{"id":5224,"date":"2014-03-24T06:11:37","date_gmt":"2014-03-24T11:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scquest.org\/?p=5224"},"modified":"2014-03-26T14:20:17","modified_gmt":"2014-03-26T19:20:17","slug":"how-can-i-change-scripture-pt-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scquest.org\/?p=5224","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Change? Scripture pt 2"},"content":{"rendered":"
Part of the \u201cHow Can I Change?\u201d series. See parts\u00a0one<\/a>,\u00a0two<\/a>,\u00a0three<\/a>,\u00a0four<\/a>,\u00a0five<\/a>,\u00a0six<\/a>,\u00a0seven<\/a>, eight<\/a>, nine<\/a>, and ten<\/a>.Part 2 of a guest post by Joshua De Leon.<\/p>\n

Immersing Ourselves in Truth, Part 2<\/h1>\n

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Reading the Bible will not change you! It is God’s grace that transforms you when you immerse yourself in the truth of God’s Word!<\/b> Maybe you’ve tried to get into God’s Word, but don’t know how. Maybe it seems pointless or passionless. How do we immerse ourselves in God’s Word? The answer is found in <\/b>James 1:22-25<\/b>.<\/p>\n

James 1:22-25 \u2013 \u201c<\/i>22<\/i><\/b> But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. <\/i>23<\/i><\/b> For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; <\/i>24<\/i><\/b> for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. <\/i>25<\/i><\/b> But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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What is the passage saying?<\/h2>\n
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  1. By remembering God’s Word (v.24) How often do we read the Bible and forget what we read?<\/li>\n
  2. By examining God’s Word (v.25) \u201cintently\u201d literally means \u201cto stoop and examine\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. By practicing God’s Word (v.22, 25) Being \u201cdoers\u201d of the Word implies living what we learn.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    How is this connected to Grace?<\/h2>\n

    (1 Thessalonians 2:13 \u2013 \u201cFor this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you <\/i>accepted<\/i><\/b> it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, <\/i>the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.<\/i><\/b>\u201d<\/i>) As you expose yourself to God’s Word intentionally, you open yourself up to receive the powerful transforming grace of God. It’s like placing yourself in front of the Hoover Dam and opening the gates.<\/b><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What Steps Can I Take?<\/h2>\n

    1. Memorize<\/b> God’s Word<\/b> (Psalm 119:11) How do we do this? Have a plan. Write out verses. Draw pictures. Memorize word for word. Be accountable.<\/p>\n

    2. Meditate<\/b> on God’s Word<\/b> (Psalm 1:1-2 \u2013 \u201c<\/i>1<\/i><\/b> How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! <\/i>2<\/i><\/b> But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.\u201d<\/i>) Meditation \u2013 We think of meditation as being cultish or a kind of transcendental religious activity, but it is not. It is not about emptying your mind but filling it with truth; not passively involved in shallow introspection but actively engaging in deep reflection. Reread it. Repeat it. Write it. Pray it.<\/p>\n

    3. Apply<\/b> God’s Word<\/b> (John 13:17 \u2013 \u201cIf you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.\u201d<\/i>) Easy to understand. Difficult to carry out accurately.<\/p>\n

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    What does this look like?<\/h2>\n