Putting It Into Practice

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

1 Timothy 4:15 (ESV)
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Hebrews 5:14 (ESV)
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

1 John 1:6 (ESV)
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 2:29 (ESV)
If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John 3:7 (ESV)
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

1 John 3:9 (ESV)
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

Romans 2:13 (ESV)
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Matthew 5:19 (ESV)
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 7:21 (ESV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 12:50 (ESV)
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:35 (ESV)
For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Luke 6:47 (ESV)
Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:

John 3:21 (ESV)
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 13:17 (ESV)
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

1 John 2:4 (ESV)
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

1 John 2:17 (ESV)
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

3 John 1:11 (ESV)
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

James 1:22 (ESV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:23 (ESV)
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

James 1:25 (ESV)
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

A DOER is someone who can continually and consistently put God's word - His commandments and instructions to us - into practice.

James 2:14-20 ESV
¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

Some Things Scripture Calls Us to Do

• Physical Things
  • Control your own body [the flesh] in a way that is holy and honorable (1 Thes 4:4)
    • Control our tongue (Jam 3:8, 1 Pet 3:10)
    • Avoid sexual sin (1 Cor 6:13,18)
    • Avoid substance addiction and abuse
    • Stop outbursts of anger (Col 3:8, Jam 1:19-20)
  • Love brothers in Christ, neighbor, enemies
    • Help those in need (Matt 25:34-36)
    • Give a cup of cold water (Matt 10:42, 25:35-36)
    • Encourage, Comfort, Consolation, Upbuilding, Edification (1 Cor 14:3, Phil 2:1, 1 Thes 2:12)
    • Pray for (Eph 6:18)
  • Avoid love of the world
  • Avoid covetousness which is idolatry
    • "Keeping up with the Joneses"
    • Worshiping the creation rather than the Creator
• Mental Things (partly physical [brain] partly spiritual/eternal [mind-emotions-will - the soul])
  • Take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5)
  • Think about good things (Phil 4:8-9)
  • Rejoice always (Phil 4:4)
  • Remember to give thanks regularly (Eph 5:20)
  • Reject lies and toxic thoughts (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 10:5)
  • Reject anxiety and worry (Phil 4:6, Matt 6:25-34)
  • Make the choice [by our will] to put on love (Col 3:14)
• Spiritual Things
  • Love God first and foremost (Mark 12:30, 1 John 5:2-3)
  • Worship God regularly (Psalm 29:2)
  • Pray to our Heavenly Father on all occasions with thanksgiving (Eph 6:18, Col 4:2, Phil 4:6)
  • Put on our spiritual armor (Eph 6:11)
  • Come out from principalities and powers (2 Cor 6:14-18)
  • Humbly submit to God (Jam 4:6)
  • Resist the devil (Jam 4:7)
  • Test the spirits (1 John 4:1)
  • Put off the old man and put on the new man in Christ (Eph 4:21-24)
  • Intercede for others (1 Tim 2:1)

How am I able to do these things?  By the Spirit of Christ that lives in me!

• Apathy, Slothfulness (Prov 19:15).
• Hopelessness, Despair (2 Cor 4:8, Prov 107:10)
• Lack of Discipline (Heb 12:11, Prov 5:12, 12:1)
• Fear of Man (Prov 29:25)
• Unbelief (Rom 11:20)

One step at a time

Sometimes the number or size of things we perceive that need changing in our lives seems overwhelming and perhaps impossible. God is love. He is not like the devil who wants to break the bruised reed. He will not require of us more than we can handle. His burden is light and His yoke is easy. He deeply desires to have an intimate relationship with His children. We need to pray and ask our Heavenly Father what He wants us to work on next in our life. He may give us one high level issue to work on and/or a few lower level issues to stay on top of.

An Example

Below you will find the 2 Peter 1 Character Qualities scripture verses. In summary these verses tell us to

Make every effort to supplement your
faith with virtue, and
virtue with knowledge, and
knowledge with self-control, and
self-control with steadfastness, and
steadfastness with godliness, and
godliness with brotherly affection, and
brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we put this emphatic encouragement (command) into practice? We can regularly pray and ask our Heavenly Father which character quality the He wants us to concentrate on today or for a period of time in order to adequately "increase" it in our lives. God is faithful and since He wants us to have the character of Christ he will gladly answer such a prayer. He may already be directing us into circumstances that address our need to exercise a particular character quality. So, in answer to the prayer He will continue to place us into circumstances which require the application of a particular character quality and then prompt us to remember the quality when we need to practice it most. You and I just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's voice when the reply comes and then act upon it by putting the character quality into practice by actually doing it.

The good news is that by putting God's word into practice regularly and consistently we develop good patterns of "doing" which means they will become habits and habits become our normal and natural way of living. We just want our habits to be ones that have a foundation in God's word. If we bear up under discipline and do the hard work up front it "yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb 12:11). Click Here for more info on breaking old bad habits and developing good godly habits.

James 1:25 (ESV)
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres [continues in it], being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Titus 1:8 (ESV)
but [be] hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline [by hardships] my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

If we find it difficult putting God's word into practice we might be trapped by the following spiritual maladies...

James 1:23 (ESV)
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

Matthew 7:26-27 (ESV)
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

But with our confession and repentance God will do this...

1 John 1:9 (ESV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Lord, I confess that I have been a foolish person by not putting your words into practice. I have been one who forgets to be a doer of your precious words. Today I repent of my rebellion of not consistently putting your words into practice. Please heal my foolish and forgetful heart as I make the right choice to be a doer of all Your word. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Some form of the word "Forgive" is mentioned 58 times in the New Testament and twice we are told that we must forgive.

Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

2 Peter 1:3-11 (ESV)
³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

James 5:12 (ESV)
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.