large portions of the Gospels).Other times they try to add to what God has taught (for example, cult groups who place the teaching of their leaders on the same level as the Bible). In either case, the Scriptures itself respond with strong condemnation. Christ’s final warning in the Book of Revelation in Revelation 22:18-19, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Without question, maintaining a high view of Scripture is a hill that every Christian should die on. If God’s Word is undermined such that God Himself is no longer given the final say, then the door is opened to all kinds of error. A high view of Scripture is absolutely indispensable to the discerning Christian, and this high view must uphold at least three elements.
First, a proper view of Scripture necessitates a full understanding and acknowledgement of the Bible’s authenticity- namely that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God. Scripture, of course makes this claim about itself in numerous places (1 Thess. 2:13; 2nd Peter 1:20-21; 1 John 5:10). In the Old Testament alone, the text claims to represent the very words of God over 3,800 times. It’s no wonder that, when we come to the New Testament, the apostle Paul can say, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that he man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).
Despite the clear self-claims of Scripture, contemporary Christianity is fraught with attacks on the inspiration and authenticity of the Bible. Some claim that only parts of the Bible are inspired. Others suggest that “inspiration” doesn’t actually refer to divine authorship but rather to human intellectual achievement. These are only futile attempts to deny that God Himself stands behind every word of both the Old and New Testaments (Matthew 5:18; 24:35). It is at this foundational point that many so-called Christians condemn themselves to lives of perpetual confusion- doomed to wallow in the mire of man-made musings, simply because they have rejected the true source of divine wisdom. True wisdom begins with the Word of the Lord. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Prov 2:6). Unless one acknowledges that the Bible is indeed His Word, we forfeit all possibility of learning discernment.
Second a high view of Scripture must accept the accuracy and inerrancy of the Bible. After all if the Bible is God’s inspired Word in every part (meaning that He is at the author), then it must also be truthful in every part (including the passages regarding science and history) because He is a God of truth (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-18). Thus the Scriptures can be wholly trusted because they come from a God who can be wholly rusted.
This means Genesis should be believed when it states the world was created in seven days. It means that Adam should be accepted as a real human being, that the Flood was a global event that Sodom and Gomorrah were literally destroyed by fire from heaven and that Jonah was, in the belly of a fish for three days. Even Christ and the apostles reflect this same attitude toward the Old Testament when they refer to Adam (Romans 5:14), Noah (Matthew 24:37-38), the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), and Jonah (Matthew 12:40) as historical figures. It is not enough to accept the Scriptures as true in matters of faith in practice but then deny its truthfulness in matters of history and science. If the God of Truth has spoken (no matter the subject), then He has spoken truthfully.
Too often Christians accept false teachings because they trust the latest scientific or literary theories over the very Word of God. In doing so, believers relinquish their ability to discern truth from error. Why? The reason is simple: It’s because they have let go of the truth, without which they have no standard for deciphering what’s wrong form what’s right.
A high view of Scripture also demands submission to its absolute authority. Because the Bible comes from God Himself, and because it reflects His perfect truthfulness, it also bears His authority as the final say in our thoughts, our words and our actions. Because we submit to Him, we likewise submit to His Word, through the power of His Spirit (John 14:15).
God should be our ultimate authority in discerning truth from error. This is why He gave us His Word- so we can know what He thinks about any given topic and thereby know the truth (John 17:17). Second Peter 1:2-3 indicates that the knowledge He’s given us in the Scriptures include everything we need for life and godliness. This means that we don’t have to supplement the Bible with human philosophy (like the Christian psychologist does). Nor do we need business principles to learn about successful church growth. God has given us His authorative word on all of those matters- and it comes complete with everything we need to live the Christian life successfully. Those Christians who desire discernment should stop endorsing or entertaining any teaching that undermines, redefines or rejects the clear teaching of Scripture. It also means that the Bible is the first place you should go if you want to receive a heart of wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-7).
