The order of the Christian's assignment is: hear, do, know. If we hear the commandments and obey them, the Father will make Himself known to us. It is no use trying to know Him without doing what He says. To listen to one word and go out and obey it is better than having the most exalted "religious experience," for it puts us in touch with God Himself--it is a willed response.
"If you really love Me, you will keep the commandments I have given you." It is perilously easy to imagine that we love God because we like the idea of God, or because we feel drawn to Him. The only valid test of love is obedience. Take one thing commanded and start doing it. Take one thing forbidden and stop doing it. Then we are on the sure road to knowing God. There is no other.
"You are My friends, if you do what I command you" (Jn 15:14 NEB).
"The man who has received My commands and obeys them--he it is who loves Me: and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and disclose Myself to him" (Jn 14:21). There is the order: hear, do, know.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Bible study tool
This is one of my favorite study tools of all time. If you are reading a certain passage of the Bible, click "Hebrew" for the Old Testament or "Greek" for the New Testament. Type in the English word you want to know more about, and usually a few different Hebrew/Greek words will come up. http://www.studylight.org/lex/
Example: Romans 1.5: "Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Click Greek: Type in "grace": Open new pages for the 2 words that come up: eu)preÑpeia and xa/riv. For xa/riv, it is defined as:
1. grace
a. that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2. good will, loving-kindness, favour
a. of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to
Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles
them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3. what is due to grace
a. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
b. the token or proof of grace, benefit, a gift of grace, benefit, bounty
4. thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward
Then it will show you every verse where this Greek word is used (click on book name). You can explore this tool forever!! :)
Example: Romans 1.5: "Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Click Greek: Type in "grace": Open new pages for the 2 words that come up: eu)preÑpeia and xa/riv. For xa/riv, it is defined as:
1. grace
a. that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2. good will, loving-kindness, favour
a. of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to
Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles
them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3. what is due to grace
a. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
b. the token or proof of grace, benefit, a gift of grace, benefit, bounty
4. thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward
Then it will show you every verse where this Greek word is used (click on book name). You can explore this tool forever!! :)
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