GOD’S WORD – Our Life
A close Pastor friend of mine sat next to me during a church service that I attended just recently. The Pastor who was teaching the congregation had spoken for almost an hour when my friend looked straight at me and said:
“Ernest, I know that your critically active mind is at work, but I forbid you from making any comments”. We both perfectly understood ourselves and I held my peace.
What was the problem? Having read two passages from the Old Testament, he hardly made any reference to them in the course of his preaching, except for occasional emphases on some words in the passages. He talked for almost an hour while we patiently waited for him to teach God’s mind from the passages that he had earlier read from. That never was, as his stories and emphases were on how we can receive blessings from God!
What’s really happening these days? Why has the sincere milk of the Word purely and properly taught become scarce these days? Why have many Pastors-Teachers vested with the responsibility of diligently studying and faithfully teaching the eternal Word of God to Christians who gather under “their ministries” abandoned this sacred responsibility? Why have we suddenly decided to concentrate on ourselves and on our needs as an end or purpose of the Christian life, rather than on God? These are questions begging for answers.
As I watched my eleven-year-old daughter eat the lunch her mother had prepared for her with a glass of water beside her, I could not help thinking of the importance of the exercise she was engaged in. We are all designed to survive on food and water. I’ve heard of people go without food for days, weeks or even for months, but not indefinitely.
Nutritionists tell us that constant intake of balanced food/diet (foods rich in all the essential minerals and vitamins needed for proper body function), leads to a healthy and strong physical body. We learnt from elementary biology that the food we eat undergoes a process called metabolism before it can be made useful to our bodies. We are also told that metabolism involves two fundamental processes namely: catabolism and anabolism. While catabolism is the process of breaking down of food materials resulting in the release of nutrients needed for our physical functioning, anabolism results in the release of materials by the body to fight disease. Both of these processes are of utmost significance for our survival on earth.
This scientific truth from elementary Biology is no doubt analogous to what the Word of God is to our spiritual systems. As balanced food or diet is crucial to the proper functioning of our physical lives, so is correct Bible doctrine to proper spiritual development, functioning and life. As a matter of fact, the quality of our spiritual life here on earth (with direct implication for eternity), is directly proportional to the quality of Bible doctrine (God’s viewpoint) that is resident in our souls. Without a single doubt, everything about us is dependent on the Word of God. Just in case you are wondering what all of this mean, let’s think about it for a while.
Before we became Christians, it was the Word of God that we heard and responded to by believing. Without it therefore, none of us could have become Christians in the first place (Romans 10:17). And having become believers, the most single significant thing needed for a proper execution of our spiritual portfolio, is no doubt a persistent intake of God’s Word (Romans 12.2; Colossians 3.10; 2 Peter 3.18).
Make no mistake about it; the Christian life is designed to function on the knowledge that God has graciously provided in the Bible. Without correct scriptural knowledge, no believer can make any progress in his walk with the Lord. And certainly, advancement to spiritual maturity (which is the purpose of the Christian life) would be impossible.
Many of our spiritual lives have become terribly shallow just for the simple reason that sound Bible doctrine is lacking in our souls. Yet the teaching of God’s mind to believers remains the primary duty of every Pastor-Teacher.
Bible doctrine is the body of truths that reflects God’s mind on any issue. This body of truths can only be arrived at as the Pastor-Teacher diligently studies the Eternal Word. God’s Word diligently studied and faithfully taught by Pastors-Teachers, and based on the principles of systematic theology and “rightly dividing the word of truth” remains the most significant thing on planet earth. The hit-and-run method employed by many today only leads to a dead end.
Let me briefly emphasize the fact that it is one thing to be familiar with the mind of God, it is a different thing entirely to be positive towards it. For a proper and healthy spiritual development, the two must go together. Let me conclude this article by way of motivation, by drawing our attention to the absolutely significant nature of the Word.
1). The word of God is the only way by which we truly demonstrate our love to God (John 14.21; Philippians 3:10).
2). It is also the only way by which every believer can solve every problem related to the Christian life. Though prayers do solve some problems in some ways, prayers and any other means of grace for that matter, are not designed to solve problems. The only authentic problem-solving device in the Bible remains the Word of God.
3). In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty that we see around us, it is God’s Word resident in our souls that can produce sanity and stability needed for spiritual advancement (Romans 12.2-3).
4). God has designed us in such a way that it is only by means of His Word that Believers can advance towards spiritual maturity (2 Peter 3.18).
Therefore dearly beloved, the challenge before us is obvious. The Pastor-Teacher must understand the important nature his calling. He must prepare God’s people for a useful life here on earth. He must consistently give God’s spiritual diet rich in the Mind of Christ (and not necessarily human viewpoint and philosophy often coated with Bible passages) so that those who are positive toward the Word can advance towards spiritual maturity. The Pastor-Teacher must diligently study the Word under the principles of systematic theology and rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Anything short of this would mean that he has only succeeded in doing nothing.
For the rest of us, we must place very high premium on the Word as well. Since our lives will be evaluated on how much of the Word that we lived out, it is of utmost significance to develop a positive attitude towards it.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:11-13).
WE MUST LOVE THE WORD, STUDY IT AND LIVE BY IT.
Please direct all questions and comments (if any) to me:
To Your Spiritual Success
ERNEST OJIGHO
ernest@ernestad.com
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