From Believing to Living: Putting God's Word into Practice

Believing Is the Beginning

The foundation of the Christian faith is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

This is not simply a philosophy or a set of principles for improving our lives. It is the good news of what Christ has done for us.

We are saved by God's grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8–9). But does our learning stop when we believe the gospel? What happens after we have believed?

God's Word has much to say about how we think, how we respond to circumstances, and how we live.

Let's look at Philippians 4:6–9.

1. Bring Our Concerns to God — Philippians 4:6

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

We may know this verse by heart, but knowing the words and putting them into practice are two different things.

When trouble comes, our first response may be worry. Paul directs us instead to prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

We are not promised that every situation will turn out the way we want. We are instructed to bring our concerns to God.

The question is not simply whether we know what the verse says, but whether we remember its instruction when we need it.

2. Trust God's Provision of Peace — Philippians 4:7

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Paul follows his instruction about prayer with a statement about the peace of God.

Notice that he speaks of our hearts and minds. God's peace is not dependent upon our understanding every circumstance or knowing how everything will turn out.

We can believe that God hears us and still struggle with worry. But as we learn to take His Word seriously, we have a truth to return to when our thoughts begin to trouble us.

The more familiar we become with what God has said, the more readily we can bring His truth to mind when we need it.

3. Give Attention to What Is Right — Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What occupies our minds matters.

We can spend our time dwelling on disappointment, fear, and things we cannot change. Paul reminds us to direct our thoughts toward things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.

This does not mean pretending that difficulties do not exist. It means learning to consider them in the light of what is true rather than allowing our thoughts to be governed by fear or discouragement.

We may know these words intellectually, but the challenge is to remember them when our minds are occupied with other things.

4. Put What We Have Learned into Practice — Philippians 4:9

"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

Here Paul brings his instruction to a practical conclusion.

He speaks of things the believers had learned, received, heard, and seen in his example. Then he gives them a direct instruction: "do not for salvation of course, but  for your grounding of your faith in Christ.

It is possible to accumulate Bible knowledge without allowing it to influence our conduct. We can know what a passage says without considering how its truth should affect our decisions.

Learning God's Word involves more than remembering the words. We need to understand what He has said and recognize how that truth applies to our lives.

Then comes the opportunity to put it into practice.

From Knowing to Doing

Consider the progression in these verses:

• Verse 6: We learn to bring our concerns to God in prayer.

• Verse 7: We look to the peace of God to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

• Verse 8: We give attention to things that are worthy of our thoughts.

• Verse 9: We practice what we have learned and received.

These verses remind us that learning and living are connected.

This does not mean we earn God's favor through our behavior. Our salvation rests upon what Christ has done, not upon our ability to live perfectly. Rather, we are learning to live in light of Him whom we have believed.

Keep Learning, Keep Growing

There is a difference between knowing what the Bible says and allowing its truth to guide our thinking and conduct.

We should continue to study God's Word, examine what we believe, and be willing to correct our understanding when the Scriptures show us that we are mistaken.

And there is value in sharing what we have learned. Explaining a passage to someone else often makes us examine it more carefully and recognize what we understand and what we still need to study.

The goal is not merely to know more Bible verses or to become better at explaining them. It is to understand God's Word and live in accordance with what He has revealed.

We cannot earn salvation by our works, but the truth we believe should matter in the way we live.

The question is not only, "What have I learned from God's Word?" It is also, "What am I doing with what I have learned?"

If you want to know what God says read the Bible. If you want to hear what God says read the Bible out loud.

You only get two educations the one you're given and the one you give yourself. 

Smartest Way to Study My Bible

 

 

Confess Your Faults One to Another

James 5:16 says:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I've always found the wording of this verse interesting, particularly the word “faults.”

Some newer translations use the word “sins” here. I understand why they do that, because the Greek word can refer to wrongdoing or transgression. But “faults” makes me think about something broader than simply confessing sins.

We all have weaknesses.

There may be things about ourselves that we struggle with but wouldn't necessarily call sinful. Perhaps we're easily discouraged, have difficulty speaking in front of people, struggle with anger, have trouble asking for help, or simply have an area of life where we know we need encouragement.

James says to “confess your faults one to another.”

Notice that he doesn't say to announce everything to everybody.

There is a difference between honest admission to a trustworthy person and putting your private life on public display.

If I stood up in front of a group and announced every sin and failure I've ever committed, I'm not sure I would come away feeling “healed.” I might come away looking for a new church! 😊

But telling a trustworthy brother or sister, “This is something I struggle with; pray for me,” is a different matter.

