When you become a Christian and start to live out your faith in the church scattered, there are critical biblical truths that you must learn. You need to learn the foundational doctrines of the faith and all the practical spiritual disciplines like prayer and bible study.
However, the goal from day one is to apply the truth immediately so that it becomes a permanent part of your Christian life. If we do not prioritize obedience then we will make the mistake of listening to preaching and teaching thinking that alone will lead to spiritual maturity.
James drives home the point in chapter one verse 22 that we must be doers of the word and not hearers only or we are only deceiving ourselves. The person who will be blessed is the one who obeys or acts not simply listening. He uses an illustration of looking in a mirror to make the point that if we don’t apply, we will forget.
The writer of Hebrews in chapter five verse 12 rebukes people who have been Christians long enough that they should be able to teach others by now. However, they have to be taught the same basic truths we mentioned earlier all over again because they have not applied through practice the truths they have learned.
To really grow spiritually you must spend serious time in the word of God and you must have a clean heart so the Holy Spirit can help you to understand it. Jesus said that if you really love me, then keep my commandments.
Before you sign up for that new bible study or watch the latest teaching on Right Now Media, it’s time to make sure you are already applying what you already know. Listening to the truth in scripture is not the same as living it. Make sure your walk completely backs up your talk or you will not be able to help move yourself or anyone else closer to Christ.