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Authors: Jerry Bridges
BOOK: The Practice of Godliness: Godliness has value for all things
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PRACTICE, AND MORE PRACTICE
The third irreducible minimum in the training process is practice. It is practice that puts feet to the commitment and applies the teaching of the coach. It is practice, where the skill is developed, that makes the athlete competitive in his sport. And it is the practice of godliness that enables us to become godly Christians. There is no shortcut to Olympic-level skill, there is no shortcut to godliness. It is the day in and day out faithfulness to the means which God has appointed and which the Holy Spirit uses that will enable us to grow in godliness. We must
practice
godliness, just as the athlete practices his particular sport.
practice
godliness, just as the athlete practices his particular sport.
We must practice the fear of God, for example, if we are to grow in that aspect of godly devotion. If we agree with the Reverend Martin that the essential elements of the fear of God are correct concepts of His character, a pervasive sense of His presence, and a constant awareness of our responsibility to Him, then we must work at filling our minds with the biblical expressions of these truths and applying them in our lives until we are transformed into God-fearing people.
If we become convinced that humility is a trait of godly character, then we will frequently meditate upon such Scripture passages as Isaiah 57:15 and 66:1-2, where God Himself extols humility. We will pray over them, asking the Holy Spirit to apply them in our lives to make us truly humble. This is the practice of godliness. It is not some ethereal exercise. It is practical, down-to-earth, and even a bit grubby at times as the Holy Spirit works on us. But it is always rewarding as we see the Spirit transforming us more and more into godly people.
USING THE WORD OF GOD
It is evident that the word of God plays a crucial role in our growth in godliness. A prominent part of our practice of godliness, therefore, will be our time in the word of God. How we spend that time varies according to the method of intake. The Navigators use the five fingers of the hand as mental pegs on which to hang the five methods of intake of the word of God—hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating. These methods are important for godliness and need to be considered one by one.
The most common method of scriptural intake is
hearing
the word of God taught to us by our pastors and teachers. We are living in a day when this method tends to be lightly regarded by many people as being a somewhat ineffective means of learning spiritual truth. This is a serious error. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself has given to His church people who are gifted to teach us the truths of His word, to remind us of the lessons we are prone to forget, and to exhort us to constancy in application. We need to heed those whom He has given to us for this purpose.
hearing
the word of God taught to us by our pastors and teachers. We are living in a day when this method tends to be lightly regarded by many people as being a somewhat ineffective means of learning spiritual truth. This is a serious error. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself has given to His church people who are gifted to teach us the truths of His word, to remind us of the lessons we are prone to forget, and to exhort us to constancy in application. We need to heed those whom He has given to us for this purpose.
None of us ever becomes so spiritually self-sufficient that he does not need to hear the word taught by others. And most of us do not have the ability or the time to search out on our own the “whole will of God” (Acts 20:27). We need to sit under the regular teaching of a man gifted by God and trained to expound the word of God to us.
One reason the hearing of the word of God has fallen into such low esteem is that we do not obey God’s teaching in Revelation 1:3—“blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.” Too often today we listen to be entertained instead of instructed, to be moved emotionally rather than moved to obedience. We do not take to heart what we hear and apply it in our daily lives.
We present-day Christians are hardly different from the Jews of Ezekiel’s time, of whom God said, “My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice” (Ezekiel 33:31). God goes on to tell Ezekiel that to his audience, Ezekiel is nothing more than a singer with a beautiful voice who plays an instrument well. To the Jews he was just an entertainer, because they had no intention of putting into practice what they heard.
The type of hearing of the word that God commends is illustrated by the Berean Christians, who “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). They did not hear and forget; they did not listen just to be entertained. They realized eternal issues were at stake, so they listened, studied, and applied. Considering that they probably did not have their own personal copies of the Scriptures, their studying of Paul’s teaching is remarkable. It is a rebuke to us today, who scarcely remember beyond the church door what we heard in the sermon on Sunday morning.
We have already considered briefly the thought expressed in Titus 1:1—it is the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. But that is not all the verse says. In the same passage, Paul says he is an apostle of Jesus Christ for the purpose of furthering the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. Paul was called to be a teacher for the express purpose of promoting faith and godliness among God’s elect. God called Paul to that task, and He calls pastors and teachers today for the same purpose. But if we are to profit from their ministry so that we grow in the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, we must hear their word as the Berean Christians heard Paul—with great eagerness and an intent to obey
The second method of scriptural intake is
reading
the Bible ourselves. Through Bible reading we have the opportunity to learn directly from the Master Teacher, the Holy Spirit. As helpful and profitable as it is to learn from the teaching of others, there is an unmatched joy in having the Holy Spirit speak to us directly from the pages of His word.
reading
the Bible ourselves. Through Bible reading we have the opportunity to learn directly from the Master Teacher, the Holy Spirit. As helpful and profitable as it is to learn from the teaching of others, there is an unmatched joy in having the Holy Spirit speak to us directly from the pages of His word.
