Christians need personal exertion as well as faith

By: American Decency Staff

Pictured is my old set of Scripture memorization cards – 3×5 cards.

Stay with me. There’s a reason for my mentioning them here.

While in my early thirties and still a young Christian I heard of people that memorized  Scripture.   I faced a 35 minute drive to my teaching position in the public schools. I began to memorize three Bible verses a week and then reviewing verses previously memorized to keep them fresh in my heart and mind.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light. (Psalm 119:130) It is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you.  (Proverbs 22:18)

Picture each word.  “If you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding:  If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:3-5)

Speak the word out loud or even quietly as you recite the words.  “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be given unto you.”
(John 15:7)

I recited the Scripture verses day after day on the way to school and built them into my heart, soul and mind. 

God blessed that year where I was on the road daily as He gave me a greater love and appreciation for His Word and for Himself.

Years later as I sensed a calling into ministry, several of the verses that I had committed to memorization formed the very bedrock of the calling that God was preparing for me. 

I keep my set of approximately 125 Scripture memorization cards on my desk.  I highly commend memorizing Scripture. 

If you have a certain issue in your life:  anger, lust, impatience, a lack of forgiveness, … seek out verses that relate to your area of need and sin.  As you memorize the Scriptures, ask God to apply those verses to your life.  Pray and ask for God’s help.

The verses that formed the bedrock for my ministry calling had to do with salt and light and opposing evil and pornography which I once struggled with in my early twenties.

Consider engaging yourself in Scripture memorization.

Here are a few of those verses that God placed before me and I “chewed on” and God applied to my life and has blessed me throughout the ongoing years.

I’m sharing them in the King James as that is the version that I used to memorize them.

Romans 12:1,2:  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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.

Psalm 101:3a:  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

I John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Finally, let me close with a quote from J.C. Ryle from his book entitled “Holiness”

But surely the Scriptures teach us that in following holiness the true Christian needs personal exertion,” says in other places, “I fight,” “I run,” “I keep under my body,” “Let us lay aside every weight.”  (Gal. 2:20; I Cor. 9:26,27; 2 Cor.7:1; Heb. 4:11; 12:1)

==================================================================

To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

 

---