A high view of God
Another essential component in developing a framework for biblical discernment is a high view of God Himself. In order for this view to be correct, it must flow from the revelation He has given about Himself. We must rely on the Word of God to inform our understanding of who He is.
Throughout church history the doctrine of God has faced many attacks. Questions about the Trinity, divine attributes, Christ’s deity, and the personhood o the Holy Spirit have each been the topic of at least one church council. More recently, questions about God’s sovereignty and the gifts of the Holy Spirit have sparked controversy. In each of these areas, as believers make their way through the maze of theological rhetoric, only a biblically-informed view of God will allow them to think rightly.
God’s greatness quickly emerges from the pages o Scripture as one of His primary characteristics. It is seen in the first verse of the Bible- His creative power ad Hi eternal preexistence. It continues in Genesis 3 with His judgment on the human race, a judgment that culminates in Genesis 6-8 with the Flood. At Sinai the mountain trembles because God is there. Even Moses, after requesting to see the Lord, is only given a sheltered glance- and he barely survives the experience.
In Psalm 115:3 we are told that, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” In Isaiah 40:18 the Lord asks rhetorically, “To whom will you liken God?” But the answer to this question leaves Job dumfounded (Job 40:4-5), and the thoughts of God’s transcendence leaves Nebuchadnezzar to decree in Daniel 3:28-28, “Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.“
Yet despite God’s majestic self-portrait, many Christians today minimize His greatness and God’s glory. In some miracles His sovereign power is denied (as with openness theology). In other circles it seems Satan and his demons are feared more than God Himself (in some charismatic contexts). But the Lord whom we serve is not like us. He made the sun, moon and stars (Psalm 8:3). We are not at liberty to mold him into our own image.
In discerning truth from error, we must ask ourselves, “Does a particular teaching, accurately depict the God of the Bible? Does it correctly represent His character essence and being?” Refuse to accept any teaching where the answer is other than yes.
God’s greatness and majesty is not only seen in His sovereign power, but also in His mercy and grace. In fact it was because of the Father’s great love for us that He sent His Son to die for our sins (John 3:16).
As God in human flesh (John 1:1, 14, Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 1st John 5:20), Jesus Christ lived a perfect life before sacrificing Himself on the cross. As the spotless lamb (1 Peter 1:19) and once- for all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12), He not only paid the price for our sins but also clothes us in His righteousness (2nd Cor 5:21). As the risen Lord (1st Cor 15:1-8), He sits enthroned at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 7:56) waiting for the day when He will return to earth to set up His kingdom (2 Thess 1:7-10; Rev 20:1-6), In the meantime, all who trust Him as their Savior an choose to follow Him as Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9-10).
Despite the biblical evidence, false teachers stir up confusion about who Jesus is. Many deny this outright. Others are more subtle, agreeing that Christians must accept Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. Some suggest the resurrection was spurious or that the true Christ has been misrepresented by the Church. All such accusations fall flat when compared to the testimony of Scripture. This is why a biblical view of the Savior is important to those who want to be discerning.
A proper view of God the Father and God the Son would not be complete if it did not include a right view of God the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus left, He promised that He would send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide Christians throughout the church age (John 14:26)- a promise that was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:2-8).
The Bible clearly distinguishes the Spirit as a separate Person (John 14:26; Romans 8:11, 16, 26; 1 John 5:7), who is equal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19;; 2nd Cor 3:16-18; 13:14; Eph 4:4-6). His ministry is one of teaching (John 14:26; Luke 12:12), interceding (Romans 8:26), leading (Matthew 4:1), giving life (John 6:63), filling (Eph 5:18), and sanctifying (Gal 5:16-22). As believers study God’s Word the Spirit aids us in the process (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor 2:14). Ephesians 6:17 tells us that “the sword of the Spirit” the weapon He uses to help us fend off deception, is the Word of God. It’s no wonder, then, that to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) is parallel to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16).