We have already seen that Enoch walked with God, which implies that he enjoyed personal communion with God. Bible reading enables us, too, to enjoy communion with God as He speaks to us from His word, encouraging us, instructing us, and revealing Himself to us. It was said of Moses that “the Lord would speak to [him] face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Today we do not have that particular privilege, but we can enjoy the same effect as God speaks to us during our times of personal Bible reading. Our practice of godliness would be very incomplete without a regular Bible reading program of some type.
A second value of Bible reading is the opportunity to gain an overall perspective of the entire Bible. No pastor could—or should—preach through the Bible in the short space of a year or two. But all of us can
read
through the entire Bible in a year. Many Bible reading plans are available to help us do so. As we read through the Bible, the various pieces of spiritual truth begin to fit together. The book of Hebrews doesn’t make sense unless one is at least knowledgeable of the Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system. The New Testament writers’ many allusions to the Old Testament would remain a mystery unless we had read the passages in their original setting. The doctrine of original sin through Adam, as taught by Paul in Romans 5, cannot be understood apart from a knowledge of the events recorded in Genesis 3.
read
through the entire Bible in a year. Many Bible reading plans are available to help us do so. As we read through the Bible, the various pieces of spiritual truth begin to fit together. The book of Hebrews doesn’t make sense unless one is at least knowledgeable of the Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system. The New Testament writers’ many allusions to the Old Testament would remain a mystery unless we had read the passages in their original setting. The doctrine of original sin through Adam, as taught by Paul in Romans 5, cannot be understood apart from a knowledge of the events recorded in Genesis 3.
Without a reading program of the entire Bible, we would be not only spiritually ignorant, but spiritually impoverished. Who can fail to learn from Abraham’s faith, David’s love for God, Daniel’s righteousness, and Job’s trial? How can we become godly without the heartbeat of the Psalms and the practical wisdom of Proverbs? Where better can we learn of both the majesty and the faithfulness of God than from the prophet Isaiah? If we are not periodically reading through the Bible, we will miss these outstanding passages in the Old Testament as well as others in the New Testament.
All Scripture is profitable for us, even passages that seem so difficult to understand. We can choose from among various Bible reading programs to help us maintain consistency in our reading and understand the more difficult passages.
1
1
The third method of Bible intake is
studying
the Scriptures. Reading gives us breadth, but study gives us depth. The value of Bible study lies in the opportunity to dig more deeply into a passage or topic than we can do in Bible reading. Greater diligence and mental intensity are required for study, in which we analyze a passage, compare Scripture with Scripture, ask questions, make observations, and finally organize the fruit of our study into some kind of logical presentation. The discipline of writing down our study material helps to clarify our thoughts. All of this strengthens our knowledge of the truth and helps us to grow in godliness.
studying
the Scriptures. Reading gives us breadth, but study gives us depth. The value of Bible study lies in the opportunity to dig more deeply into a passage or topic than we can do in Bible reading. Greater diligence and mental intensity are required for study, in which we analyze a passage, compare Scripture with Scripture, ask questions, make observations, and finally organize the fruit of our study into some kind of logical presentation. The discipline of writing down our study material helps to clarify our thoughts. All of this strengthens our knowledge of the truth and helps us to grow in godliness.
Every Christian should be a student of the Bible. The Hebrew Christians were rebuked, because although they should have been able to teach others, they still needed to be taught the elementary truths of God’s word. They needed milk, not solid food! Unfortunately, many of us are like those Christians.
There are numerous methods of Bible study available for every level of student. There are certain principles that should be applied, however, whatever method is used. These principles are set forth in Proverbs 2:1-5. Note the verbs that have been italicized for emphasis:
My son, if you
accept
my words and
store up
my commands within you,
turning
your ear to wisdom and
applying
your heart to understanding, and if you
call out
for insight and
cry aloud
for understanding, and if you
look
for it as for silver and
search
for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
The verbs that are italicized give us an idea of the principles involved in Bible study, such as,
teachability—accept my words
The results of applying these principles in Bible study are located in verse 5: “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God”—two of the concepts essential in our devotion to God. If we are to train ourselves to be godly we must give Bible study priority in our lives.
Where can we find the time for quality Bible study? I once heard that question asked of a chief of surgery in a large hospital. Twenty-five years later, his answer continues to challenge me. He looked his questioner squarely in the eye and said, “You always find time for what is important to you.” How important is the practice of godliness to you? Is it important enough to take priority over television, books, magazines, recreation, and a score of activities that we all somehow find time to engage in? Once again we are brought face to face with that key element of training we discussed earlier—commitment.
