As recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told those around him to fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). Why then, as Christians that profess the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior and only hope for an eternal home in heaven, do we forsake the things that God has for us? In the past, I was no different; until I began to seriously study the Bible. Although I professed the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior in 1988, looking back, I did not fully comprehend what my faith actually meant. Yes, there was the beginning of a changed life; however, without the personal discipleship training needed, I never honestly spiritually grew into what God intended me to become.
We have all had an experience where we have paid for a product or service and did not get the quality that we expected. Remember the disappointment and frustration we felt as we tried to explain to management our concerns and grievances. As Christians, we need to remember that we are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:20). In my own life, it is a good thing that God didn’t take me back to the customer service counter or demanded a refund for his purchase! We all have failed to live up to the high cost paid by God. Since we have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be willing to do the things necessary that will draw us closer to him.
Paul wrote to the church at Rome that by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). It is reasonable that we spend time in prayer and in the studying of the Bible on a daily basis. Not only does it strengthen our faith, it also strengthens our knowledge of God. The apostle Peter wrote that we need to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15). How can we be ready to explain where our strength comes from if we have not taken the time to get to know the basis of our faith? Can we really be unashamed of our explanation of our faith when we have little to no idea of the principles of what our faith is grounded upon?
Paul tells Timothy and every Christian in all ages to become a workman that needeth not to be ashamed (II Timothy 2:15). The only way to do this is to expand our faith and knowledge of God. David, regarded as the author of the Psalms, wrote Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee, demonstrating the nature of the redeemed man’s love towards God – the author and source of his Salvation (Psalm 119:11). The only way David or anyone can hide God’s word in the heart is through diligent study of the word of God. In David’s time they had the Torah and the book of Job; in our time, we have the complete Old and New Testament. We may never be able to remember every verse in the Bible, and God doesn’t expect us to, but what he does desire is for us to be able to discuss the basis of our faith!
