 Obedience to Jesus Christ is the most difficult because it is the opposite of our sinful nature. And, obedience is difficult because we have to read the Bible to find out how Jesus wants us to live our daily lives. That takes work! Here are a few tips:
1. Study the Bible. Use the Bible to expose your own culture's false beliefs. Of course, your culture has some true beliefs because we are all fractured images of the Truth, Himself. We have to look into the face of Truth and into His Truth in the Bible to see what true culture is like. God's culture is the only one that is 100% true. How do you study the Bible? Here are a few simple rules: 1. Do a search and make a list of Bible references about your topic... and read through them. 2. Think about the principle that God is teaching. What does that look like in your life? 3. For difficult verses, make an accurate interpretation. What is the context of the verse you are reading? What does the whole Bible say about the subject? Much of the Bible is literal: it means just what it says. Some of the Bible is figurative. You can tell that from the context and from thinking about what the rest of the Bible says. 2. Be humble. Pray and read the Bible over each area of your life: family, job, church, relatives, forgiveness, neighbors, finances, entertainment, your dreams for the future. And, be open to letting mature believers into your thought process. Don't just believe what they say. But, listen to them, discuss, and search the Scriptures for yourself. The Holy Spirit will use the Bible to teach you, guide you and change your culture to be His culture... Kingdom culture. 3. Be intentional about applying the truth and changing your existing thinking and actions. This means: Take action. Make a plan and do it. For example, if you are a man in a job that you can't get out of because you have too much debt, but the job is taking you from your family, make a plan for paying off the debt. Make a plan to quit and find a different job that gives you time to lead and disciple your family. 4. Be brave and strong. Don't spend time trying to get people's approval because the only approval you need is God's. 5. Be kind to those who are not moving in the same direction as you are. You can be honest with them. But, if they won't follow your path, be kind and loving. It is not your job to change their thinking or behavior. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. 6. Read Proverbs. Wisdom is knowledge applied. The Holy Spirit will use His words to teach you and give you the clear mind to apply that truth. Here's one last tip! Look at each area of your life: How can I love God and love others? Look at your daughter. How can I parent her by loving God and loving her? What does that look like? What do you have to cut? What do you have to add? Which of your dreams or beliefs do you have to change so that you can love God and love your daughter? This question applies to each area of your life.
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 The Bible is a supernatural book because it is sourced from the infinite mind of God. When the Holy Spirit of God infuses the Bible's words with power, those words produce spiritual life in the reader. Life-giving! Peter says to 1st-century Christians, "you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." We're all born 100% spiritually dead and unable to connect with God on a spiritual level. Enter the Holy Spirit with the super-empowered Bible truths. Through a variety of broadcast means, ranging from radio to preaching to reading, the hearer receives spiritual life from the Holy Spirit empowered word of God. Paul writes to a group of believers that he knows God has "chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." When these people heard the gospel, it came in Holy Spirit power! In the mouth of the believer, the Bible is a super-powered book, not to be underestimated or neglected! Faith-producing The Bible is a fountain of faith! "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." True faith germinates from learning the truth, when that truth is taught by the Holy Spirit. How is this possible? The Holy Spirit lives inside of a believer and produces faith as the believer reads the Bible. Weapon Against Satanic Forces Jesus used the word of God as a weapon against Satan. In the mouth of a believer, the word of God is a powerful defense and offense against demons. Paul calls the Bible the sword of the Spirit and recommends we use it in spiritual warfare. Correcting Our Thinking Humans are born with humanistic, self-centered thought patterns. This way of viewing God, ourselves and the word around us is called our worldview. As we grow up, these false beliefs can be reinforced by our environment, education, parents, friends, and media. When we are made spiritually alive, these false thinking patterns remain. God tells us to use the Bible to dismantle these false philosophies. Your mind is a battleground because you automatically assume that all of your thinking is authentic and truthful! But, using the Bible as the measuring stick for truth, you will begin to see what you need to change. Knowing God's Will for Your Life How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." David in Psalm 119. In the hands of the Holy Spirit, the Bible brings conviction of sin, correction of thinking, and the power to change behavior. Sola Scriptura (Only Scripture) The Bible is God's blueprint for life. The Holy Spirit is the architect and engineer. A Christ-follower does not build his life on experiences, traditions, or advice, although those may be Bible-based and useful. No, a Christian builds his life on the truths of the Bible. The Holy Spirit teaches the Christian how to make right decisions for each life-situation, when he prayerfully searches the Bible for wisdom. Advice, prophecies, thoughts, spiritual revelations, desires, emotions, cultural values, and prior experiences all have to be tested and vetted by the Christian using the Bible alone. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17   "You can't tell people to trust God to provide economically for them if they live in extreme poverty!" was a recent sentiment that really got me thinking. Does God's road-map for marriage, family, finances, and repentance only work in places where people already live in wealth? Can God really be trusted to provide?