Memorization
of key passages is a fourth method of scriptural intake. Without doubt the classic verse for Scripture memorization is Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The word that is translated in verse 11 as “hidden” is elsewhere translated as “stored up,” a phrase which is more descriptive of the actual meaning. In Proverbs 7:1, for example, Solomon says, “My son ...
store up
my commands within you,” and in Proverbs 10:14 he says, “Wise men
store up
knowledge.” In Psalm 31:19 David speaks of the goodness which God has
stored up
for those who fear Him. From these passages it is clear that the central idea of the psalmist in Psalm 119:11 was that of storing up God’s word in his heart against a time of future need—a time when he would encounter temptation and would be kept from that temptation by the word of God.
of key passages is a fourth method of scriptural intake. Without doubt the classic verse for Scripture memorization is Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The word that is translated in verse 11 as “hidden” is elsewhere translated as “stored up,” a phrase which is more descriptive of the actual meaning. In Proverbs 7:1, for example, Solomon says, “My son ...
store up
my commands within you,” and in Proverbs 10:14 he says, “Wise men
store up
knowledge.” In Psalm 31:19 David speaks of the goodness which God has
stored up
for those who fear Him. From these passages it is clear that the central idea of the psalmist in Psalm 119:11 was that of storing up God’s word in his heart against a time of future need—a time when he would encounter temptation and would be kept from that temptation by the word of God.
But the word of God stored in the heart does more than keep us from sin. It enables us to grow in every area of the Christian life. Specifically for our practice of godliness, it enables us to grow in our devotion to God and in the Godlike character that makes our lives pleasing to Him.
2
2
The fifth method for taking in God’s word is
meditation.
The word
meditate
as used in the Old Testament literally means to murmur or to mutter and, by implication, to talk to oneself.
3
When we meditate on the Scriptures we talk to ourselves about them, turning over in our minds the meanings, the implications, and the applications to our own lives.
meditation.
The word
meditate
as used in the Old Testament literally means to murmur or to mutter and, by implication, to talk to oneself.
3
When we meditate on the Scriptures we talk to ourselves about them, turning over in our minds the meanings, the implications, and the applications to our own lives.
Though we use Psalm 119:11 in connection with Scripture memorization, it may be more supportive of the practice of meditation. The psalmist says God’s word was stored up in his
heart—
his inmost being. Bare memorization only gets the Scriptures into our minds. Meditation on those same Scriptures opens our understanding, engages our affections, and addresses our wills. This is the process of storing up the word in our hearts. But if the process of storing up Scripture applies primarily to meditation, it is also true that memorization is the first step to meditation. Meditation on the word of God is commanded in Joshua 1:8 and commended in Psalm 1:2. Both verses speak of meditation
day and night,
not just when we are having our quiet time. It is impossible to meditate on Scripture day and night without some form of Scripture memorization.
heart—
his inmost being. Bare memorization only gets the Scriptures into our minds. Meditation on those same Scriptures opens our understanding, engages our affections, and addresses our wills. This is the process of storing up the word in our hearts. But if the process of storing up Scripture applies primarily to meditation, it is also true that memorization is the first step to meditation. Meditation on the word of God is commanded in Joshua 1:8 and commended in Psalm 1:2. Both verses speak of meditation
day and night,
not just when we are having our quiet time. It is impossible to meditate on Scripture day and night without some form of Scripture memorization.
In chapter 1 we defined godliness as devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to God. If we had to select one chapter of the Bible that portrays the heartbeat of the godly person, it would probably be Psalm 119. In all but two of its 176 verses, the writer relates his life to the word of God and to the God behind that word. It is always
Your
laws,
Your
statutes,
Your
desires,
Your
precepts,
etc.
To the psalmist, the law of God was not the cold commands of some far-off deity, but the living word of the God whom he loved, sought, and yearned to please.
Your
laws,
Your
statutes,
Your
desires,
Your
precepts,
etc.
To the psalmist, the law of God was not the cold commands of some far-off deity, but the living word of the God whom he loved, sought, and yearned to please.
Walking with God involves communion with God. His word is absolutely necessary and central to our communion with Him. Pleasing God requires knowing His will—how He wants us to live, what He wants us to do. His word is the only means by which He communicates that will to us. It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent, and balanced intake of the word of God in our lives.
The intake of the word is our foundational means of practicing godliness, but it is not our only means. In the next chapter we will consider how to develop a devotion to God. In subsequent chapters we will consider how to grow in some individual traits of godly character, including a look at some practical steps we can take in the practice of godliness.
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