Miriam Webster defines the word practical as “capable of being put to use or account”, “willingness to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly”, and “of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas”
All of these definitions fit perfectly for the way I see God’s Word and it’s application in our daily lives as Christians. I don’t believe God ever intended for this Book to be held in our hands and used for idea’s or obscure theories in which we can glory in the personal knowledge of. It was not meant as a tool for our endless debates on theological principles. It was meant to be read, understood, digested and put into use in our everyday lives.
To often it seems that this amazing gift from God is hijacked by those who desire to use it to further confuse a society to its actual, life altering meaning by turning it into fuel for unending controversies. The Apostle Paul warns against such things when he was speaking to his young protege in 1 Timothy 1:4. Now, I understand that he was speaking specifically to those who were false teachers but they became false teachers when they “missed the point” of Paul’s teaching, which was the true Word of God and headed off into “meaningless discussions”. 1 Timothy 1:5-6
While discussion and debates in the right setting can help us sharpen our understanding to the deeper principles at play within the scriptures, it central purpose was not such use. God gave us His Word, written by men filled with His Holy Spirit, so that we might live it in such a way that others would come to know Him as their God as well. So that others could find the peace, joy, happiness, direction, confirmation and discipline from a loving God that we all know so well. I mean, let us not forget that our central purpose and task in Christian life is to “go and make disciples” Matthew 28:19-20.
It’s going to be hard to do that while we stand around and argue about the minutiae in scripture.
Pastor Tracy
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