Friday June 3, 2011

Read 2 Peter 1:8-9, 1 Corinthians 8:1-3

Studying theology can present a real danger that budding young bible college students rarely figure out and enthusiastic academic lecturers never tell them about. If they did, they would, proverbially speaking, be shooting themselves and their own profession in the foot.

What’s the danger of studying theology? It is simply this. Knowing about God in our heads, in and of itself, is useless for our salvation. Knowledge puffs up. If all we do is grow in head knowledge without engaging our hearts and hands (emotions and actions) then we are merely a clanging gong, a monotone reverberation that benefits no one and does nothing for our salvation.

What God passionately wants is spelt out positively in vs 8 and negatively in vs 9. These virtues in vs 5-7 are to be added to our lives (the word ‘add’ in vs 5 is the Greek word from which we get our English word ‘choreograph’) or choreographed into our lives in increasing measure. We are to look for opportunities to practice them, to grow them and to harvest them. We are to continually assess our lives and seek out abundant opportunities to practice these virtues.

This practice will prevent us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Christ Jesus. Knowledge puffs up. But LOVE builds up. If we want to have a dynamic life of impact we need to be growing consistently in the virtues that God desires and approves of.

For far too long western Christendom has suffered from Victorianism. We desperately need to shed that stiff upper lip mentality that refuses to show either emotion or passion. We need passionate Christians to take up the reigns. We need to fill our prayers for the world with weeping and tears. We need to give sacrificially with joyful hearts weeping at the grace we ourselves have heard. We can no longer stand tall wearing a mask of neutrality and uninvolvement, pretending to be educated in Christian things and biblical doctrine. . . It is time to get serious. It is time to get passionate. It is time to allow the head knowledge we have to rule our heart and to guide our hands. It’s time to grow outwards and upwards.

Prayer:-

V Pray for the upcoming Children's ministries that they will a large number of children in attendance at our school holidays programs and that the leaders will have a chance to share the word of God with all the children and parents in attendance.

V Ask the lord to show you His plan for your life, your role in the body of Christ and how you can be serving and ministering to others.

V Pray that God’s grace will flow out from the student life representatives through out Australia. Pray that many students will be brought to the Lord in repentance and faith through grace.