Posts Tagged ‘memorize’

Reason 4: So that the word of God abides in you

” So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, ESV)

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7, ESV)

“I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14, ESV)

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;” (1 Peter 1:22-23, ESV)

The word of God is an abiding word (1 Peter 1:23). The word of God is truth (Romans 10:17) and brings about the new birth (1 Peter 1:23) and brings faith (Romans 10:17) and enables us to overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14, see also Reason 3 of Reasons to Memorize Scripture).  Although memorizing scripture is one method of to have the word of God abide in you, it is not and should not be considered the only means to abide in the word. By nature abiding in the word of God includes spending time in it through reading, mediation, and study.

The abiding word of God brings us within reach of a few of Jesus’ promises. There are a few different kinds of promises. Some are unconditional like when God appeared to Abram and promised to give his offspring the land, while other promises are conditional like when Jesus say’s “if” you abide in my word then ask whatever you wish or then you are truly my disciples. The promise Jesus gives us is a conditional promise. He will not give the result of the promises unless we meet the required condition.

It is important to understand what the promise is. Often times people will create a false promise by taking a verse out of the context of the passage. In the case John 8:31, the promise of abiding in His word, is that we are His disciples. That is important but it does not stop there. It continues to say that we will know the truth and will be set free by the truth. Unless we abide in the word, we are not disciples and we will not know the truth or be set free by the truth. Additionally, John 15:7 indicates that if we abide in the word we can ask God whatever we wish and it will be done for us. Taken out of context this verse fits almost any bad theology. Therefore, we must keep reading. Verse 8 say’s “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” The asking whatever you wish is directly related to bearing fruit and glorifying God the Father. If we abide in the word our desires will be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:1-2) so that we can bear much fruit. The asking is for the bearing of much fruit.

Memorizing Scripture will help us to abide in the word of God when we are living our daily lives, running errands, having conversation at work, in a meeting, paying bills, going to the hospital, and reading the test results. If we want to bear much fruit, be disciples, fight sin, defeat Satan and love one another we must abide in the word.

Abiding in the word,

Pastor Ray

Expanding on Reason 3: It enables you to fight the fight of faith.

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26, ESV)

If you are battling a sin, please memorize these verses. At a minimum please memorize the idea of these verses. Particularly “By faith Moses refused to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, for Christ is a greater reward.” This text tell us several very important things about fighting sin.

• It takes faith to fight sin. It was by faith that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. You will see that this faith was looking toward something. The faith was strengthened by a promise. And by this faith we can fight sin.
• Sin has fleeting pleasures. Some say that sin does not offer pleasure. This verse clearly shows that it does, however, it is also clearly fleeting or temporary. Sin will never satisfy, Sin will not last, and it has deadly effects. ”Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15, ESV)
• Remember Christ is better. The thing that faith looks to is this: Christ is greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt. Because sin offers a temporary reward of pleasure, we must fight sin by looking to a greater reward namely Jesus Christ. There is nothing greater than Jesus Christ. Nothing will satisfy like Jesus Christ. Remember this in the face of temptation. When temptation offers you it’s bait – cry out God “I refuse to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, for Christ is a greater reward!”

Look to Jesus,

Pastor Ray

Reason 3: It enables you to fight the fight of faith.

Christians are to grow in holiness. We are saved through sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13) or through an increase in holiness. An increase in holiness is an evidence of conversion and faith in Christ. The Christian life is to be fought. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, ESV).

Therefore, we know that we are to be saved through sanctification and that we must fight for faith. The question is how?

We grow in holiness and fight sin with the promises of God. It is the word of God that enables us to fight sin. Sin offers a promise; and God offers a promise. Our fight of faith is to trust God’s promise over the promise of the sin. Faith is to trust God.

Example 1

For example, one may be tempted to steal money. The promise sin offers: If you steal this money then you will have money for food.

The way to fight the promise of that sin is to counter it with God’s promise:  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26, ESV).

Therefore, we counter the lie of the devil with the promise of God to provide. Of course we are more valuable then birds of the air!

Example 2

Another example may be one who is tempted to lie or cheat because others oppose us. The demonic promise: That by lying or cheating we will overcome those who rise against us.

However, we can fight this temptation to sin with the promise of God in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Example 3

Perhaps you struggle with anxiety and are tempted to be anxious. We can fight that sin with the promise of God in 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Or “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3, ESV).

Memorizing Scripture provides us with the promises God ordained we use to live the Christian life. If we do not know the promises of God then we are only able to listen to the promise of Sin. We have nothing to offer in opposition to Sin. Every moment of everyday we should be trusting Christ. How can we trust that which we don’t know? Faith in Jesus is trusting Him for salvation. It is trusting Him for the finished work on the Cross. It is trusting Him for the forgiveness of sin, however, it is also used to fight sin and to prevent sin. The Word of God is to abide in us.

For the keeping of faith,

Pastor Ray

Reason 2: The word of God brings hope.

” My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:81, ESV)

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114, ESV)

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.” (Psalm 119:147, ESV)

Psalms 119 is one of my favorite chapters in the bible. It is the longest chapter in the bible and it is the longest sustained meditation and praise of God’s word in the bible. For those of you who struggle with the desire to read the bible, or memorize scripture, or meditate on God’s word, or have never read Psalm 119; I highly commend it to you.

The word of God is hope. It is our hope in the time of trouble, trial, pain, suffering, anxiety, decision making, triumph, joy, weakness and strength. The word of God guards our heart from fainting in times of weakness and satisfies the soul when longing for eternity with Jesus. Time spent in the bible, the word of God is sure to be the best investment of our day. We should be memorizing everyday so that when we are at work, school, around the house, on the phone, in a meeting, driving the car, or on the ferry we are able to depend on the promises of God given in his word. Scripture sustains us, but only when we have it with us. If the word is not with us to sustain us, we will substitute God’s word with something else. It is impractical to open the bible every time you need it. However, memorized scripture is always there when you need it. Memorized scripture never fails, it always strengthens!

In need of more memorized scripture,

Pastor Ray