The purpose James gives is important:

“and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

The goal isn't embarrassment.
The goal isn't condemnation.
The goal isn't giving people something to gossip about.

The goal is prayer and restoration.

This reminds me of Galatians 6:2:

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Sometimes simply admitting that we have a burden allows someone else to help us carry it.

I also think there is something freeing about realizing that we don't have to pretend to be strong all the time. Being honest about a weakness doesn't necessarily mean that we have failed God. Sometimes it simply means that we're human and need some help.

Of course, we should be wise about whom we trust with personal matters. Not everybody needs to know everything about us. James says “one to another,” and that suggests a relationship where there is enough trust to pray for one another rather than judge one another.

Perhaps that's one reason I appreciate the KJV wording here.

“Confess your faults one to another.”

Not everything needs to be shouted from the housetop.

Sometimes it just needs to be shared quietly with someone you trust, followed by a simple request:

“Pray for me.”

And perhaps that is where healing begins.

 

The Word of God Endureth For Ever

There is a simple truth found throughout Scripture that is easy to overlook: God's Word does not change, fade away, or pass away.

Peter writes:

“The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”
— 1 Peter 1:25, KJV

Peter was quoting from Isaiah:

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
— Isaiah 40:8, KJV

What a contrast. Grass withers. Flowers fade. Things we see around us are temporary. But God's Word stands for ever.

The Psalmist expressed the same truth:

“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
— Psalm 119:89, KJV

And again:

“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
— Psalm 119:160, KJV

Then we come to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
— Matthew 24:35, KJV

Peter had just said:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
— 1 Peter 1:23, KJV

Notice the words Peter uses: incorruptible, liveth, abideth, endureth.

The world around us changes. People change. Circumstances change. But the Word of God remains.

From Isaiah to the Psalms, from the words of Christ to Peter's epistle, we find the same testimony:

“The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”

That is something we can stand on.

Not By Works Of Righteousness Which We Have Done! Titus 3:5

 

Medley: Only Jesus And Calvary's Love

 

Letting Scripture Connect the Dots

One of the interesting things about reading the Bible straight through is discovering how often the New Testament reaches back into the Old Testament.

Sometimes you read an Old Testament story and think, “I wonder if there is more to this than what I'm seeing?”

That can be a good question.

But there is also a danger.

We can see a detail in an Old Testament story and decide what we think it represents. Before long, we can have an interpretation that sounds good but isn't actually supported by Scripture.

Paul gives us an important example.

In Galatians 4, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar to explain the difference between the two covenants. He says:

“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants...”
— Galatians 4:24

Paul was inspired by God when he made that connection. We aren't.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't look for connections. It means we should be careful about who is doing the connecting.

Look for the Bible's breadcrumbs

Take Balaam.

If we only read Numbers 22–24, we might wonder why Balaam's later reputation is so bad. He couldn't curse Israel. In fact, he blessed them.

Then later Scripture begins filling in the missing pieces.

Jude says Balaam ran greedily after error “for reward.”

Peter says he “loved the wages of unrighteousness.”

Revelation refers to “the doctrine of Balaam.”

And Numbers 31 tells us that Balaam's counsel was involved in Israel's sin at Peor.

Now we have something more than our own theory.

Scripture has connected the dots for us.

The prophets were looking forward

Peter gives us another important clue when he writes about the prophets:

“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify...”
— 1 Peter 1:11

The prophets were writing under the inspiration of the Spirit, yet they were also searching to understand what God was revealing through them.

Then the New Testament comes along and gives us information that helps us understand what they were looking toward.

Paul does the same thing with things written “aforetime.”

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning...”
— Romans 15:4

And then he tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition...”

There is a pattern here.

We read the history.

We notice what happened.

We may have questions.

Then we look to see whether Jesus, Peter, Paul, Jude, or another inspired writer gives us more information.

If they do, we have a biblical connection.

If they don't, perhaps the safest thing to say is simply:

The passage says what it says.

A question is not a doctrine

I've been reminded of something while reading through the Old Testament.

There is nothing wrong with saying:

“Could this be connected to something later?”

The problem comes when we change “could” into “is” without Scripture giving us the evidence.

A Bible study doesn't have to answer every question immediately.

Sometimes the best note in the margin is simply:

“Check this later.”

Then keep reading.

You might find the answer in the next chapter—or you might find it in something Paul wrote years later.

And if you don't find it?

That's okay too.

We don't have to make Scripture say something just because we think it ought to say it.

The safest path is to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Look for the breadcrumbs—but let God put them there.