Confusion about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is almost as old as the Church itself. In Acts 8 a man named Simon incorrectly assumed that he could buy the Holy Spirit’s power with money. Over the centuries, various cult groups- such as the Jehovah’s witnesses- have simply denied the Spirit’s personhood or deity, choosing instead to see Him as an impersonal force. The unbiblical practice of some charismatic groups (such as slaying in the Spirit, laughing in the Spirit, barking in the Spirit, etc) have only increased confusion on the work of the Holy Spirit.
The discerning Christian is spiritually unaffected by heretical trends. He is like a tree, firmly planted (Psalm 1:3) because His view of God (including the Father, the Son and the Spirit) is firmly founded in the truths of Scripture. By letting God’s self-portrait inform his own thinking, the discerning Christian compares what he hears with what he knows to be correct. In other words, he refuses to replace a high view of God (one that is biblical) with any type of cheap substitute.
A High view of the Gospel
Biblical discernment demands a third theological component, which is a right understanding of the gospel. Building on the previous two categories, the gospel answers the question for us, “What must one do to be saved?” This, in fact is the most important question human beings can ask, for our answer to that question determines both our present choices and our eternal destinies.
Sadly, many Christians today downplay key aspects of the gospel message. As a result false professions o faith are commonplace in the contemporary church, where belief is redefined as mere assent, and repentance is missed altogether. Discerning Christians are not impressed with water-down gospel presentations, nor are they fooled by the false promises of prosperity preachers. Instead they have a clear grasp of the gospel, always being ready to give an account for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:16).
The good news of Scripture begins with the bad news that all men are sinners before a holy God (Romans 3:23), unable to save themselves (Isaiah 64:6) and therefore worthy of His condemnation (Romans 6:23). Because Adam and Eve broke God’s law (Genesis 3:6-7), and because all of their descendants (with the exception of Jesus Christ) have also broken His law (James 2:10), human beings deserve to be punished. As a perfect Judge, God’s judgment for sin is death- both physical (Genesis 3:3) and spiritual (Romans 5:12-19). Scripture teaches that men and women are not only sinners through their actions (1st John 1:8,10) but also because they inherited a sin nature from Adam and Eve (Psalm 51:5; 5:12-19).
In light of Scripture emphasis on sin, it’s disheartening to watch contemporary Christians purposefully deemphasize the subject. Rather than addressing man’s true need (to be forgiven), too many modern evangelists focus on the felt needs of their audience. In the end, God is misrepresented as a loving grandfather rather than a holy Judge, and the listeners are given false expectations about the wonderful life Jesus has planned for them. Any new “converts” spend the rest of their Christian lives trying to meet their own felt needs and never deal with the sin in their lives- choosing instead to ignore it or redefine it as “honest mistakes” or “unhealed wounds.” In contrast, the discerning Christian is all-too-familiar with his own sinfulness, having cried out to God for God’s mercy and daily battling the flesh (Romans 7:13-8:4).
If you have a biblical view of sin, you will have a right view of yourself. Isaiah cried out “Woe is me!” (Isa. 6:4) or the publican who pleased, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13), those who recognize their sinfulness before a holy God realize how wretched and unimportant they really are. With this in mind, the apostle Paul commands his readers not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think (Romans 12:3). Instead following the example of Christ they should regard others with “humility,” putting the wishes of their neighbor above their own (Phil 2:3-4). Past success and achievements are deemed as worthless compared to knowing and serving the Savior (Phil 3:7-8).
For the Christian, self-esteem is replaced with self-denial. After all, “we “have been crucified with Christ,” meaning that we no longer live, but rather Christ lives in us (Gal 2:20). The Lord Himself instructs us along these lines saying: “If anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Clearly, then this attitude of self-denial is intimately tied to the gospel, since we can do nothing, in and of ourselves, to earn salvation (Eph 2:8-9). In embracing Christ’s work on our behalf, we abandon any form of self-sufficiency, choosing instead to thank God that He has chosen us- the weak, the foolish and the unimportant (1 Cor 1:26-29).
