Chapter
18
Know "What?" to see in your Bible
....SEEK to know God's TRUTH, ....APPLY it in your life
What are you doing to nurture your worldview?
This is an interesting topic with many aspects to consider. Have you thought much about it? ....If your worldview is the heartfelt and mental framework by which you make decisions, ....what are you doing to nurture it, ....strengthen it, ....validate it, ....SO YOU CAN LIVE HONESTLY BY IT?
What "Life Boundaries" have you set for yourself based on God's Word? ....Living by God's TRUTHS
....helps you know who you are, Whose you are, ....and stay alert protecting yourself in spiritual warfare ....with God's help. ....This is what we do ....as our responsibility in living with God!
Our life-long goal should be TO CHOOSE to LOOK LIKE THIS, ....so the Holy Spirit can grow "Fruit of the Spirit" in our lives — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. See Galatians 5:22-23.
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So, how do we come to THINK like this, ...TALK like this, ....BE like this?
At some point on life's journey, each of us learns to be responsible for building, ....correcting, ....NURTURING our Biblical worldview. Its part of living with God. So we're talking the same thing here, let's define "nurture"....
"Nurture" DEFINITION: to feed, protect, a plan to develop and be successful
SYNONYMS as NOUN: teaching, guidance, instruction, direction, coaching
SYNONYMS as VERB: cultivating, supporting, assisting
Read this again. What have you already done to "nurture" your worldview? What do you want to do about continuing ....or to start "nurturing" today?
Got questions? Start here....
My heart has heard You say, “Come and talk with Me.”
And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”
— Psalm 27:8 NLT
Talking with Jesus, you ask....
...."What do I need to know about nurturing my worldview?"
Jesus gives you a reassuring smile, ....and says "if you learn the TRUTH about living with Me ....FROM ME, ....you will never be the same again".
....Thinking about that, you reply....
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your TRUTH and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.
— Psalm 25:4-5 NLT
As your conversation with Jesus continues, He talks about "knowing the difference between ....living by human popular, consensus of SUBJECTIVE truth ....VERSUS.... living by God's eternal, never changing OBJECTIVE TRUTH"....
Jesus tells you....
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world (FOLLOWING HUMAN SUBJECTIVE TRUTH), but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (SO YOU CAN FOLLOW GOD'S OBJECTIVE TRUTH). Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
— Romans 12:2 NLT
God's TRUTH versus subjective truth?
....So, what must we know about such comparison?
Let's talk about it....
Some consequences from living by human's SUBJECTIVE truth....
See Spiritual Choices: "Did God really say?" ....How did that turn out?
See "I am the way...." ....We lost our way, so God shows us how to find Him.
See What does spiritual warfare look like? ....Be wary of Devil's strategies.
....in contrast....
Consider the benefits of living by God's OBJECTIVE TRUTH....
See Benefits of believing in Jesus" ....These benefits are yours too!
See Grandpa, why do you trust the Bible so much? ....God is our only hope.
See Our responsibility to prepare for spiritual battles ....with God's help.
Our weapons in spiritual warfare....
"....are not of this world, but are POWERED BY GOD and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His TRUTH. WE ARE demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. WE ARE taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to Jesus."
— 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 The Voice
So, HOW? ....are WE HUMANS "demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God"?
.......and.... HOW? ....are WE HUMANS "taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to" Jesus? .......Hmm?, ....we don't know how to fight a spiritual battle, ....let alone win one, ....UNLESS GOD HELPS US.
It is by God's TRUTH, the Word of God, ....HELP FROM JESUS HIMSELF, ....that is how we win any and all spiritual battles! .......It starts here.
Step 1: SEE truth as you READ....
Life changing Bible study is more than simply reading the Bible. It is asking the Holy Spirit to help you 1. SEE spiritual TRUTH as you READ the Bible. So you can 2. BELIEVE what God's Word says as you RELATE Biblical TRUTH ....to your life's circumstances. Then 3. APPLY knowledge of God's Word as you RESPOND, ....4. asking in PRAYER for God's help to change your life ....to be more like Jesus.
What does God's TRUTH look like?
Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your Word.... (Psalm 119:18 NLT)
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you REMAIN FAITHFUL TO MY TEACHINGS. And you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free.”
— John 8:31-32 NLT
Dictionaries define "truth" as ....1) a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality; ....2) a statement being in accord with fact or reality; ....3) fidelity to an original standard or principle; ....and 4) sincerity in action, character, and utterance.
From these 4 definitions, we realize God's Word overflows with an abundance of "TRUTHS" from Genesis to Revelation. Depending on scriptural context, we find them in various expressions for different situations, and....
Truth
Definition: a transcedent (supernatural) fundamental or spiritual reality
Scripture Example:
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
— John 14:6 NLT
SEE truth as you READ:
Jesus' declaration is foundation to the Gospel message (see Chapter 8.2). ....This and John 3:16 may be the two most pivotal scriptures in the Bible, ....both spoken by Jesus Himself.
Commandment
Definition: a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
Scripture Example:
Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek. And he who knocks, will have the door opened.
— Matthew 7:7-8 The Voice
SEE truth as you READ:
The above commandment from Jesus' sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7 ....is relevant to this conversation about seeking God's TRUTH in our lives. As you read the Word, ....ask God (and keep asking, keep seeking) to help you SEE His TRUTH, ....so you can BELIEVE, as you RELATE it to life's circumstances, ....so you can APPLY His TRUTH in life, as you RESPOND ....in loyal relationship with Him.
Principle
Definition: general or basic truths on which other truths or theories can be based
NOTE: "Principles" are TRUTHS we "see", discern, recognize ....from Bible stories that are narratives of historical events. We see how God's TRUTH worked out in someone else's life, ....and believe those principles can be at work in our lives too.
Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 for the full story background on the following scripture example. Judah was being attack by "a vast army". "Alarmed, King Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, ....proclaimed a fast for all Judah", ....and the people "came together to seek help from the Lord". As they worshiped the Lord, ....one of the priests declared to the people....
Scripture Example:
"THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS TO YOU: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. ....Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'"
....As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me.... Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld." ....Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness .......as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
AS THEY BEGAN TO SING AND PRAISE, THE LORD set ambushes against the army invading Judah, and they were defeated. ....When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
— 2 Chronicles 20:15-17, 20-23 NIV
SEE truth as you READ:
Spiritual battles are won for us by God, ....telling us ....they are His to fight for us, ....IF WE SEEK HIS HELP! ....As we worship Him ....and pray (SEEKING HIS HELP), ....He instructs us (FROM HIS WORD) on how to handle them, what to do, ....as WE TRUST HIM. ....And as we face those battles with singing and praising our Lord, ....He defeats the enemy!
Promise
Definition: a solemn declaration of intent of what one will do or not do
Scripture Example:
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway
for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
— Psalm 32:8 NLT
SEE truth as you READ:
As we travel life's road, our Lord promises to guide us on the best paths to follow. He wants to watch over us. ....To receive His promise, we have choices to make ....IN FOLLOWING OUR LORD, ....TRUSTING HIM.
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As we ponder the above definitions and examples of Biblical TRUTHS, ....here is a prayer for us. Receive what the Holy Spirit is saying....
LORD, ....Open the eyes of our hearts, and let the light of Your TRUTH flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling us to embrace. ....Let us see the FULL EXTENT of YOUR POWER that is AT WORK IN THOSE OF US WHO BELIEVE, and may it be done according to Your might and power. Amen.
— Ephesians 1:18-19 The Voice
Be Teachable in the Father's Hands....
Just as the potter molds and shapes clay on a potter's wheel, ....so our loving Father is shaping our lives into beautiful vessels for His purposes, His glory.
Eternal One, You are our Father.
We are just clay, and You are the potter.
We are the product of Your creative action,
shaped and formed into something of worth.
— Isaiah 64:8 The Voice
Be teachable as you study God's Word, ....as Jesus speaks into your life....
....because....
You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you.
— Colossians 3:10 TLB
Okay, let's keep going, ....being teachable in learning "Why?" and "How?" to study your Bible.
*Credits: potters wheel image anonymous
