Are you comfortable, or are you challenged, in your spiritual walk? Do you thirst for more of God, to know Him better? How far have you come since you first trusted Christ? Is your spiritual temperature cold, room temperature, or RED HOT? How is the light of God operating in your life? Do you want to know God more? Are you seeking passionately to KNOW HIM through prayer, deep study of who He reveals Himself to be through his letter to you, and through listening quietly to the Holy Spirit? As we study the early church in the Book of Acts, these questions keep coming to me.
The spiritual temperature was RED HOT in the Book of Acts.! They had become Christ followers and demonstrated a constant, daily passion to know Him more. They prayed powerfully together. They ate together. They dedicated themselves to the study of scripture and knowing God. THERE WAS RED-HOT PASSION and desire to KNOW HIM BETTER.
As the early church grew and time passed, their passion slowly faded. Many of the faithful were stunted in their growth. Many were falling away. The writer of Hebrews warns us sharply not to be complacent in the care of our soul. Early Friends clearly believed that our repentance and faith in Christ would produce a transformed, passionate life day in and day out. God’s light, the Holy Spirit living in us, and studying His Word would produce a transformed life internally and externally. We can KNOW HIM, not just know about Him. This is a deep privilege as Christ's light shines in us. How deeply and passionately are we pursuing the one who created us?
Hebrews 5:11 - 6:6 practically screams at us. “In fact, brothers, though you ought to be teachers by this time, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You still crave milk, not solid food. Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God.”
We ponder the questions as we return to the first paragraph. Are we truly passionate about KNOWING HIM? Is He RED HOT in our daily life?
Eric Bowman
Eric is our associate pastor, working with outreach and youth ministry as well as adult discipleship and growth. Eric retired from a 28-year career in public education as a high school band director in 2019 and is now living his lifelong dream as a pastor. Eric and his wife, Diana, continue to live in Henry County where they have been lifetime residents. They "raised" three children and are now making their best attempt at "raising" themselves.