In an age where self-esteem and self-promotion are prelevant it’s not surprising to find many in the church who have embraced their own self-worth. This problem is only compounded by the fact that sin is emphasized, leading many pew-sitters to overestimate their own inherent goodness. God’s holiness, of course, is also overlooked, resulting in Christians who have a high view of themselves and a low view of their Creator. The messages they hear and the books they read are evaluated by their own man-made standards- in terms of felt needs and innovative programs. Because of their diminished reverence for God, they do not look to Him for His approval. As a result they fail to cultivate true discernment in their lives.
Having underestimates in and having overestimated themselves, these same Christians fail to properly understand salvation. In some cases they begin to view salvation as nothing more than heavenly fire insurance- as though God is obligated to save them without any repentance on their part. Others misunderstand grace, including cults who teach works-righteousness is added to the free gift of salvation. Key concepts, such as justification and imputation (Christ takes our sin, and we take His righteousness) are sometimes misunderstood or redefined (as with the New Perspective on Paul). There are even some, such as Seventh-Day Adventists, who claim Christ’s atonement on the cross was not His final work of atonement- despite verses such as Hebrews 7:27 and 1st Peter 3:18.
What is the biblical plan of salvation from sin? The apostle Paul answers this question in Romans 10:9-10 when he says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” He reiterates this truth in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
Thus the call of salvation is a call to believe in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and to publically submit (“confess”) oneself to him as Lord (thereby repenting from sin). Of course, this is a gift of grace and not of human effort or merit (Eph 2:8-10). It also involves other theological truths- such as regeneration (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5), election (Romans 8:28-30; Eph 1:4-11; 22 Thess 2:13), sanctification (Acts 20:32; 1 Cor 1:2, 30; Eph 6:11; Hebrews 10:10, 14), and eternal security (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:31-39). The heart of the Gospel is this: By dying on the cross, Jesus too the penalty for all who believe in Him. By trusting in Him the believer is seen as righteous (or justified) in the sight of God.
Thinking rightly about the gospel is something that God takes very seriously. Scripture severely condemns those who preach another gospel as false teachers (Gal 1:8). Christians would do well, then, to arm themselves with the true gospel- one that maintains a biblical view of sin, self and salvation. Only then will we be able to fulfill the Great Commission with which we have been tasked (Matthew 28:18-20).; and only then will we be able to discern the message of life from any counterfeits. False gospels cannot be tolerated because eternity is at stake.
Mountains and Molehills
Are there other hills that Christians should die on? It depends on the circumstance and the individuals involved. Questions about end times, about the church and about other areas of theology are important. Why focus on the Bible, God and the gospel? The new Testament portrays an accurate understanding of these three doctrines as essential.
Peter discusses all three in the first two verses of his second epistle- an epistle that spends its time refuting false teaching. He begins with a right view of salvation (faith by the righteousness of Jesus Christ). He moves on to a right view of Jesus Christ (as “Our God and Savior” and “our Lord”). He mentions a right view o the Scriptures (“the knowledge of God”) a subject he unpacks in the rest of chapter 1. Other new testament writers agree, responding to false gospels (Gal 1:6-7; 2 Cor 11:4) false Christ’s (1 John 2:22; 2 John 7), and mishandled Scripture (2 Peter 3:16) with the harshest of criticisms (Matthew 24:24; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Jude 4-19). Because Christ and the apostles took a firm stand on these issues, we should be careful to do the same.
We should also take note of those issues that Scripture does not lists as hills to die on. Preference issues such as the length of a sermon, the style of music use in corporate worship, the church’s building program, and other pet grievances are not issues on which we should refuse to budge. Although we live in a day when everyone demeans his or her personal rights, opinions and choices, our testimony as Christians should be different, seeking to give preferential treatment to our brothers and sisters in Christ (Phil 2:1-4).