There are four major ideas to consider here: 1. It is always right to apply God's commandments and life principles, no matter what the outcome. When a person builds his life on the rock Christ and His word, his life will last for eternity. Being a Christ-follower is like having wedding vows: "For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health..." No matter what the outcome, it is always best to live out God's will for your marriage, family, finances, and free time. God can and should be trusted and His word should be obeyed in every area of your life. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 2. There are promises in the Bible. God promises to be there for you and you can trust Him. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. In a spiritual sense and in view of eternity with Christ, every bad thing that God allows to happen to His children here on Earth will work out for good. Sometimes, it will be in a long, prosperous life of ministry, and, other times, it will be a difficult journey and an early entrance into Heaven. I've seen Christians living in poverty, with some dying early of preventable diseases. I've also seen Christians living in financial stability and with good healthcare. As Job said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21b. What did Jesus say about trusting God for your food and housing? Jesus promised that you can trust God and went as far as to say for you to not even worry about it. Jesus modeled this during his three years of ministry. He depended entirely on the Father to provide for His food and housing, while doing His life God's way. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. What does Jesus specifically say about daily provision? Will God provide for someone He calls from a rich family? Will God provide for Christ-follower who lives in poverty? Yes! Emphatically, yes! Will that provision occasionally be an exit to Heaven, I think so. 3. Along with promises, the Bible teaches principles for living. God's principles for living generally produce positive, physical results. Some truths in the Bible are principles and some are also promises. If you apply God's commands for living with and sacrificially loving your spouse, you will usually have a good marriage. Also, if you obey God's commands for being ethical and diligent in your job, you'll usually be successful in your career. Likewise, if you obey God's principles for living debt free, being a cheerful giver, and being a wise spender, you'll usually see financial blessing in your house. David said, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25 4. As humans, we view physical health and finances as the proof for God's blessings, which is a false idea. In God's economy, poverty is sometimes the daily experience of a Christ-follower. The Bible speaks of some heroes of the faith as people who were "were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground." Hebrews 11:37-38. To sum up, YES, God can be trusted to provide for the Christ-follower who obeys the Bible. God promises to provide physically and spiritually. And, if a believer implements God's principles, he is likely to see physical success. The Love of Jesus is the source of true love. In Him we see sacrificial love, loving by serving others, and ultimately loving in laying down His life for His friends. We see in Him ultimate power as our Creator and God, yet because of His great love for His people, He was willing to love us first, to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. This is the ultimate in love, to redeem those who could not redeem themselves. In John 10, it speaks of Jesus as our Shepherd, calling us out by name, and His sheep following Him. It says He goes before us. Jesus didn’t stay in heaven while His sheep needed a Shepherd to lead them out to safety, to save them from their sin. He left the beauty of heaven, and came down to earth in obedience to His Father, and experienced this life as we do. He went before us. The picture of Him being our Shepherd is particularly poignant as a shepherd will stay with his sheep through the stormy weather, out in the pastures. That is exactly how Jesus loves us. In Hebrews 13:5, it says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” You may be experiencing a “stormy sea” as Jesus’ disciples were in John chapter 6, and yet this Saviour, Jesus, the Creator, has the power to calm the sea, because He spoke it into existence. His love is everlasting, complete, and whole. “Perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18 By Gina Swanson  |
