The Disciple And Knowledge Of The Word

The most pitiful people; in my opinion, are those who cannot or-- for reasons unknown to me-- will not stand up and speak out by giving a biblical and relevant defense of their faith when questioned by others. I believe it's important to know what you believe and why you believe it. Then be able to give an articulate and reasoned response to those around you. For example, how would respond to someone who asks, "How do you know Christianity is true?" How would answer the person who expresses that they need evidence for the existence of God?

C.S. Lewis was right when he argued, the question is not if you will defend the faith, but will you defend it well. Peter said is well when he stated, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" 1Pet. 3:15.

The word "answer" is the Greek word "apologia," and refers to a legal defense. It's a compound of the words apo and logos. Apo meaning, back, and logos meaning word. When compounded, it means to answer back and depicts a reply, a response, or an answer. The word was us to describe a court trial where the accused was given the opportunity to give a respond or an answer to the charges brought against him. (Sparkling Gems, by Rick Renner p. 926).

As a disciple (a learner) it's very important to be a student of the Word. Paul instructed Timothy to study to show himself approved and to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Again referring to the Believers living in Berea Paul said they "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).

There are at least three reasons to be a student of the Word.

1. According to Matt. 4:4, Heb. 5:11-14 the Word is spiritual food the follower of Christ. Just like your natural body depends on food to sustain itself and survive, your spiritual body requires food for growth and survival.
2. Your enemy; the devil, attempts everything within his power to keep you from receiving revelation from the Word because he knows the Word of God is a weapon (a sword) you can use against him. See Eph. 6:10-18. Your knowledge of the Word is what equips you for battle and the application of that knowledge is what insures your success and victory against the forces of darkness.
3. If you interact with people; especially unbelievers, your knowledge and understanding of the Word will equip to give a reasoned response to their questions.

The Disciples Relationship With God

One of the most important elements of any relationship is understanding the person you have a relationship with; that certainly applies to God too. You have to understand the basic nature and character of God to have a healthy relationship with Him. A failure or misunderstanding of the nature and character of God is one of the reasons that many people don't have a health and positive relationship with Him.

Yes, there are many things we could say regarding the nature and character of God. But the most basic and quite possibly the most important character of God is that He is good and His will for us is ONLY good. He is so good that He even take the unfortunate things that happen in our lives and causes it to work out for our good (Rom 8:26).

Jesus' willingness to forgive the woman caught in the very act of adultery exemplifies the goodness of God (Jn 8:1-11). It shows the willingness of God to reconcile mankind to Himself.

Please don't misunderstand or misrepresent what I am saying. God does not simply overlook sin and wrong doing. It's clear from the Word that He hates sin. It's clear that sin separates mankind from a holy and righteous God. What I want you to know and what I hope you understand is that God dealt with our sin when Christ took them upon Himself and received our punishment. God's heart is to reconcile mankind unto Himself, not to judge them or impute their sins to them.

If you really want to know how God deals with sin read "Paid In Full," by Rick Renner.