Conclusion
When it comes to developing a doctrinal framework for discernment it cannot be overstated enough about the importance of a theological grid through which every message is filtered. Without sound doctrine you will not be able to protect your own heart from the doctrinal errors that exist today. By looking to the Scriptures (as your ultimate authority) for a right view of God and a right view of the gospel, you can safeguard your mind- “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
Good theology that comes from God’s Word not apart from it allows one to discern between what is right and what is right. The clear teaching lifts high the holiness of God, which stands for the Truth. It is most important that Christians be faithful to Go. If you want to be faithful to God then stand on God’s Word which dictate the issues that Christians should fight for and the hills we should die on.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Dave
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103
Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Servantsofgrace
Twitter:http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ
Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace
Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastorDaveBlog
The role of discernment in spiritual growth
Discernment is a word that many Christians today need to get a better hold of. What exactly is discernment? How does discernment relate to spiritual growth? These are some of the questions which I will discuss in this three part blog series on discernment.
1st Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, “Test everything hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” Testing everything is a call to discernment. In the context of very basic Christian commands Paul says that it discernment is crucial to the effective Christian life.
Many people view discernment in the wrong way. Some Christians think discernment is just the pastor’s job as he watches the flock. This would be partially correct as most of the calls to discernment in the New Testament are issued to church leaders (1 Tim 4:6-7, 13, 16; Titus 1:9). Every Pastor is required to be skilled in teaching the truth of God’s Word and able to refute unsound doctrine. Discernment however is not only the duty of pastors and elders. The same careful discernment Paul demanded of pastors and elders is the duty of every Christian. First Thessalonians 5:21 is written to the entire church to examine everything carefully.”
The Greek literally reads in 1st Thessalonians 5:21, “examine everything.” The idea conveyed by the word “carefully” is included in the Greek word translated “examine,” dokimazo. Elsewhere in the New Testament this word is translated “analyze,” “test,” or “prove”. This word refers to the process of testing something to reveal its genuineness, such as in the testing of precious metals. Paul wanted believes to scrutinize everything they hear to see that it is genuine, to distinguish between the true and the false, to separate the good from the evil. In other words Paul wants them to examine everything critically. The discernment that Paul is calling for in 1st Thessalonians 5:21 is a doctrinal discernment.
Often Christians are told not to judge. After all, they reason Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “To not judge.” Was Jesus forbidding Christians from judging what is taught in His name? What Jesus condemned was the hypocritical judgment of those who held others to a higher standard than they themselves were willing to live by. Elsewhere in Scripture we are forbidden to judge others motives or attitudes. We are not able to discern “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Only God can judge the heart because only God can see it (1 Sam 16:7). He alone knows the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21). He alone can weight the motives (Psalm 16:2). He alone according to Romans 2:16 will judge the secrets of men’s hearts through Christ Jesus.”
The Scriptures make it clear that hypocritical judging and judging others thoughts and motives is not what Christians are to do. Throughout Scripture the people of God are urged to judge between truth and error, right and wrong, good and devil. Jesus in John 7:24 said, “Judge with right judgment”. Paul wrote to the Corinthians believers in 1st Corinthians 10:15, “I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. God requires Christians to be discriminating when it comes to matters of sound doctrine.
Christians are to judge one another with regard to acts of sin. 1st Corinthians 5:12-13. This speaks of the same process of discipline outline by Jesus Himself in Matthew 18:15-20.
Most importantly every Christian should examine themselves to see if they have judged rightly according to 1st Corinthians 11:31, “if we judged ourselves truly, we ourselves would not be judged.” This calls for the believer to search their own hearts. Paul calls for this self-examination every time believers partake of the Lord ’s Supper (1st Corinthians 11:28). The discernment Christians are called to engage in is doctrinal discernment.
