Immerse Yourself ...

Thursday, May 4, 2017. How do you get to the top of some crows when it comes to a competition? Often, in sports, it is clear that years of training is needed - on top of strong talent. The same is true for science. Even if you are very gifted, you still need to learn a lot and gain experiences and know your field. Learning and intense practice is indispensible to master whatever field we think of!

Why? …

So why are we treating ethics and life in general differently? When it comes to balance, to sincerity, to grace, to love, to truth, to passion - do we need this learning and practice as well? We do! Without it we will not be able to develop a mature and stable attitude and character.

Let us listen to the advice which Paul gives to Timothy, his fellow Christian. It is about learning the ways of the Lord, about discipleship with Jesus. It is about learning to live what you believe. He says:

15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (from 1 Tim 4)

Sincerity …

It is very important to realize that Paul treats these things seriously. His goal is that sound doctrine is alive. His goal is that the whole life of Timothy is immersed in the practice of truth, love and mercy. It is about progress - indicating that it is some learning curve which needs to be taken.

Often, we think that faith is just some matter of personal attitude. But Paul clarifies that we talk about life and death! We talk about salvation. We talk about a world to be gained or to be lost. It is not just some cream on the cake, it is the whole cake. It is not just some addition, it is the core! It is not just some mode of life, it is life itself!

Clearly, we cannot earn our way into heaven. We cannot gain heaven by doing things. But if we don't do things, if we do not immerse ourselves in the sound doctrine of faith, how could we survive and find our way? How could we stand in the middle of many distractions? But when we follow the advice of Christ throught his apostle Paul, we will live. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts