You can really ever know the Scriptures until you are willing to be changed by them.” —Christian Brother Yun
To know God, particularly through His word, is never simply a mental exercise, an academic endeavor. Theological libraries are strewn with books about God by men who never really knew God. Often it has been my experience that the church janitor may know God better than the pastor. Sad to say, but true.
Paul, the mighty Apostle and truly a man of God by all standards still prayed,
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death ….” (Philippians 3:10)
Change was still not just possible, but desired. So. It must be with us. All the book learning in the world will never draw us any closer to God than our willingness to change for the better. To know, and to do, are two different things.
James reminds us that we are to be “doers” and not just “hearers” of the word. (James 1:22) Many a man has fallen prey to the evil desires of another, simply because they heard the word, but failed to obey it. There is a world of difference between the two. It is, however, a matter of life and death to not just hear, but to do.
God’s word is doable, too. He even makes it easy for us. Paul tells us that God works in us, to give us the desire and the power to do his good pleasure. Then it is up to us. The desire is there, so is the power. Therefore, we are without excuse.
The solid facts are, however, that God tempts no one (James 1:13); yet, the tendency is to blame God for the decadence we find in ourselves and in others. The litany of feeble excuses is endless: “Poor little Joey. He grew up to be a criminal because his mommy and daddy worked two jobs just to keep food on the table.”
No, poor little Joey turned out bad because somewhere along the line he decided to disregard what his Sunday school teacher taught him, and to go his own way. Joey was a hearer, not a doer.
Or, “Sweet little Mary, next door. She never had a chance, even though mom and dad did everything they could to keep her on the straight and narrow. She just fell in with the wrong crowd at school, and the rest is history. If only her parents had chosen a good Christian academy for her to attend. Think of the difference that would have made!”
Again, no, little sweet Mary decided somewhere along the line that she would be a hearer and not a doer. For sure, then the rest is history.
There’s an old proverb—and, no, it is not in the Bible—that every tub must sit on its own bottom; meaning, of course, that each of us is responsible for our welfare. The surge of feeling at the New Birth is eventually empty, and unless; and until, we do something about reforming the old character that has developed over the years, we will continue to have problems.
Peace is not simply the absence of any discomforts we may perceive or have, it comes when we are on the road to recovery. The joy is in the journey. But no journey is a decent journey without progress in our inner life. The journey is within; not without. God’s Kingdom is within; there’s were the real progress is made. And, to progress we must follow the road map along the way.
So, we might say that to know, or to hear, may be a good start, but it is never the finish. To finish we may plod on at times, skip with joy at others, but whatever the case progress comes only when we not only hear but do.
Whether or not it is the Scriptures or the inner small voice that speaks to us, that is never enough. The child of God must act.
Prayerfully yours for the journey ahead,
JimR/
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