The first action we can take to maintain our spiritual vitality is the antidote, the solution to the corruption Jude described in verse 4. He said, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith.” We build ourselves up in our faith through the Word of God, both studying and praying the Word. Paul’s last words to the Ephesian elders captured this as he said, “I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). The Word of God is sweeter than honey. It transforms the heart and mind of the most wretched person. The word of God is living, active, and powerful (Heb. 4:12). It enables us to cultivate a new mindset and it awakens fresh godly emotions in us. As a pastor, I urge you to take seriously this spiritual delight and privilege. I must say this—if you read the Word without a heart desiring to obey the Lord, you will not feel the same measure of inspiration. The Word of God builds us up in the context of a sincere heart that seeks to obey God. This is within the reach of every believer. We all struggle and stumble in many ways (Jas. 3:2). The Lord will forgive our weaknesses. He will forgive all of our stumbling (1 Jn. 1:9). But if we will say in our heart, “Anything, Lord! Anything!” then we will position ourselves spiritually to feel more and more of the power of God’s Word on our heart. Maybe the change will not be instant, but over time the Word will change anyone who will continue to prayerfully read it.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:53:25 +0000
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