Can We Agree Here

Last night as my wife and I were in bed, after we had prayed, I lay thinking about the things I’ve heard lately and the thought came to me. There are a lot of things that are unclear in the Bible. There are a lot of questions that men find to argue about. Look at all the different denominations and even divisions within denominations. Think of what makes your church right and your neighbors church not so right; things like baptism, communion, what happens when we die. All of these things men have parted company about at different times and sometimes with very strong and not loving feelings and words.

These questions are often truly difficult if not impossible to prove empirically. But as I was thinking about these things, a verse came to my mind that a precious brother shared several times in small meetings.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

There are so many things that we could disagree about, but here I see something that I need to give very serious attention.

God has given us all things, think of that ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness. There is nothing lacking; Not in what God has provided. What is lacking is my accepting and taking what God has provided.

How do I do that?

Through the knowledge that I can have through the Bible and by the Spirit of God, about God and about Jesus. Simply follow Jesus.

God calls us to glory and virtue so we can become those who live by divine nature and overcome the corruption that is in the world because of lust. 

How did Jesus overcome Sin?

How did Jesus Overcome Sin?

This may seem like a moot question, since Jesus was God and God cannot be tempted. That’s a whole other problem for another time, maybe.

In Hebrews it says He was tempted in all points in the same way we are yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15) After Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3, in Matthew 4 It says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” Hmm?

The story that follows is one of Satan, the Devil, tempting Jesus with a proposition and Jesus answering with a scripture. It all seems pretty simple. Just memorize a bunch of scriptures then you will always have an answer for the Devil. Ever tried that? I have and I have found that when temptation arises I forget to think about the correct answer. Temptation doesn’t seem to arrive with an announcement on a schedule, there is no flashing orange light to alert you. Temptation is the flash of a thought to think or do something that in hindsight I will regret. Then, before I consider the words of Scripture, I act in the wrong way.

Why was Jesus successful and I am not? I believe the answer can be found in Psalms 119:11. “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you.” My heart is where I need to hide Scripture. My heart is where I hold the things that I truly care about, the things I love. Memorizing scripture is not enough.

I need to hide God’s Word in my heart. David was speaking about the Scriptures. But, since I have a new understanding of The Word of God, I need to hide Jesus, the Word of God, and appropriate Scripture, also the word of God in that place where I love them.

This hiding process is the act of meditating on the life and teachings of God’s Word. Memorize, then repeat back to God until those words and the person of Jesus are firmly in residence in my heart.

When the Word of God has first place in my heart resisting the lusts of my flesh becomes much more natural.

Happily, I can say that this is how I have experienced some success. Still much to conquer.

It's something to think about.