Loving, Learning and Living are the three terms we use at Country Bible Church to describe a disciple of Jesus Christ. Upon accepting God’s love, expressed to us on Calvary’s cross, a believer then returns that love in worship and obedience. A disciple is a learner who is hungry for God’s Word and for understanding God’s truth in all its marvelous facets. A disciple follows through by living out God’s instruction in their daily lives.
Proverbs focuses a lot of attention on loving, learning and living. Chapter 7 begins with the father’s exhortation to his son to take God’s instructions seriously and find true life. It goes on, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” The heart is often associated with loving. The eye is connected to learning, and the hand refers to doing or living. The book of Proverbs exhorts us to love God’s laws, to learn God’s laws, and to obey God’s laws. These mark a disciple. In the Great commission, Jesus charges his disciples to “make disciples” and to “teach them all that he has commanded us.” Learning God’s truth and then passing it on to others is an essential part of a disciples’ life.
The Christian statistician, George Barna, released his 2010 report last week. There are six megatrends in the church over the last decade. The first one is the “church is becoming less theologically literate.” The sixth one is “the influence of Christianity on the culture is largely invisible.”
Chuck
“…guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:1