The testing of truth that Paul calls for is not merely an academic exercise. It demands an active two fold response. First there is a positive response to whatever is biblical: “Hold fast what is good” (1st Thess. 5:21). This echoes Romans 12:9, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast what is good.” The expressions hold fast or cling to speak of jealously safeguarding the truth. Paul is calling for the same kind of watchfulness that he demanded of Timothy every time he wrote him (1st Timothy 6:20; 2nd Timothy 1:13-14). The truth is given into our custody and we are charged with guarding it against every possibly threat.
This describes a militant, defensive, protective stance against anything that undermines the truth or does violence to it in any way. We must hold the truth securely, defend it zealously, and preserve it from all threats. To placate the enemies of truth or lower our guard is to violate this command.
“Hold fast also carries the idea of embracing something. It goes beyond just that which is good and speaks of loving the truth with all of one’s strength. Those who are truly discerning are passionately committed to sound doctrine, to truth, and to all that is inspired by God.
Every Christian should have this attitude of discernment. Paul defined salvation as loving the truth (2nd Thess. 2:10), and he told the Corinthians they proved their salvation by holding fast to the gospel he delivered (1 Cor 15:2). Those who fail to hold fast to the saving message of Christ are those who have believed in vain; that is, their faith was empty to begin with. The apostle John in 1st John 2:19 said, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they are not all of us.” All true believers hold fast to the gospel.
Paul was urging the Thessalonians to nurture and cultivate their love for truth and let it rule their thinking. He wanted them to cultivate a conscious commitment to all truth, faithfulness to sound doctrine and a pattern of holding fast to all that is good.
This attitude this calls for is incompatible with the suggestion that we should lay doctrine aside for the sake of unity. It cannot be reconciled with the opinion that hard truths should be downplayed to make God’s Word more palatable for unbelievers. It is contrary to the notion that personal experience takes precedence over objective truth. God has given us His Truth objectively in His Word. It is a treasure that we should protect at all costs.
This is the opposite of undiscerning faith. Paul leaves no room for rote tradition. He makes no place for a blind, irrational faith that refuses to consider the authenticity of its object and just accepts at ace value everything that claims to be true. He rules out the kind of faith that is driven by feelings, emotion, and the human imagination. Instead we are to identify “what is good” by examining everything carefully, objectively, rationally using Scripture as our standard.
No human teacher, no personal experience, no strong feeling is exempt from this objective test. Experience and feelings- no mater how powerful- do not determine what is true. Rather, those things themselves must be subjected to the test.
“That which is good” is truth that accords with the Word of God. The word “good is kalos, meaning something that is good. It isn’t just something that is nice to take in or behold. It speaks of something good in itself- genuine, true, noble, right and good. It does not refer to satisfying the flesh. It refers to that which is good, true, accurate, authentic, dependable- that which is in agreement with the infallible Word of God.
The other side of Paul’s command is a negative response to evil: “Abstain from every form of evil’” (1 Thess. 5:21). The word abstain is a very strong word meaning to hold oneself back, keep way from, or shun. It is the same word used in 1st Thessalonians 4:3, “abstain from sexual immorality,” and 1st Peter 2:11, “abstain from the passions of the flesh.” It calls for a radical separation from “every form of evil.” This includes s evil behavior. In this context it is speaking to evil teaching- false doctrine. When you find something that does not line up to the Word of God- something that is untrue, erroneous, or contrary to the Word of God- shun it.
Scripture does not give believers permission to expose themselves to evil. Some people believe the only way to defend against false doctrine is to study it, become proficient in it, and master all its nuances- then refute it. The problem is when one immerses themselves in false doctrine they will become influenced by it. Some Christians immerse themselves in the philosophy, entertainment and culture of society. They feel such a strategy will strengthen their witness to unbelievers. Our focus as Christians should be on knowing the truth. Error is to be shunned!
Believers cannot recede into a monastic existence to escape exposure to every evil influence. Neither are we supposed to be experts about evil. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil” (Romans 16:19).
