Mentoring Men for the Master

If You Would “INTERNALIZE THE WORD OF GOD!

Many guys realize they need to “Internalize the Word, but they are afraid of their ability to memorize.  But God tells us exactly what we must do in order to Internalize His Word – in the first chapter of James, verses 18-25:

  1. We must be REGENERATED by the Word of God (verse 18). When we are born again, the Word of God is born within us, which means His word is written on our hearts and we desire to hear and obey that Word.  “Being born again, not of corruptible but of the incorruptible Word of God, which liveth and abides forever” (1 Pet.1:23).
  2. We must REVERE the Word of God. This means we must have the right attitude toward the Word until: (verse 19)
    1. We will be eager to hear what it says to our heads and hearts
    2. We will also ponder and be slow in responding to what the Word says, and
    3. We above all will not become angry at the Word and become more ungodly than ever.
  3. We must REPENT of any sin which would prevent our hearing God speak (verse 21). We are commanded to “lay aside all filthiness.”  This word “filthiness” was used to describe “ear wax.”  Sin is a kind of wax that will clog up your spiritual ear so you cannot hear just as literal wax will close your physical  ear so you cannot hear.  One of those very common sins is an “unbridled tongue: (1:27), other would be internet pornography, bitterness, laziness, luke-warmness, etc.
  4. We must RECEIVE the Implanted (in-born Word) which is able to save our souls. James views the Word as Seed and our Hearts as the soil.  The Word can be received if we do four things:
    1. Know it in our head by diligent study.
    2. Stow, it in our hearts by meditation and memorization.
    3. Show it in our lives by obeying its teaching.
    4. And Sow it in our world by witnessing.

And what will the Word do when received?  Save our souls.  James is writing to born again people, so he is not speaking of saving your soul from hell, but the saving of your life in this world.  Alas the millions who are “wasting” their lives, many of whom are quite religious, but refuse to obey the commandments of Jesus and insist on doing their “own thing.”

  1. We must REFUSE the deception of substituting the hearing of the Word for obedience to the Word.  Multitudes hear the Word, do daily devotions, read a chapter daily from the Bible, etc, thinking these will cause them to grow but not son.
  2. We can REJOICE in the Promise of God’s Blessings when we “intently look into the law of perfect liberty,” grasp its meaning, and constantly obey its commands (verse 25). The Christian life is simple: Obey God and you can leave the consequences with Him.  In fact, you will be freed from the power and practice of sin, King Self will be crucified, and you will “reign in life by Christ Jesus,” (Romans 5:17).

Remember:  Memorizing verses from the Bible is hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch!