ShangralaFamilyFun.com - Shangrala's BibleStudy: Taking ACTION!

TAKING ACTION!

ON-LINE KJV BIBLE - - - BIBLE STUDY MENU - - - PRINTER VERSION

Taking ACTION On The Word of God

The Epistle of James tells us that it is important not just to say we believe the Word of God, but to ACT on it. There are many other verses in the New Testament that emphasize the importance of ACTION.

I Timothy 6: 11, 12 -- But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Did you every notice all the action verbs in these verses? We are to 'flee' the things mentioned in I Timothy 6: 10 (temptations, error, etc.), yet 'follow' after Godly things. We are exhorted to 'fight' the good fight of believing, so that we may 'lay hold' on eternal life. We don't just sit around talking about God and the Bible, but we are to get up and DO these things.

James 4: 7 -- Submit [addict] yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We are to 'submit' to God FIRST, which allows us to 'resist' the devil. If we do this, the devil will 'flee' from us. That is certainly some action we would like to see!

Hebrews 12: 12, 13 -- Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Verse 12 is saying 'Stand up and live!'. Then we are told to make straight paths for our feet -- we are to make the paths straight. Don't rely on someone else doing it. That way our weaknesses won't cause us to falter, but rather we will overcome them.

Ephesians 6: 11, 12 -- Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [methods] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [from on high].

We must 'put on' and use all the resources God made available to us, so that we can 'stand' against the devil. For we 'wrestle' not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. The battlefield is in the mind.

Philippians 2: 13 -- For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God works within us to help us do what we should. It is wonderful to know that we don't have to go it alone.

Galatians 6: 9 -- And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

God tells us to endure in our well-doing. Don't give up, even if it looks like there is no reward. When the time is right, we will receive back the fruit of our labor. How do we 'do' what the Word says? We, of course have to read it to find out, and then we have to renew our minds, change our minds, so that we do the Word instead of what we used to do.

Romans 12: 2 -- And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are not to be fashioned according to the world, but we must transform ourselves by renewing our mind, which is a constant process -- there is no end to it.

Many of the other verses in this chapter 12 continue with some of the action we are to take:

v. 9 -- Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

v. 10 -- Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

v. 11-- Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

v. 18 -- If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

v. 20, 21 -- Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Verse 20 contains an orientalism that is difficult for those from modern day western cultures to understand. In eastern cultures, the fire used in everyday life was very important. If you did not have a fire, you were cold and you could not cook food. In the village, not all households were equipped to start a fire in the morning. A woman who had a flint would start a fire, and she would place hot coals on a shard of pottery. Her young son would take the pottery and place it on his head, then go from house to house in the village, sharing the coals so everyone could have a fire. On those cold mornings, the boy was warmed by the coals he carried on his head. This verse is telling us that our actions toward our enemies should 'warm them'. In this manner, we are not to be overcome with evil, but we are to overcome evil with good. That's what the Word of God says we should do. If you want to argue about it, argue with God. We, at Advance Bible Study, WITNESS God's Word. Truth needs no defense -- you can only WITNESS to it. We love you, but we are not wishy-washy Christians.

I John 3: 18 - 22 -- My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him [God]. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

It does no good to say that you love others if your actions do not back up your words. We are supposed to 'walk the talk'. If we do that, we have confidence and more believing toward God. If we don't 'walk the talk', our heart will condemn us, and we won't have the believing that is necessary to receive answers to our prayers. It is by 'doing' the Word that we can believe, and then receive great things from God. We are to look toward Jesus Christ as an example of how we are to act. Many times, throughout the New Testament, we are exhorted to 'think' the way Christ did. Then we can't go wrong.

Hebrews 12: 1, 2, 3 -- Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We need to 'lay aside' every weight or hindrance in our work for God, and then 'run' with patience. We look at Jesus Christ as the beginner and finisher of his race, who endured torture and death on the cross. We look at his example, so we don't think that our life is so tough, and don't stay our mind on our race alone. We should always strive to think and walk like Jesus Christ finding ways to teach God’s Word and bless others.

Romans 13: 14 -- But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Philippians 2: 5 -- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Put Christ on in your mind.

II Corinthians 10: 5 -- Casting down imaginations [thoughts and reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [control your thinking];

'Cast down' reasonings or thoughts that are contrary to God's Word. Every thought is to be 'led captive' to the obedience of Christ. Think and do like Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2: 6, 7 -- As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Again, we are to 'walk' like Christ walked. We are to be 'rooted' (born again) and 'built up' (renewed mind) through Jesus Christ, so we are firmly established in the faith. For this we should be abounding in giving thanks to God. What is the end result of our action? We receive many blessings in this life, and we also have great joy to look forward to in the next life.

Hebrews 10: 35, 36, 37 -- Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

We have confidence toward God that He will deliver what He has promised, but we must be patient. What is the promise? The return of Jesus Christ. When Christ comes back for his saints, we will meet him in the air (see teaching "The Hope of the Return"). This is the great reward that we will receive for ‘doing’ -- TAKING ACTION ON THE WORD OF GOD.

http://www1.itech.net/~ydl/Acting.htm

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.

May you, and all those you love,
be so blessed and fortunate
as to stand approved before God,
unashamed of your workmanship.

May God Always Bless You and Yours As
You Stand Steadfast on His Word Of Truth!

^BACK To TOP^

For those of you who Want More FUN - Join The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is a letter packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)

YES! I Want To JOIN The SHANGY FUN List Now!!-

Like This Page?