"But continue in the things that you have learned and have been assured of, knowing those from whom you have learned them, and that since childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." – 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (MEV)
God is so good that He gave us His infallible Word to guide us, instruct us, and tell us what's in His heart for all of us. We have it in various forms: printed in paperback, in smartphone apps, in computer software, and even in sound form through audio Bibles. Yet, despite the abundance of Bible copies and versions available to us, many are unable to make the most of the Word of God in their lives. Why?
It's because many of us don't obey what it says.
Obedience Is Key
The Bible contains God's commands and instructions for all of us to follow. The problem we have is not just reading the Bible, but in taking it for what it is and doing what it commands us to do.
One of the most dangerous things we can do as Christians is to grow familiar with what God says in His Word but not become obedient to it in the fear of Him. James tells us,
"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man viewing his natural face in a mirror. He views himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James 1:22-24 MEV)
Receive It, Then Obey It
Friends, we who confess to love God know that loving Him means doing what He says. The Lord Jesus Himself said,
"If you love Me, keep My commandments ... If a man loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words. The word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me." (John 14:15, 23-24 MEV)
If we want to see the power of the Word of God work in our lives, we must believe it. When it says we should do something, we should do the something that it says. Obedience is key to getting the most out of the Word of God for our lives.
