Title: Purpose-driven life (24) To the truth...
Contents
Purpose-Driven Life(24) Changes Caused by Truth
Text: Matthew 4:4/Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
No, I will live by every word that proceeds
The Word of Truth transforms us. Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth. To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with His Word. The Word of God is the most important spiritual nourishment we need to accomplish our purpose. Jesus describes being supplied with the Word of God as 'abiding' (John 8:31). The Bible is not just a doctrinal guide; it breathes life, makes a difference, makes demons tremble, heals wounds and builds character. It is the ability to shape and secure our eternal future. We cannot live without the Word of God. Abiding in God's Word involves three commitments we must make every day. In order to become a healthy disciple of Jesus, we must first receive the word of God, and we will look at three principles for that.
1. We must acknowledge the authority of the Word.
1) Most of us make a lot of mistakes because we base our decisions on things we can't trust.
Most of us depend on culture (because everyone does), tradition (because we've always done it), reason (because it's logical), or emotion (because it feels right), all four of which are absolute because they're ruined by the fall of man. These are the things you can't rely on.
2) The Bible should be a compass for direction setting, a counselor for making wise decisions, and a necessary standard for evaluating everything.
The Bible should always be the first and last thing we consider in our lives. The Word is the perfect standard for everything, so it never leads us astray.
(2 Timothy 3:16) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
When we make decisions about anything, we ask, “What does the Bible say?” should ask. When God says something, even if it doesn't make sense or you don't want to do it, you have to believe in God's word and make up your mind to do it.
2. Five ways to make the truth mine
1) We must accept and acknowledge the Word with an open mind.
If our heart is a closed heart (hard ground), a superficial heart with only the appearance (shallow ground), and a confused heart (a land of thorns), we cannot accept the Word.
2) You should read the Bible every day.
You cannot expect spiritual growth by watching TV for 3 hours and reading the Bible for 3 minutes. If we read the Bible every day, we stay within the reach of God's voice. In order for our bodies to live, we must have air, eat food, drink water, and sleep. This is a law and is common to life with a body. Likewise, a person's soul must eat the Word of God. That's the law. Man has a soul. Christians have a spiritual life directly connected with God. It is a life born again through the Word. (1 Peter 1:23) Blessed are those who regularly eat spiritual food as we eat three times a day. “He is a man who rejoices in his law...and meditates day and night...” The prophet Jeremiah said, “Your word has been obtained and I have eaten it; your word is to me joy and the joy of my heart...” (Jeremiah) 15:16). (Matthew 4:4) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
3) You must study and study the Bible.
The secret of Bible study is to keep a record of writing down your thoughts while closely observing through questions such as who, what, when, where, why, how, etc. in the text to be studied.
4) You must memorize the Bible so that you can remember it.
If you memorize the Word, you will overcome temptation, make wise decisions, reduce stress, and experience amazing answers to prayers through the memorized Word.
5) Meditate on the Bible.
If you choose a verse to meditate on and keep thinking, pondering, and focusing on that verse, you can live according to the guidance of the Word.
3. Apply God's principles in your life.
1) We must become doers of the Word.
This stage is the most difficult because Satan persistently interferes. Application is difficult and sometimes even painful, but without application, all Bible study is meaningless. God's blessing comes when we obey the truth.
(Matthew 7:24) Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
2) In order to apply it well, you should read, study, and meditate on the Word and then write down the parts you want to act on in detail.
We humans seek God without realizing it when we are in a hurry. This is called the instinct to return to God. I've never seen anyone look for a monkey in a hurry. This is the evidence that we are God's created children. Therefore, we must equip ourselves with food for the soul, weapons for the soul, a lamp for the soul, and the Word of God, which is the measure of the soul. Through the Bible, we can know who we are, why we humans need to be saved, and we can know the way to the kingdom of heaven. The Word of God is the true and unique textbook of the soul, the true textbook of life. I hope that your life will be victorious in a world of darkness and chaos by possessing this spiritual guide, the Bible, as a true textbook for life.
As Goethe said, "It is not where we are now that matters, but where we are heading." Orientation is an issue. In the past, precise goals mattered, but now direction matters. If you're going towards a goal, you can't go in any direction. Now, direction is also an important task. The Bible and the church must do this. The key to directionality is identity. Lighthouse does just that. No matter how much the world changes, the identity of the lighthouse cannot change. The lighthouse doesn't stand anywhere, changing places from time to time. To function as a lighthouse, you must stand on a point that cannot be changed. The church is such a lighthouse. When the church becomes a beacon that clearly illuminates the truth, it is the hope of the world. The church should be a guide to the world, able to tell those who ask where is the way that this is the way. I hope that you will become a church like a lighthouse and a saint like a lighthouse that guides the world in the swamp of darkness and despair.
Day 24 / About the purpose of my life
Point to Ponder: The truth changes me.
Memorable Words: "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32)
Questions that leave life:
1. Among the things God has already said through the Bible, what am I not obeying?
2. When making a decision, what authority has been the most important to me so far?
The Bible is not a book for information, it is a book for change. D. L. Moody