As I was paging through some of my old notebooks this morning, I came across an analogy I had written down that I thought was pretty good and the timing of my recent study of Romans was very cool. I thought this would be an interesting “Coffee Shop Discussion”, it is regarding “practice”. Before we get into the analogy, I thought it would be interesting to point out that the word practice appears in 23 verses in the New Testament. At the end of this post, I am going to copy/past a portion of the verses to help get a good understanding of how the word is used.
How many times do I need to go bowling to be considered a bowler? If I went occasionally, would you conclude that I “practice” bowling?
Let’s consider what goes into bowling, the effort it takes to bowl. I must go to the bowling alley (when they are open and there’s no leagues going on), I must rent a lane and some old shoes that hundreds have people before me have worn. I must find a big heavy ball that I think will fit my hand, and then carry it to the rented lane. After someone enters all the names and it is my turn, it is only then I can pick up the heavy ball, roll it down the lane and be considered a bowler (even if I don’t do it very well).
It does not take much thought to agree that a person doesn’t accidently bowl. They don’t say when asked what they did this weekend, “Well, I didn’t intend to, but I stumbled and found myself bowling 3 games on Friday night, I am not sure how it happened.”
“Practicing” bowling at any level or frequency takes deliberate effort.
I can very easily quit bowling all together, and I would rightly say, “I used to be a bowler, but not anymore – I don’t go once in a while, I don’t bowl.”
If we are being honest with ourselves, continued sin is also deliberate. It is easy for me to look back on some things I have done and see that not only were these things deliberate, but in some cases, they took quite a bit of effort. Some sin is or was so ingrained in our lives that it takes very little effort, but it is deliberate.
As I am writing this, I remembered another analogy I used to share in jail when discussing growing in the faith, being regenerated by the Spirit, the pruning spoken of in John 15:
Growing and being pruned by God is like watching TV. Let’s say you’re a sports fan. For me, it would take no effort NOT to watch figure skating; I have no interest in it. But I used to love watching football. So, when Sunday comes around, I turn on the football games and the Spirit of God speaks to me and says, “I hate football, quit watching it.”
I say, “But I love football.” The Spirit says, “I know you love it, but I hate it.” So, desiring to live by the Spirit I turn off the TV and quit watching it.
Then a couple weeks later the next UFC Pay-Per View is on, and I buy it. As the opening fight starts, the Spirit speaks to me and says, “I hate MMA, quit watching it.”
I says, “But I love MMA!” The Spirit says, “I know you love it, but I hate it.” So, desiring to live by the Spirit I turn off the TV and quit watching it.
And on it goes as you are being sanctified by the Spirit; only it is not football and MMA, it is the sin in your life you held so closely your entire life. God says, “I hate it, quit doing it.”
The more we grow, the more we seek God, the more He reveals. There are things in our life today that we don’t give much thought to that He me convict us of next week or next year. If we are abiding in Him, He will continue the pruning process. But He doesn’t just leave us loving the sin and doing our best to resist, as we grow, by His Grace, He changes us, we begin to hate what He hates and love what He loves.
The question for discussion is, when you read the verses below, what thoughts impact you the most in regard to the word “practice”?
Scripture
What impacts you most as you read these verses?
Matthew 23:3b For they preach, but do not practice.
Romans 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Romans 2:1b you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
Romans 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.
Romans 2:3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
1Corinthains 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
Ephesians 4:19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
1Timothy 4:15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
2Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
1John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
1John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
1John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
1John 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
