Do It

Many people believe they cannot understand the will of God.  Some Christians even think parts, maybe many parts, of the Bible are too mysterious to comprehend.  As a result, people do not give much time or attention to reading and contemplating the Word.  The Word, however, repeatedly tells us we can understand God’s will and do it.

Moses said,

For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?”  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it (Deut. 30:12-14).

Several lessons can be learned from this.

Not Too Mysterious or Far Off

God is the Creator of both man and the Bible.  He designed the latter for the former.  Hence, they go together.  Common sense and logic tell us that if God went to the trouble of inspiring men to write the Bible and preserved it through His providence, then it is meant to be used by man.  The Psalmist urges us to meditate on it.  “I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways” (Psa. 119:15).  If we believe the Bible is too mysterious for the common man to meditate on, then in essence we accuse God of failure.  Who is willing to do that?

Further, the commands of God are not far off.  The readers of this article likely have a Bible or two nearby.  If not, they at least have one at home.  The Word is not locked in a vault in some distant nation where only a privileged few are permitted.  Rather, it is dispersed far and wide—the most widely circulated book in the West.  Jesus foretold of such when He said to the apostles, “…you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  The Word is near!

Do It

Since the Word of God is understandable and near, our duty is to do it.  Too many of us believe we are pleasing to God just because we know the truth.  We understand it and can tell others about it.  We can point out the errors of denominationalism and Premillennialism.  Yet, we fail as husbands, wives, and parents (Eph. 5:22-6:4).  We watch and listen to filth (Phil. 4:8).  We curse, pitch a fit, and murmur (Col. 3:8; 1 Cor. 10:10).  Still, we “know” the truth.

James warned us about the disconnect between knowing and doing.  He said,

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does (Jas. 1:21-25).

Is it too hard to do?  If so, then God mocks us by giving us something to do that we cannot do.  Do you make the excuse for yourself, “That’s just the way I am.  I can’t help it”?  Again, you blame God for your sins.  He did not create you with an inclination to sin.  You learned it on your own.  It is time to unlearn it.

The Word is not too mysterious, nor is it far off.  It is accessible and understandable.  Therefore, we are without excuse.  We are obligated to know it and do it.

Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
- Proverbs 8:34

Before You Say I Do
By H. Norman Wright
& Wes Roberts