WHEN YOU BELIEVE THE WORD

Each of us must ask ourselves, "Do I believe God's word?" Spiritual growth is a matter of believing God's word. For us to experience a transformation, we must have a faith deeply rooted in what is written.

Acts 20:32
As Paul prepares to leave Ephesus here, he commits the church to God's word. The Word can build you up and it gives you a heavenly inheritance. We can all grow and be built up, and it will happen according to our commitment to God's word.

The word of God heals hurts - it gives you peace when you are tempted to feel bitter; the word of God overcomes adversity - it strengthens you to face adversity; the word of God defeats temptation - in your struggles, go to the Word, and it will guide you; the word of God gives us hope; the word of God produces power - which comes as we understand God and get our confidence from him; the word of God cleanses our minds - it is up to us to allow the Bible to influence our thinking. In all these ways, the word of God builds us up.

1. I MUST ACCEPT ITS AUTHORITY 2 Timothy 3:16,17
The Bible is an authority from God. It trains us. Training is a continual process, not something that we do only for a little while.

The power of positive thinking lasts only for a short time. That is optimism. But faith, rooted in God, holds and endures.

We must make sure to make decisions that are biblical - not "logical," emotional or traditional. What men consider logical is not always correct according to God. What appeals to our emotions - e.g. reactions of anger, sadness and depression - is not always right according to God. What is dictated by tradition is often far from what is godly.

2. I MUST ASSIMILATE ITS TRUTH

Luke 8:4-8
To assimilate the Bible's truth is to make the Bible's truth your conviction. It means becoming one with the Word.

The various soils represent the conditions of our hearts. We forget sermons almost as soon as we hear them, we get fired up only briefly or we let our pursuit of a better life kill our faith. The best heart, i.e. the truly godly heart, is the one that makes the Word his conviction and allows the Bible to transform him.

Research topics in the Bible. Go deeper. Don't simply wait to be taught. Write notes on your personal Bible study. It may not be every day, but as you conclude different topics from your quiet times, it is important to write down your decisions and conclusions.

3. I MUST APPLY ITS PRINCIPLES John 8:31,32
When we believe, we will practise. God is looking for our commitment and not just agreement.

Believe the Word and live it out daily.

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