And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine . . .
devoted to the word Published week of november 1, 2020
The early Church experienced a tremendous revival we call Pentecost. As we read in Acts 2, it was during this time, that around 3,000 people were saved. We learn from verse 42 what the believers’ lives looked like. The very first words indicate that they were disciples, learners, and students. They listened to, wrote down, and lived out the Apostles’ teaching. That teaching was likely the words of Jesus Himself, as recounted by those who closely followed Him for three years.
God's Word tell us these early Christians were “devoted” to the teachings of the Apostles regarding Jesus. The Greek word for “devoted“ means, “to be strong and steadfast in a thing and give it unremitting care; to persevere.” The idea is that this was not a weekly Sunday School lesson, nor was it a devotional as you are reading right now. This was a deep commitment and constant effort on the part of believers to know the teachings of Jesus and to follow them.
This teaching was essential to the spiritual maturity of this early Church. These gifted Apostles knew first-hand who Jesus was and what Jesus did. They boldly carried the name of Jesus. There is nothing more important than to know Jesus through His Word. Bible study must be more than merely a “part of our life”; it must be a daily pursuit. To be grounded and growing in the faith, we must be strong in the Word of God. This is true more than ever as in our current culture and political climate, the truth of the Bible is questioned by the outside world. The Bible has been reduced to being viewed as a collection of moral stories, a book that is interesting reading, and a volume that few really understand. Many people believe that God's Word does not speak to today’s thinking and is not relevant to people alive today.
However, none of that is true. The Bible is the revealed and holy Word of God. We do not make it relevant. The Bible is relevant and not only contains truth but is truth. If we stray from it, then we are less relevant, and we have strayed from the truth. If we feel like we don’t know God as well as we should, then the solution is simple: devote ourselves to the Apostles’ teaching. Dig in to the Word of God. Be persistent and study it daily. Then, by all means, put into practice what it says and live out what we put in. When we are steadfast in the Word of God, our faith will be steadfast in the world God gave us.
Dear gracious and loving Father, thank You for giving us Your Word, the Bible. I confess that it is often challenging for us to set aside time to study and know Your Word as I should. Help me to prioritize my time with You and daily invest time in Your holy Word. As I learn from the pages of the Bible, help me to put Your Truth into action in my life daily. As the early church did, I ask your Holy Spirit to give me a steadfast pursuit of You and the knowledge of You through Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
