I expect most of us have been reflecting on the past year and making plans for spiritual growth and development in the new year. You may have made New Year’s Resolutions or set goals for 2020. Some of these might include your Bible reading plans or studying theological and devotional works. You might work on memorizing Scripture or learning the periods of Bible history and some of the content that goes into each period. You might plan to pray more or begin attending Sunday evening worship or midweek Bible study. All of these are good and worthwhile activities to pursue, but they are all activities, and actions should not be the only way we plan to grow spiritually.
What does it profit a man if he reads the whole Bible but is harsh with his wife, impatient with his children, cold to his brethren, or corrupt in his heart desires? Many people resolve to read the Bible more each year, but how many of us resolve to be more contrite, humble, patient, kind, and gentle? I don’t know about you, but I could use a lot of work in those areas. Am I as eager to learn how to communicate better with my wife, children, and brethren as I am to memorize another verse or chapter of the Bible? Do I consider this kind of sanctification as important as knowing Bible information? (Actually, it is more important.)
Growth in character and virtue does not happen by trying harder, though we will need to “Work out [our] own salvation… for it is God who works in you” (Php. 2:12-13). We cannot simply set a goal to read a certain number of chapters or memorize a certain number of verses and thereby become a more Christlike person. We must rest in Christ and look to the gospel for power in our sanctification. We also can: (1) Repent and pray daily about our need to grow in specific areas, (2) Be mindful of our duty to be more like Jesus in these ways, (3) Meditate on Scripture that encourages and equips us in these virtues, and (4) Seek godly counsel, encouragement, and accountability from our spouse and elders as we seek to be more fully conformed to Christ.
As important and helpful as devotional activity may be such as Bible reading and memorization, if it is not accompanied by repentance, humility, and reliance on Christ, it will make us more like the Pharisees than like our Lord. I plan to read and meditate on the Bible more in 2020, but I hope (and plan, with God’s help) to become more like Jesus in the new year too. Don’t let time in the Bible and knowledge of the Bible make you proud and less like the Christ of the Bible. May God help us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. -JME
