AN INTACT BELIEF SYSTEM


1 Timothy 4:6

In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be  a good servant of
Jesus Christ, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound
doctrine which you have been following.


One problem with Christian maturity is trying to base spiritual growth on
practical sections of the Scriptures and spending too little time internalizing
the doctrinal sections. Each of Paul's letters tends to fall into two major
parts. The first part is generally doctrinal, such as Romans 1-8, Ephesians
1-3, Colossians 1-2, etc. These sections reveal what we need to know about
God, ourselves, sin and salvation. The second half of each letter is 
the practical
section: Romans 12-15, Ephesians 4-6, Colossians 3-4, etc. These passages
describe what we need to do to live out our faith in daily experience.

In our zeal to correct the problems in our lives--doubt, temptation, satanic
attack, conflict in families, friendships and churches which are 
falling apart--we
jump to the practical instructions of God's Word. We want a quick fix, a
rule or instruction which we can apply like a Band-Aid to make things better.

Perhaps you have already discovered that a Band-Aid approach to daily living
doesn't work. Why not? Because when you don't understand the truth pertaining
to your position in Christ, you have no ground for success in the practical
arena. How can you rejoice in hope and persevere in tribulation (Romans 12:12)
without the confidence of knowing you have been justified by faith and have
peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)?

When your basic belief system about God and yourself is shaky, your
day-to-day behavior system will be shaky. But when your belief system 
is intact and
your relationship with God is based on truth, you'll have very little
trouble working out the practical aspects of daily Christianity. Show 
me someone
who knows who they are in Christ and who is filled with the Holy Spirit, as
taught in the first half of the Epistles, and I will show you someone who will
instinctively live according to the second half of the Epistles. It will be
the "natural" thing to do.


Prayer:


Loving Father, I desire to know what I need to know about You so I can live
the way You desire for me to live.