April 27, 2017 KEEPING IT SIMPLE
1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
With the world at our finger tips, with the immense amount of information available to us, we may find ourselves overwhelmed or even confused as to what really matters and we may wonder what effect our life has on the grand scheme of things. One other potential downside of having seemingly unending information available 24/7 is that we can become callus and get to a place where we are ‘un-impressionable’ with what we do hear or read. With that observation, let us move on to the good news. One amazing thing about God’s word is that it keeps us focused on what is true and accurate, keeps our thinking clear, and is easily understood-it is beautifully simplistic. Even believers may lose sight of the core message of the gospel. From the verse above, one obvious point is that we need the ‘instruction’ of the word; having a heart to know God and a heart to obey His word is essential if we are to be spiritually healthy. One of the primary works of God in us is to purify our hearts-actually He gives us a new heart-that is the ultimate purifying work He does. God does give us a new heart, but we are called to keep our hearts pure, as we are instructed in 2 Corinthians 7:1:“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Only as we learn of God and experience Him personally, can we love others from a pure heart. Human love fails and is incomplete, but the love of God that flows from a pure heart never fails. When we live out of our new heart, a heart that is pure, we will do what is right in the sight of God, and as a result, we will have a good conscience. When we are instructed by the word of God, we will gain a ‘sincere’ faith; a faith that comes from knowing that God is who He says He is. As we are instructed by the word of God, we will experience the love of God personally, our hearts will be purified, our conscience will no longer condemn us but will be good, and our faith will not be in word only, but will be sincere. The simple message for us, the application of this scripture, is that we make the decision to place ourselves under the instruction of God’s word. To be instructed by the word of God means that we must read, study, and meditate on the scriptures, AND do what we read. There is no substitute to this process; and most importantly, listening to a minister’s sermon thirty minutes each week is not a valid substitute. Is it your heart, is it my heart to be instructed by the word, and to be adjusted by the word of God? Being instructed by His word and obeying the word is the key to life.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Blessings,
Buddy
1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
With the world at our finger tips, with the immense amount of information available to us, we may find ourselves overwhelmed or even confused as to what really matters and we may wonder what effect our life has on the grand scheme of things. One other potential downside of having seemingly unending information available 24/7 is that we can become callus and get to a place where we are ‘un-impressionable’ with what we do hear or read. With that observation, let us move on to the good news. One amazing thing about God’s word is that it keeps us focused on what is true and accurate, keeps our thinking clear, and is easily understood-it is beautifully simplistic. Even believers may lose sight of the core message of the gospel. From the verse above, one obvious point is that we need the ‘instruction’ of the word; having a heart to know God and a heart to obey His word is essential if we are to be spiritually healthy. One of the primary works of God in us is to purify our hearts-actually He gives us a new heart-that is the ultimate purifying work He does. God does give us a new heart, but we are called to keep our hearts pure, as we are instructed in 2 Corinthians 7:1:“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Only as we learn of God and experience Him personally, can we love others from a pure heart. Human love fails and is incomplete, but the love of God that flows from a pure heart never fails. When we live out of our new heart, a heart that is pure, we will do what is right in the sight of God, and as a result, we will have a good conscience. When we are instructed by the word of God, we will gain a ‘sincere’ faith; a faith that comes from knowing that God is who He says He is. As we are instructed by the word of God, we will experience the love of God personally, our hearts will be purified, our conscience will no longer condemn us but will be good, and our faith will not be in word only, but will be sincere. The simple message for us, the application of this scripture, is that we make the decision to place ourselves under the instruction of God’s word. To be instructed by the word of God means that we must read, study, and meditate on the scriptures, AND do what we read. There is no substitute to this process; and most importantly, listening to a minister’s sermon thirty minutes each week is not a valid substitute. Is it your heart, is it my heart to be instructed by the word, and to be adjusted by the word of God? Being instructed by His word and obeying the word is the key to life.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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