A secret service agent does not need to study counterfeit money in order to spot it. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing. Then when they find bogus money they recognize it. Detecting spiritual counterfeits requires the same discipline. Master the truth to refute the error. Study truth. Hold fast to the faithful Word. Then you will be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it (Titus 1:8_. Paul wrote, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Paul also rules out syncretism. Syncretism is the practice of blending ideas from different religions and philosophies. Many people I have witnessed to over the years have said, “I believe in Christianity plus I believe in this philosophy.” This is the wrong idea! It’s not whatever we believe that matters its what the truth is and what the Truth isn’t.
The only proper response to false teaching is to shun it. Erroneous doctrine is not a place to look for the truth. Satan is subtle. He often sabotages the truth by mixing it with error. Truth mixed with error is far more effective and more destructive than a straightforward contradiction o the truth.
Believers we should use discernment with regard to what we listen to on Christian radio and television. If you do not use discernment then you are a prime target for doctrinal deception. If you think everyone who appears to love the truth really does, then you don’t understand the wiles of Satan. 2nd Corinthians 11:14-15, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is not surprise if his servants, also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”
Satan also disguises his lies as truth. He doesn’t always wage war openly against the gospel. He is much more likely to attack the church by infiltrating with subtle error. He uses the Trojan horse stratagem by placing false teachers in the church where they can “secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2nd Peter 2:1). He puts his lies in the mouth of someone who claims to speak for Jesus Christ- someone likable and appealing; then he spreads his perverse lies in the church where they can draw away Christ’s disciples (Acts 20:30). He attaches Bible verses to his lies (Matthew 4:6). He uses deception and hypocrisy. He disguises falsehood as truth. He loves syncretism. It makes evil look good.
That’s why Christians are to examine everything carefully and shun whatever is unsound, corrupt or erroneous. It is deadly. Millions in the church today are being overwhelmed by the Trojan-horse ploy calling for the integration of secular ideas with biblical truth. Others are being duped by anything labeled Christian. They don’t examine everything. They don’t hold fast to the truth. And they won’t shun evil. They are left vulnerable to false doctrine and have nondefense against theological confusion.
The apostle Paul’s clear teaching in 1st Thessalonians 5:21-22 cannot be avoided or ignored. As in the days of the early church, doctrinal error is all around us. Dr. Mohler said, “The tragedy that evangelicals have lost the art of biblical discernment must be traced to a disastrous loss of biblical knowledge. Discernment cannot survive without doctrine.” God gave us His Word so we would have a measuring stick by which to examine every spiritual or theological message we encounter.
In this series of three posts on discernment you will learn how to be discerning. The goal in doing so is not be unloving but rather to preserve that which is “first pure, then peaceable” (James 3:17). In fact, Scripture makes it clear that this type of examination is inherently loving, as God’s people are called to think biblically and exercise discernment. To do anything less will only result in spiritual anemia (Hosea 4:7).
The role of discernment in spiritual growth is clear. If one is not discerning then they will be lead astray by false doctrine. In today’s Church many people think that doctrine does not matter, but in fact it’s the opposite. Doctrine that comes from God’s Word matters supremely because God gave His Word to His people, so they would know His Son. This makes God’s Word supremely important to study, meditate, learn and grow in. Discernment is tied to spiritual growth because without discernment one cannot grow to be like Christ which is the goal for spiritual growth.
My prayer for you in this series is that as you encounter doctrinal teaching that you will be like the Bereans who were more noble because they were” examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
Bibliography
Albert Mohler, “The Shack, the Mission Art of Evangelical Discernment”, 27 Jan 2010, accessed 27 Jan 2010. http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/01/27/the-shack-the-missing-art-of-evangelical-discernment/
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Dave
Here is where you can find me online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103
Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nampa-ID/Servantsofgrace/53445848164
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ
Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace