We are people that know the truth and we can’t just think that going to church and listening to someone else is good enough to guide us. God wants us all to learn and then be a part of the family by living out our faith like Jesus did. The gathering is very important so we can listen carefully to the truth, but then we have to actually live that truth out by studying it and knowing it so it pierces our hearts so we change.
I loved this quote from Lee Roberson who said, “If we don’t stir up people, move people, we have failed. If you can preach Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, and no one is stirred to go out and do what God says, you haven’t done much.” This is why it is so important to go to church and listen to the truth and then open God’s word and live that truth out. Look what knowing Jesus does and how He embraces us and changes us. In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11 it says, “So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same Father. That is why He is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters.” When we open our hearts and let the Spirit grow our relationship makes us know Christ and when we know Christ He makes us Holy.
This change in us is what keeps us from sinning and being a slave to our own desires. We cannot assume that we will grow without our choice to make Jesus our focus and our Lord. Look how Warren Wiersbe puts it in his commentary. “More spiritual problems are caused by neglect then perhaps by any other failure on our part. We neglect God’s word, prayer, worship with God’s people and other opportunities for spiritual growth, and as a result, we start to drift. The anchor does not move; we do.” We get comfortable and we neglect our relationship and we feel we can get through on our own strength. Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 24-27, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing; I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
Paul realizes the importance of discipline and devotion and we must realize that as well as we go to church and then continue our growth by studying God’s word daily and being with people seeking the same. We are called to disciple and that process is never ending as we live our lives to grow and help people to know Jesus.
Really look at what George Whitfield says, “A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy till it is doing something for Jesus Christ.” Amen